REVIEW: Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

Call me a cheater for doubling-down on children's animated superhero films two weeks in a row, but this is something I've been meaning to watch for some time now. As a kid, I was a tremendous fan of Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants series; I got a copy of Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants for my birthday one year, and from that point on, I was hooked. So naturally, when I heard that a film was being produced by Dreamworks (who have been putting out better and better animated films in recent years) and featured an art-style reminiscent of the 2015 Peanuts movie, it's safe to say I was on-board without hesitation. I've finally got around to watching it and can safely say that it's about everything I expected it to be, which is by no means a bad thing.

Our story follows two kids named George Beard (Kevin Hart) and Harold Hutchins (Thomas Middleditch). George is the one with the tie and the flat top. Harold is the one with the t-shirt and the bad haircut. Remember that now. The two attend Jerome Horwitz Elementary School in the city of Piqua, Ohio, creating comic books and pulling various pranks and in order to enrich the miserable lives of their fellow classmates. After sabotaging the school's Invention Convention, the two find themselves in the principal's office, at the mercy of the monstrous Mr. Krupp (Ed Helms). As punishment, Krupp plans on having George and Harold placed in separate classes, effectively destroying their friendship; in desperation, the two use a 3-D Hypno Ring (found in a box of cereal) to hypnotize Krupp into letting them off the hook. Unbelievably, the ring actually works and leaves Krupp susceptible to George and Harold's commands. The boys decide to turn their mean old principal into their self-made comic book hero, Captain Underpants, only for Krupp to immediately strip down to his tighty-whiteys and dive out the window in search of crime. What follows is a series of comic misadventures that sees the Captain going up against Jerome Horwitz Elementary's new science teacher, the nefarious Professor Poopypants (Nick Kroll), a vengeful mad scientist who wants to rid the world of laughter.

Speaking as someone who poured over the Captain Underpants books back in elementary school, I love the amount of care and detail that went into making this film feel authentic to the source material. This definitely isn't a case of "we've got the license, just crank out whatever"; the team behind it clearly had a certain degree of respect and reverence for the original books that I think really helped elevate this beyond just another kids' movie. The CG art style perfectly emulates Dav Pilkey's simplistic illustrations, bringing the books to life in the best kind of way. It feels like we're entering a new Renaissance of computer-generated animation, and films like this, The LEGO Movie, and the upcoming Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse are all proof of that. It's clear that the animators had a lot of fun experimenting with various mediums and art styles, telling some parts of the story through traditional 2-D animation, paper cut-outs, and even sock puppets. There's even a section during the climax where, much like in the books, all of the graphic violence is portrayed via the iconic process of Flip-O-Rama; the characters in the film even accidentally tear the page, a constant danger for anyone who got a little too enthusiastic with their books back in the day.

It's this attention to detail that really makes Captain Underpants something endearing for anyone familiar with the series of books; tons of classic running gags are scattered throughout (my personal favorite being the return of the infamous "Everything Except Fabric Softener" store), and there's not a doubt in my mind that this would have been one of my favorite movies, had it come out when I was growing up. There's just a striking level of authenticity that feels really respectable here. It's perfectly possible to make a good movie that strays far from the source material, just as it's possible to make a bad movie that strives to be as accurate as possible, but you get the feeling that, with Captain Underpants, the filmmakers went out of their way to make something specifically catered to the children who read these stories. This is a film that children can call their own, moreso than most other children's films I've seen as of late.

If you're over the age of 12 and have never read a Captain Underpants book, there's next to no reason for you to watch this. Unless you're an animation student or you have kids of your own, you aren't going to get anything out of this. And, oddly enough, I'm perfectly okay with that. Just because a movie caters to a niche audience or isn't immediately accessible to everyone who watches it doesn't make it bad by default (see The VVitch, The Lobster, and Wizards). This isn't one of those animated children's movies that attempts to appeal to adults by referencing Taxi Driver or The Godfather for a cheap laugh; sure, Nick Kroll gets a few really excellent lines that anyone can enjoy, but the humor is, for the most part, very much focused at a younger demographic. It knows who it wants to please and how it wants to go about doing that, all without resorting to spastic yelling and chaotic visual noise. The plot is straightforward and easy to grasp, the characters are exaggerated and cartoony, and the jokes are sure to elicit fits of giggles from anyone who's ever had a hard time keeping a straight face when learning about Uranus.

