‘Megamind’

The superhero formula has been exhausted to the point where it has become just another cliché. So familiar is the storyline that the very notion of another superhero movie produces a gag-reflex in the minds of many viewers. Hero meets villain, villain gets under hero’s skin and produces a few obstacles that will prolong the hero’s advantage over the villain. But in the end, hero is for the greater good of humanity, defeats the villain and saves the day. This is usually the case; the champion of mankind is not at a disadvantage for long.

In Megamind, the superhero-villain elements are definitely put into play. Megamind, at eight days old, is shipped to Earth for great things to happen to him. But with the full prophecy thwarted (his home planet was quickly being sucked into a black hole and his parents have no time in order to elaborate), Megamind is unable to fully comprehend his parents’ hopeful designs for their only child. At this instance, Metro Man is traveling down the same path. He has an equally bright future; perhaps a brighter future than Megamind. (Hint: appearances can be deceiving.)

As we follow Megamind on his hapless journey, we begin to witness more of the intermeshing of ideals dealing with identity, recognition, and acceptance. At the school, where Megamind and Metro Man will be groomed into their future selves, Megamind is treated like an outcast. No good could come from his destructive talents, and with a pet Piranha as his only friend, he decides to use his social deviancy to his advantage. And so a super-villain is born. Acting as Megamind’s arch-nemesis, Metro Man continues to foil Megamind’s every chance of taking over Metro City.

Here, we begin to see an inverted mentality with an if you can’t beat them, join them routine. And Megamind does exactly that. Except that he has invented his own terms for going about it. Megamind goes about scheming his way to the top, until one day one of his plans succeed in vanquishing Metro Man. Metro City is his, but if your life’s purpose is completed what happens next?

As Megamind searches for fulfillment at this point in his life, the crucial underlining themes of a social mishap are again explored. Often times neglected in a superhero movie, the super villain is more often than not depicted in an unfair light, and this imbalance in portrayal greatly minimizes the depth of the film. Although it might help that the main character of this movie is a “super villain,” Megamind does an excellent job of representing the underdogs. Not only is the development of this movie, in terms of plot and psychology, very accurate, but it is obvious from the start that we are not dealing with your normal villainous creature.

But don’t get me wrong, the movie wasn’t all seriousness; in fact, this ridiculously hysterical movie should be considered one of the funniest comedies to come from Dreamworks. I just thought that the psychological aspects and on-point exploration of a social miscreant should be noted.

But definitely see the movie if you’re just in it for the laughs. Mix a double dose of hilarious fun and tongue-in-cheek humor, and you get a super movie filled with gargantuan acts like Will Ferrell as Megamind, Brad Pitt as Metro Man, and Tina Fey as Roxanne.

Released in November, this hilarious movie is currently playing at your local theater in 3D, IMAX 3D, and 2D. So come join the fun or just to analyze. It will definitely be worth it.