Both Megamind and his nemesis Metroman are orphans and sole survivors of their respective worlds. Both were sent out into the universe by the parents and both crash landed on earth. And here is where the similarities fade and the binary opposition arises both with themselves and the man of steel.
One grows up cared for by rich opulent foster parents a far cry from Ma and Pa Kent. More like a what if Kal-el landed in Wayne Manor as a kid. The other, Megamind, pre-empts the justice system a few years and lands in a high security prison. They become mortal enemies a la General Zod and Superman, due to their alien nature although there are as many ties with Lex Luthor in Megamind, but eventually he seemingly destroys Metroman in a fateful final battle. After defeating his mortal foe the sapphire settler finds himself trapped within a monkey's paw. He wished it would happen, it did happen and now he knows not what to do!
The film works fantastically on many levels. It is an excellent animated feature with high production quality and it's carried out with great style. Much like some of Pixar's best features it doesn't limit it's audience to the young, every generation can find something to relate to here from the Marlon Brando impressions that left the kids in our Hatfield audiences bemused whilst their fathers were in tears.
It also works greatly as an examination of Superman & the superhero genre in general. The two characters arrived on earth as equals and it appears to b their upbringing that defines defines the position on a Taoist scale. Good bad right wrong. It's an examination of the ideas and concepts of nature versus nurture.
Yes it furiously mines superhero clichés specifically the man of steel but I think the biggest let downs of the film are the Jimmy Olsen-esque character of Hal, Roxy's cameraman , Minion and Roxy herself. Jonah hill was a mistake for the role of Hal and that combined with his character being horribly written has resulted in a highly insulting stereotype of humanity as a whole.
Roxy's impact as a character should have been a significant one in the film. Equivalent to that of Buzz's impact on Woody in Toy Story.He had his bravado and alternate take on life to contend with similar in some ways to Woody's train of thought. Neither are bad they just take life in their own stride but it's that different perspective that drives the character arcs into new territory. We should have seen this more in Roxy in her attitude towards the Metroman seemingly only she saw. Megamind puts Metroman up on a pedestal himself as this idea of good, or to quote from Superman , of truth and justice and the American way. Whereas the reality Roxy saw was a "man" who was very vein and rather selfish despite all his so called good doings. This is what Megamind as a film really should of focused on rather than merely touching. The ideas of binary opposition and the blurs between good and evil. In the comic world and culture in general, Superman is seen as distinctly good and Lex Luthor is distinctly bad. In reality we don't have these absolutes and that's what this film should focus on more with the characters.
Like Dreamworks' other animated efforts such as Shrek, the film is equally packed with wider cultural references as it is with digs into the superhero genre. Donkey Kong, Brando's Jor-El and a very old school rock soundtrack full of AC/DC, Guns 'N' Roses and Michael Jackson serve to make Megamind's entrances all the more spectacular, after all as the epic egghead himself says being as super-villain is all about presentation. And he never fails in this respect!
The film is fun for all and whilst the story may initially seem a little contrived and almost implodes like the colossal cranium's home-world with the focus shifting to Hal's new persona, Tighten.
Megamind on the whole looks amazing, the 3D works well without trying to hard to impress. By throwing every object that isn't nailed down at you, which with a bunch of superhero characters is a possibility. It isn't as well rounded an examination of the genre as The Incredibles but it succeeds in being funny, entertaining and appealing to all ages.
Hopefully Megamind will return with same presentation and pathos as he's shown in his first outing without succumbing to fourquels entitled Megamind: IV The Quest For Peace upon which he's left in hiatus hell for two decades only to return finally to be ruined again due to repeating plot ideas and strange parental developments....
No comments:
Post a Comment