A fun and fast-paced opening unfortunately sets the viewer up for a disappointment as the last two thirds of the film are much slower and mostly quite predictable. There's some charm to be had still, with well animated facial expressions to go with great comedic voice acting, but the film still ends up being far more bland than it by all rights should have been. ( )

2264 ( )

When reviled supervillain Megamind accidentally kills his archenemy (the Elvis-like Metroman) and finally takes possession of Metro City, he discovers that his life has no purpose without a nemesis. While wooing intrepid reporter Roxanne Ritchi, he decides to create a new superhero to fight using Metroman's DNA, much to the dismay of his fishy sidekick Minion.

This animated tale of redemption from Disney's computer animation firm Dreamworks follows in the footsteps of twisted fairy tales like Shrek and Enchanted but brings a fresh, new tone to the format by taking on the superhero genre. Full of snide asides and easter eggs for adult comics fans, the story is still conventional enough to be understood by children above the age of eight or so. Many such kids will know the sting of being overshadowed by a more gifted or privileged classmate and so can identify with Megamind's origin story. While suffering overmuch from "Dreamworks face" (the one-eyebrow-raised smirk that all characters in a Dreamworks movie are required to make at least once), all the characters in this film are well-rounded and sympathetic, with their own particular foibles and weaknesses. Amusing and entertaining to a wide audience, children and their parents will enjoy this movie whether seen in 3D or 2D. ( )