Anyone who has read my previous reviews is aware of the depth of respect that I have for animated films, and after the level of success that both Toy Story 3 and Despicable Me achieved this past summer, Megamind had some high expectations to fulfill. Unfortunately, Will Ferrell’s recent projects have been hit-or-miss, but given his undeniable comedic talent, many were excited to see what he could do lending his voice to a titular character. I have said repeatedly that animated films have been getting funnier and funnier over the years, and with Will Ferrell’s supporting cast including comedic heavyweights Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, and David Cross, it looked like Megamind was going to be absolutely hysterical. Disney-Pixar is widely considered the infallible animation heavyweight, but over the years DreamWorks Animation has been getting stronger and stronger, more than proving its competence with established franchises such as Shrek and Madagascar, and with promising future franchises in the form of both Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon; early buzz clearly believed that Megamind would push DreamWorks even closer to animation supremacy.
Given the buildup surrounding the release, the talented voice cast, and the creativity inherent in subject material, I confess that I was slightly disappointed in the finished product of Megamind. Spoofing the superhero and super-villain dynamic with the help of Will Ferrell and Tina Fey should have been comedic gold, but the sad reality is that I didn’t find Megamind all that funny or engaging. It almost seems like the film couldn’t decide if it was targeting children or an older audience, and as a result, a large amount of the film’s overall potential was lost. Another common characteristic of animated films is their strong blend of comedic and heartwarming plot elements (Wall-E and Toy Story 3 being easy examples), but again, this felt like another dynamic that Megamind attempted but just couldn’t fully achieve. In the end, Megamind is a solid film with impressive animation and some clever elements, but it still falls short of the standard that other animated films have established over the years.
For more information, please read the full review.
Overall Recommendation: Medium
