Blu-Ray Review: Great Release For ‘Megamind’ With Will Ferrell, Tina Fey

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CHICAGO – DreamWorks’ “Megamind” features a fantastic voice cast (one of the best of 2010) and will play very well to legions of rugrats over the next few years, but it’s a film that might leave their parents shrugging their shoulders in disappointment. With three of the best animated films ever made hitting theaters last year (“Toy Story 3,” “How to Train Your Dragon,” “The Illusionist”) along with quality alternatives (“Despicable Me,” “Tangled”), it’s likely that “Megamind” will appropriately get lost in the mix of history when people talk about this era of the medium.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

Like “Despicable Me,” the title character in “Megamind” (Will Ferrell) learns that being a bad guy isn’t as much fun as being a good one. It’s interesting that with so many real-life corporate villains, Hollywood is telling stories of powerful men learning lessons about evil. In the case of “Megamind,” as in so many super hero stories, the good barely outweighs the bad (although a Blu-ray with spectacular technical specs and incredible special features tips the scales a bit more).

Voice work goes a long way in a project like this and “Megamind” had one of the most interesting voice casts of 2010 — Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and David Cross. You can’t get a much-more-talented crew than that even if the way they’re brought to life isn’t as visually interesting or creative as one would hope.

Megamind was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on February 25th, 2011
Photo credit: DreamWorks Home Video

In many ways, the opening scenes of “Megamind” are the most creative as the big blue guy details his long-running feud with his heroic counterpart Metroman (Pitt). On the occasion of the opening of the Metroman Museum in the center of Metro City, Megamind stages yet another kidnapping of the beautiful Roxie (Fey) in an attempt to lure Metroman into another trap. To everyone’s surprise, his plan finally works and Metroman ends up dead.

Megamind was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on February 25th, 2011 Photo credit: DreamWorks Home Video

After taking over the city and wreaking cartoonish havoc with his pal Minion (David Cross), Megamind realizes that a villain without a hero is a yin without a yang. He decides to try and create a hero to complete him and bring meaning to his life again. Using a bit of Metroman’s remaining DNA, he accidentally infuses superhero powers into a slob of a cameraman named Hal (Jonah Hill), turning him into Titan. Of course, Megamind learns that the definition of hero or villain can’t just be placed on someone. It’s about what’s inside.

The main reason to see “Megamind” beyond the bright, pretty colors that can serve as a babysitter for your kid is the voice work by Ferrell and Fey. Will imbues Megamind with a spectacularly bizarre accent and Fey is remarkably genuine. Hill and Cross have more personality in their voices than most. The voice cast is easily the best thing about “Megamind.”

I wish the script and the visual sense of the film were as praise-worthy. The story is a bit too predictable (and similar themes were explored more interestingly in “The Incredibles” and “Despicable Me”) and Metro City never quite comes to life, especially without 3D to drive it.

“Megamind” is eventually entertaining without being overly memorable. Of course, on Blu-ray, an entertaining kids movie goes a long way. It’s only when one considers that we are in a golden age of animation that simple entertainment can be considered disappointing.

There’s nothing disappointing about the Blu-ray release, which features a 15-minute short film, trivia track, commentary, animator’s corner, and much more. And it looks spectacular. This is the best family Blu-ray release in terms of sheer quantity of product of 2011 to date. And, sometimes, when it comes to keeping your kid busy, more is definitely better.

Special Features:
o Megamind: The Button Of Doom - Megamind and Minion return to battle an even bigger foe in this all-new Mega comedy adventure!
o Enhance the movie-viewing experience with the animators’ corner featuring picture-in-picture storyboards, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews
o Uncover more Megamind facts with the trivia track
o Put your own hilarious twist on scenes from the film with the Interactive Comic Creator
o Meet the Cast
o Discover the Lost Scene
o Visit Megamind’s Lair
o Experience AnimatorMan
o Learn to Draw Megamind
o Unleash The Reign of Megamind Video Comic Book
o Filmmakers’ Commentary
o Fun High-flying Games

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com