Mega Mediocrity

Rating: 6/10 (5 November 2010)

Well, Pixar, your jobs are safe ... for now. I am sure that you are well aware that the folks at DreamWorks are rapping on your door. Sure you might have superior graphics and excellent screen writing skills, but in time, others will try for your stature in the industry. After more and more studios jump on the computer animation bandwagon, you will soon be lost in the onslaught. That's still a ways off in the future, though.
"Megamind" is the newest minion in DreamWorks' army of family animation films ("Shrek", "Madagascar," "How to Train Your Dragon"). With an A-List cast, it delivers humor and enough action to keep the audience entertained for the most part. Not a lot of inside jokes for Mom and Dad but the soundtrack (familiar songs by AC/DC and Guns 'n Roses) will provide a nostalgic trip for them while the kiddies are watching a couple of superheroes destroy a city.
The film has the essential plot elements of the antagonist and soon-to-be protagonist Megamind (voiced by Will Ferrell) and his desire to become an evil super genius. In Ferrell's best Vincent Price voice, he narrates to the audience on how he became such an evil mastermind. He also explains his modus operandi on why he wants to be the bane of Metro City (as a running gag he mispronounces the name of the city). We find that he spent his childhood in a prison (one of the world's only fun prisons by the way) and having to compete with Metro Man (voiced by Brad Pitt) in school (another word Megamind can't pronounce).
We follow Megamind's growth into adulthood where he chooses the path of evil while Metro Man chooses the path of good. When Metro Man is accepting an award for being, well, Metro Man, Megamind kidnaps a local news reporter, Roxanne Ritchi (voiced by Tina Fey). A few things go wrong and unknowingly Megamind kills Metro Man. This was not part of the plan. As most of you know if you kill off your nemesis there will be no more adventures. There will be no more extravagant duels. More importantly there will be no more money to be made off of the franchise. When Metro Man "dies" and we are left with Megamind and his Minion (voiced by David Cross) to rule Metro City.
Megamind quickly decides that it would be best to invent a new enemy so can cure his overwhelming depression. He needs a yin to his yang, someone to fill the void that Metro Man left. He unintentionally injects super serum into Roxanne's camera man's nose (voiced by Jonah Hill). Megamind trains his new protégé, Tighten (which is a misspelled moniker of Titan), to become a superhero so they can have an enormous duel and then Megamind can become the super villain that he once was.
While exacting his evil plan, Megamind is falling in love with Roxanne while he is posing as a nerdy museum curator. And while doing that he ... you know what? It is already too confusing. For a kid's movie, the story is about as clear as mud. The exciting final fight scene (which imitates the ending fight scene of Pixar's "The Incredibles") is what the kids will remember the most. You will see some exceptional 3D fight scenes through out the film. If you liked the animation DreamWorks did with "How to Train Your Dragon" then you won't be disappointed here.
Should you see this movie? Are you a kid ages 4-12? Sure, then go see it. Don't try to follow the story too closely, leave that up to Mom and Dad to try to decipher. Eat your popcorn, drink your soda, laugh at some of the crude jokes, try to relate to Megamind when he was a kid and ride it out to the end. Then wait for Pixar to come out with a story that we can all follow.