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Men In Black 3

It’s not a sequel that needed to be made, but thanks to the charm of its leads and a tone that harks back to the wit and humour of the original, it’s a pretty enjoyable trip.

Bel Ami

The excellent female support cast saves this patchy effort, which is let down by its leading man and a flat screenplay.

The Dictator

A disappointing, often repulsive and mean-spirited mess of a film with seemingly only one real criterion on its agenda: to shock and offend.

The Woman In Black

Packed with atmosphere, this old-fashioned but deftly told ghost story delivers ample chills and thrills.

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Megamind (Film)

by Annette Basile | December 06, 2010 15:07 | Edited December 06, 2010 15:08

Despite the terrific voice cast and eye-catching animation, this seems disappointingly formulaic and fails to offer real laughs.

This computer animated superhero yarn has a substance abuse problem. It's CGI on steroids. The pumped up action spins by so fast that there's no time to appreciate the undeniably fantastic images. There's a strong voice cast. The characters are (mostly) sculpted with smarts and care. Its theme about fudging the line between good and evil is intriguing. Megamind even has some heart. But there's something missing - imagination. Will Ferrell, the vocal talent behind the protagonist Megamind, is memorable. This big-headed, blue bad guy is a great creation. The film, however, is forgettable and formulaic; derivative rather than inspired. It even bears a couple of uncomfortable similarities to the recent, far funnier Despicable Me.

 

The story revolves around the battle between Megamind and the clean-cut and conceited superhero Metro Man (an excellent Brad Pitt, whose appearance is little more than a couple of extended cameos). Into the mix comes the determined, no-nonsense Roxanne Ritchi, a Lois Lane-esque TV reporter voiced by a fine Tina Fey. The rivals Megamind and Metro Man have both landed here as infants from outer space, and we get the full story as to why Megamind - shunned by the other kids at school - focused on evil as a career path. It's an interesting background that sets up an immediate and unwavering sympathy for the character. Less likeable is Hal (Jonah Hill), Roxanne's transforming sidekick - actually, he's more than unlikeable, he's annoying, and there's way too much of him.

 

Helmed by Tom McGrath, the co-director of Madagascar and its sequel, Megamind is amusing rather than funny. It's certainly watchable, and the animation and design are attractive - especially the eye-catching cityscapes and an incredibly rendered semi-invisible car.

 

Bold, loud and faster than a speeding bullet, there's enough here to divert attention, but DreamWorks' latest 3-D foray is almost surgical in its execution.