It's a movie that's sure to make more than a few grown-ups roll their eyes (I mean, the villain is literally named Professor Pee-Pee Diarrheastein Poopypants Esq.), but that's okay. Not because children's films get a free pass to be lazy or overly-simplistic, but because, at the end of the day, the goal of this film is to make children laugh (a goal it is fiercely and admirably dedicated in pursuing). It has exactly zero interest in pandering to any adults who may be watching, and that's perfectly alright; this is one for the kids. Underneath the veneer of seemingly simplistic potty humor, Captain Underpants has always been a series that thrives on wordplay, fourth wall gags, and lampshading various clichés found in children's literature; for as unapologetically silly as the books and movie are, I have no doubt that this is a series that left a hefty impact on my sense of humor from a young age. It covers healthy morals and themes such as one's obligation to question authority, the value of freedom of expression, and being able to see the funny side of a seemingly-dire situation. The books have had grumpy old people shaking their fists for years now, but looking back, Captain Underpants was a series that not only inspired me to read, but to create stories of my own, and I feel like this film is going to inspire today's kids to do much of the same. George and Harold are two characters who value friendship and humor above all else, reveling in the wondrous freedom that comes with just being a kid; despite all their mischief-making, I can't help but feel that their misadventures with the Captain can impart a number of valuable lessons on the kids who come along for the ride. After all, if a children's book has been banned, then that just means that there's a good chance it contains something beneficial that will help your child grow into an intelligent, independent, well-rounded human being.

To make a long story short, I really admire what Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie sets out to do. It's a charming and irreverent little movie that is sure to be a hit with the youngsters, even if things get a little too silly for those in the older demographics. If you're a parent, I implore you to expose your kids to material like this; while you might not find the idea of a gigantic robot toilet all that funny, I guarantee that it's going to make your little ones crack up. Ridiculous as it may sound, it's important that children be allowed to laugh at farts and boogers and other assorted potty-humor. Laughter is simply one of those things that makes life worth living; an unquestionable force for good and positivity, capable of uniting people across all manner of socio-political backgrounds. This is, at it's core, a very punk-rock children's movie, celebrating artistic freedom and healthy rebellion in the face of the man. If that sounds like something you wouldn't want to expose your child to, then I wish you luck on raising your boring, boring kid.

REVIEW: The Prince of Egypt

Believe it or not, the 90's wasn't just a renaissance for strictly Disney animation. Back before they were playing second-fiddle to Pixar and licensing every children's book under the sun, Dreamworks Animation was one of the few studios whose films proved to be worthy competition for those coming out of the Disney Animation Studios at the time. The best strategy for co-existing with a media empire as massive as the House of Mouse, I've found, is to embrace the things that are simply too risky for Disney to touch; the best parts of non-Disney theme parks are always the thrill rides and PG-13 elements that you'd never find within the walls of the Magic Kingdom. The same could be said when it comes to making movies; The Prince of Egypt is an exemplary example of an animated musical that goes directly for straight-faced drama instead of action, adventure, and comedy. Dreamworks Animation got its start, comprised mostly of ex-Disney animators, making films like The Prince of Egypt; gorgeously animated with a distinctly non-Disney edge. Then Shrek came along, won an Oscar, and ruined everything. Still, no amount of mediocre computer-generated comedies starring pop stars who can't act can erase the fact that Dreamworks has made some truly amazing animated films, and The Prince of Egypt is most definitely one of their best.

The film is a re-telling of the story of Exodus; after the Pharaoh Seti (Patrick Stewart) calls for the death of all newborn Hebrew males, a desperate mother named Yocheved (Ofra Haza) hides her son in a basket and sends him floating down the Nile River. The baby is discovered by the Queen of Egypt (Helen Mirren), who adopts him as her own, naming him Moses. After years of living as Egyptian royalty, Moses (Val Kilmer) is shocked to discover his true heritage. He goes on to become the chosen messenger of God (Kilmer and various others), attempting to convince his brother, Rameses (Ralph Fiennes) to free the Hebrew slaves so that they may be delivered unto the promised land. 

