Piece on Mind

Not long ago, I watched the 2010 effort from the Dreamworks Animation studio, Megamind. I'd skipped the movie in theaters, in part because it seemed like they were venturing into territory already skillfully covered by Pixar in The Incredibles. But on the other hand, there was a twist here -- this film was built around the villain who opposes a do-gooder superhero.

Another point that made me waffle on seeing the movie was the main star, Will Ferrell. I've definitely enjoyed certain performances he has given, but quite hated others. But, given that he was contributing only his voice here, there was little chance this movie would feature any of the stupid, "get naked" humor that leaves me cold in so many of his movies.

Will Ferrell is good in this movie, it turns out, though he's only one in a pretty strong cast. Also featured in the cast are Tina Fey, Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and David Cross -- all actors I've enjoyed in other films, and all well utilized here.

So I gave Megamind a chance, and was surprised. It wasn't that I liked it a good deal more (or less) than I expected; I was quite simply surprised by what I saw. I think I was expecting a more comedic effort, exploiting the "it's about the bad guy" premise and mostly comedian cast for laughs. But I found the true laughs in the movie to actually be rather few and far between.

Instead, there turned out to be a rather enjoyable and sweet story at the heart of the movie. It's a story of nature vs. nurture, sweet sentiment, and rising to the occasion. It's largely predictable, but also wholly genuine. And while it lacks the real weighty moments of, say, Up or Toy Story 3, it runs deeper than most "kids movie" fare.

I rate Megamind a B+. I won't be adding it to my collection or anything, but I can certainly give it my recommendation.