Megamind

            If there is any animation studio out there that is going to legitimately compete with Pixar, the undeniable powerhouse, I believe it's DreamWorks Animation. In fact they're really the only ones to give Pixar any real competition in recent years. DreamWorks Animation has brought us the Shrek and Kung Fu Panda franchises, as well as Megamind which came out in November of 2010. Megamind follows in the same line as DreamWorks' previous ventures. A clever story with plenty of well known voice talent and tons of satirical humor, all while being family friendly. 
            Megamind is a story about, well, Megamind. Ever since he was a baby Megamind (Will Ferrell) has had a nemesis. That nemesis is Metro Man (Brad Pitt). From the time they were both sent to Earth from distant planets, all of they way through school and up to adult hood. In adult hood Metro Man became the superhero of Metro City while Megamind became the evil villain constantly trying to take out the city and its beloved superhero. What's that old saying? Be careful what you wish for? Well that definitely applies to the plot of this movie.
            When Megamind, with the help of his sidekick Minion (David Cross), finally takes down his nemesis Metro Man he finds himself with complete control of Metro City and everything he's ever wanted. However, he soon finds himself bored as he now has no one to fight. What good is evil when there's no good to fight? So Megamind sets out to create a new superhero/nemesis for himself. He takes lonely cameraman Hal Stewart (Jonah Hill) and sets out to turn him into Titan. Of course things don't go exactly according to plan and Megamind finds himself in a situation he never imagined being in and must figure out a way to fix it.
            As mentioned above Megamind is a very family friendly movie. It's rated PG, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have plenty of jokes for adults. As with most movies like this there are plenty of jokes for adults that go right over youngsters heads. A lot of this humor is satirical and very witty. With a voice cast of Ferrell, Hill, and Cross, with the aid of Tina Fey as news reporter Roxanne Ritchie, there's plenty of comedic presence. Even Brad Pitt does a good job of line delivery and portraying his character.
            This movie's storyline was not what I thought it was going to be going into it. It changed into something actually quite more complex. That's in no way a bad thing either. In fact it's added depth made the story that much more enjoyable. I had thought it was going to be something much more straightforward and instead I was presented with a story that kept me guessing, caring, and laughing all of the way through.
           As a result, I give this movie a thumbs up and 3 out of 4 stars. It is no Toy Story 3, but it's definitely above average for your everyday animated feature. Find it OnDemand on Xfinity, go to Redbox, or get it via Netflix. It'll definitely be a fun time. Enjoy!