So I saw that Megamind was on television the other night, and I figured that it wouldn't hurt to record it and give it a watch. I vaguely remember hearing from someone that it wasn't that good, so I went in with low expectations. Turns out Megamind is pretty damn amazing. Starting with a very "Superman" opening (last son of a dying planet, sent to earth), Megamind quickly sets up a somewhat cookie-cutter supervillain origin and dives right into the action. Actually, before I get too far ahead, the nods to the classic Donner Superman and silver-age Supes in general are really well done and perhaps make the film worth checking out for Superman fans just for those notes alone. Also, though the origin story is quick, it does cover the ideas of Hero/Villain rivalry really well.
I'll note as well, that Megamind really knows how to make an entrance, which as a fan of Doctor Doom, I really appreciate. So it's no The Incredibles, but Megamind playes with some great concepts that I love to see in superheroes; reversal of hero and villain roles, a hero retiring and a Villain being forced to defend the same people they once terrorized. The offsets to this are the usual Hollywood cliches like love being the answer and Disney fake-out deaths, but I guess I'm getting used to that kind of thing and just mentally gloss over it. Man I can't wait until Bollywood, England and Hong Kong start making superhero films.
Ok, so I won't be running out to find a 28mm Megamind, but if I see the DVD cheap, I'll be sure to grab it. What I have gained most from the film is some inspiration for scenarios and hero backgrounds to flesh out my games and settings. It's always good to find a film enjoyable when I'm not expecting much and David Cross is always good value, even when the audience is too young for him making jokes about having "blue myself early".
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