The film hits many of the same beats as its original inspiration, The Ten Commandments (Jeffery Katzenberg originally pitched the idea to Disney, who rejected it); however, this take on the story trades raw spectacle for a much more intimate, human story. The film focuses less on biblical scale and more on the relationship between Moses and Rameses, two men raised as brothers, made reluctant enemies by the circumstances they find themselves in. While a fair amount of the film focuses on ideas like hope and faith (sometimes to a fault), the core conflict plays out like a melancholy tragedy. Rameses is portrayed as downright sympathetic, forced to pay for the sins of his father. He's torn between affection for his brother and his desire to live up to his duties as Pharaoh. We're treated to an excellent scene early on that establishes Rameses' entire character, as his father warns him how "one weak link can break the chain of a mighty dynasty". This becomes his driving motivation for the rest of the film. We not only understand what Rameses wants, but we understand why he holds such aspirations.

We're given a similarly intimate look at Moses' struggle; as one would expect, the story ends more-or-less happily. Moses is successful in liberating his people and they begin their journey to the promised land. However, Moses' victory hardly comes without a cost. Every plague that the almighty bestows upon Rameses' empire falls on Moses' conscience; the film goes to great lengths to illustrate just how overwhelmed Moses is with the burden of being God's chosen messenger. Like Rameses, he is forced into conflict out of circumstance. However, unlike Rameses, Moses hopes to atone for his past, rather than live up to it. Our protagonist and antagonist are reluctant reflections of each other, making for an extremely resonant emotional core to this larger-than-life tale.

This is of course helped along, not only by the stellar cast (Fiennes is electrifying), but by the incredible animation. Subtle use of CGI mixed with fluid traditional animation creates a gorgeous, timeless art style that holds up nearly twenty years since the film's release. Everything is animated as if it were a live-action film, employing dynamic angles and meticulous framing that is only enhanced by the animation. It's a thematic feast for the eyes that makes Dreamworks' eventual decline into dated pop-culture references and bland CGI all the more depressing (thankfully more How to Train Your Dragon films are in the works and Captain Underpants at least looks visually interesting, but I digress). The songs are also tonally-consistent, which is of monumental importance in an animated biblical epic. If but a single musical number was too juvenile or silly or (god forbid) dated, the entire film would have suffered. Thankfully, the songs end up making for some of the most striking, iconic scenes in the entire film (particularly The Plagues). Even the most "comical" song in the movie (sung by Steve Martin and Martin Short, playing a duo of scheming court magicians) comes off as contextually appropriate and even somewhat foreboding.

Really, if I must criticize the film for anything, it's that the ending isn't as melancholic as I would have liked. The entire conflict is scaled down to focus on Moses and Rameses; in the end, the main difference between them is that Moses still feels sorrow over coming into conflict with his brother while Rameses has been consumed by vengeance and rage. The cost of freedom for his people is constantly weighing on Moses' shoulders, yet the ending is lighter than one would expect given the tense, emotionally-charged climax. For as well-developed as both of these characters are, some more conflict and emotion on Moses' part would have gone a long way in the grand scheme of things. He's cursed to not only be the protagonist, but to also be the voice of God; any chance of him making a mistake or failing in his mission is more or less out the window after his encounter with the burning bush, making him the less-interesting of the two main characters. I would have liked to have seen a little more gloom and struggle in that regard, but this hardly sinks the film or makes the conflict any less hard-hitting.

The Prince of Egypt is, in many ways, an underrated gem. This time of year, it seems like something of a tradition to take in a viewing of The Ten Commandments; while it's undoubtedly a classic, I feel as though there are many ways in which this telling of the story of Moses manages to top the original. It's an adaptation which deserves to escape the shadow of its predecessor and shine on its own numerous merits. This film is the complete package; a powerful story conveyed through powerful performances and powerful visuals, all set to a powerful score. If you want to see a strong example of the maturation of animation from an era where classics were made and released annually, look no further.