6) Megamind
It’s a shame that we haven’t received more animated superhero films released in theaters, because the few that we’ve seen have shown that it’s easier to translate the iconic visuals of a comic book in animation than in live action. Take a film like Megamind, for example. The lead character’s gigantic blue head and leather outfit wouldn’t work anywhere else than on a comic book page or in a world created by DreamWorks Animation.
Megamind is a clever retelling of the classic Superman/Lex Luthor relationship, but with a fun twist. The title character, played by Will Ferrell, is a super-intelligent supervillain with a nemesis beloved by the world over: the powerful and handsome Metro Man (Brad Pitt). After losing battle after battle with Metro Man, Megamind finally succeeds in destroying his nemesis… and then has to live in a world without him.
What follows is not just a great examination of Superman’s relationship with Lex Luthor, but a look at the superhero genre as a whole. Megamind eventually grows bored of having no one to fight and designs a new nemesis. Of course, not everything goes to plan, and he must try to set things right and discover a newfound purpose of becoming a hero instead of a villain.
Megamind is incredibly funny and pokes a lot of fun at classic superhero tropes. While some people may not appreciate what DreamWorks has done here, I definitely dig it and would love to see more superhero films follow in a similar vein.
Published: Sep 10, 2014 10:15 pm