The Brad Pitt Superhero Movie Crushing On Netflix
If you think that Brad Pitt is only a live-action actor, then you need to check out Megamind (currently #2 in the kids category) on Netflix, and check out his voice-acting chops. This computer animated superhero comedy film is not only amusing for the whole family, but will leave you in stitches because of its meta humor.
Megamind, in which Brad Pitt voices the superhero Metro Man, is streaming on Netflix.
It’s not every day that you see Brad Pitt take on the role of a superhero whose nemesis is the one and only Will Ferrell in a movie produced by DreamWorks, but we assure you that this is the next movie you want to throw on the tablet for your kids on your next road trip that will have you laughing from the front seat.
Megamind is one of those movies that subverts the dynamic between a superhero and a super villain. Will Ferrel’s Megamind and Brad Pitt’s Metro Man are constantly at odds with each other after being transported to Earth as infants before their home planets were sucked into a black hole.
Megamind has a massive cranium, resembling villains like Brainiac and Marvel’s The Leader, and was raised in prison. Metro Man was raised with privilege, and quickly becomes popular at school. In other words, their rivalry began long before Megamind decided to become a supervillain.
But everything changes when Megamind decides to kidnap Roxanne Robbins, an ambitious news reporter voiced by Tina Fey, who is also the primary love interest in this story.
As adults, their rivalry is taken to new heights, and the sarcastic banter between Brad Pitt and Will Ferrell shows how much fun they had taking jabs at each other in the vocal booth while making this movie.
But everything changes when Megamind decides to kidnap Roxanne Robbins, an ambitious news reporter voiced by Tina Fey, who is also the primary love interest in this story. Brad Pitts Metro Man tries to rescue her at the new museum that was erected in his honor, but the copper-lined roof weakens his powers, and he is blasted by Megamind’s death ray. What we don’t know in the first act is that Metro Man faked his own death so he could try to pursue a career in music.
In the commentary, it’s revealed that Brad Pitt’s superhero costume was meant to be reminiscent of Elvis Presley.
What’s more, a Peacock series will continue the saga, and is slated for a 2024 release as of this writing.
Meanwhile, dimwitted camera man Hal Stewart (Jonah Hill) also has unrequited romantic feelings for Roxanne, and Megamind becomes depressed because in his mind he conquered his only worthy adversary. After a botched attempt to use DNA to create a new superhero to give his life purpose again, he accidentally injects Hal with the formula, giving him superpowers.
After a series of rejections from Roxanne, however, Hal, now referring to himself as Titan (misspelled as “Tighten”), decides to turn to a life of crime, becoming a villain more menacing than Megamind.
Though Megamind ended up becoming one of DreamWorks Animation’s lowest-grossing films of the 2010s, it was still a critical and commercial success. Upon its release, this Brad Pitt movie earned $321.9 million at the box office, and was successful enough to be franchised out in the form of three games, and an additional short film called Megamind: The Button of Doom. What’s more, a Peacock series will continue the saga, and is slated for a 2024 release as of this writing.
Critically speaking, Megamind garnered a 73 percent critical score against a 72 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert gave the film a three out of four, and stated that even though the film comes off as a bit contrived because of its similarities to films like The Incredibles and Despicable Me, it stands on as its own as a solid film because of its bright and amusing delivery.
Other critics have praised Will Ferrel, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, and Jonah Hill for clearly understanding the assignment, and delivering powerhouse performances in this animated film that are full of sass and enthusiasm.
If you were already an adult when Megamind made its theatrical rounds, but you currently have kids, then it’s most certainly worthy of a watch. Think of this movie as a cheat code; you get to enjoy Will Ferrell and Brad Pitt in a new context, and your kids will enjoy the wild ride that this subversive superhero comedy brings to the table.
At the end of the day, Megamind is a refreshing take on the superhero stories we’ve been bombarded since the MCU kicked off in 2008, and its inherent eccentricities make it a respectable film in its own right that will surely win your affection on your next family movie night.
