Superheroes have been a common theme for Hollywood movies especially during the height of the rivalry between Marvel and DC cinematic universes. But since having children and spending so much time scouring the internet for good animated movies for the past few decades, I was reminded of a superhero back in 2010, Megamind.
Plot
The movie is a parody of Superman's backstory with a little twist. Two alien babies from different planets escaped a dying solar system and were sent to Earth. One was adopted by a wealthy family and grew up to be superhero aliased Metroman. The other fell to a prison and led a life of crime and became the villain, Megamind. The two of them became rivals until Metroman faked his own demise in order retire and live in seclusion.
source
Megamind, who became demotivated by the loss of his archnemesis, decided to create a copy of Metroman. This new hero, Tighten, did not possess the morals of Metroman and became drunk with power. Megamind was forced to take matters into his own hands and became an unlikely hero.
Review
Megamind was released about a decade and a half ago, so the graphics is a bit outdated. But I found its humor to be very amusing to this day.The movie also doesn't take itself too seriously and embraced the theme of being a superhero parody. It's not as heartwarming as the other anti-hero turned hero movie, Despicable Me, but it delivers a different positive message to the audience. The action sequences were also entertaining and my children enjoyed watching it.
The Pursuit of Happiness
So what is this positive message that the movie conveys? In my opinion, Megamind revolves all around finding your place and purpose in life. Metroman had a cookie-cutter life, being righteous and always trying to meet the expectations of others. He grew weary of it all and when he got the chance, he escaped to pursue a simpler and peaceful life.
Megamind, on the other hand, was neglected and misunderstood. He thought that his sole purpose in life was to be a villain. He never really meant to end his rivalry with Metroman and lost his purpose when he presumably died. In the end, he learned that what he really yearned for was the love and affection of the people around him, exactly what Metroman had but never truly enjoyed.
Memorable Scene
My favorite part of the movie was during the climactic face-off between Tighten and Megamind. He finally accepted who he really was and found his purpose in life. He fought Tighten using his innate talent for tactical maneuvers and flair. It's a showdown between brute strength and cunning intelligence.
Megamind is one of those movies that fell into obscurity. But despite this, the original one still remains entertaining and a movie that both parents and children would enjoy. It has a certain unique charm and style that also conveys important life lessons.
