"Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie" Movie Review - My Ultimate Guilty Pleasure?

I think that buying tickets for this film might have been the most embarrassed I've been in a cinema in a long time. Possibly the most embarrassed I've ever been. I urge you to try, just try, to go up to the desk and say "4 for Captain Underpants" and keep a straight face. That I did, and I couldn't believe what I had just spent money on. I get paid £5.55 an hour at my job so this effectively all in cost me 2 hours worth of work. A fantastic thought at first. Then the cleaners came out of our screen, and when they realised we were waiting for that one, one of them actually laughed. As in laughed out loud at what we were about to see. Yet another encouraging sign besides the admittedly dreadful trailers for this film that we were in for. So in we went, sat down, suffered through a few painful trailers for movies nobody has ever heard of, and the movie began. I don't know why we went and I don't know what I expected. All I know is that I'm glad we did because, against all odds, I can unironically say that "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie" is one of the most fun films I've seen this year, a statement the rest of the group I was with (the youngest of whom was 17 for reference) agreed with.  First of all, the animation in the movie is absolutely adorable. The characters and landscapes retain a comic-book-esque style of artwork which is extremely close to the style of the drawings in the series of kids' books. Although the detail in parts of the body such as the eyes might initially seem lacking, and the other features like the size of the arms might seem in the vain of the "Despicable Me" franchise, the animators have managed to retain an impressive amount of detail to allow the characters to remain incredibly emotive throughout, even without these small details. It is this attention to the detail of emotion that separates the film from movies like those made by Illumination Entertainment, placing it on a higher level of value. There are also a few small moments of animation which harken back to the books once again, such as the "Flip-O-Rama" moment to showcase an action scene without showing the entirety. It allows the film some more fun and charming moments, and really separates it from anything else currently on the market. It's a testament to Dreamworks that they included segments like these, because it places the film on a different standard than if it had chosen to be content with telling it's story without these instances of style and flair.

The story of the movie is one which is incredibly original for modern animated movie standards, largely due to how self-aware he is. It involves two school friends, George and Harold, who hypnotise their principal Mr. Krupp to stop him from separating them into different classes. Subsequently, they turn him into their own comic-book creation, the incredible Captain Underpants, coincidentally just as a new super villain arrives in town with a view to remove the human ability to laugh. The inclusion of a character like Captain Underpants itself would seem to suggest that the movie is content with just being stupid and mindless, soulless fodder for parents to take their children to. However, not only is the movie incredibly self-aware, taking jabs at it's inherent silliness at most opportunities, but it also includes a rare and surprisingly mature message for kids. The film puts across the view that being able to laugh at yourself is actually fine, to an extent a part of life so long as others do not take it too far. Equally, it also shows that having a laugh and pulling a joke can be fine so long as you yourself do not take it too far. It's a rare message for kids, especially when a lot of kids movies would have children stay totally in line with the rules, and one which is somewhat in the vein of Dr. Seuss himself (the books, not the movies "The Lorax" or the horror show "The Cat In The Hat"). The writing in the movie is also very funny, and managed to make me laugh throughout. Self-aware humour makes up a large part of the script, and this is where a lot of my laughs came from. There's also a fair amount of toilet humour in the movie as you might have guessed and this is where I have a minor problem with the movie. Although it is implemented largely tastefully, a lot of people do not enjoy this kind of joke, and for fair reason. You may be slightly (read: very) annoyed watching this movie if you don't enjoy these jokes, and there's likely a few jokes which will not land with everyone because of the easiness - and often slightly distasteful - nature of the joke itself, although this isn't a major problem as it isn't overly done. However, what really surprised me was the number of adult jokes in the movie. Equally including jokes for kids like those I've already mentioned and small subtle quips for the parents and adults watching, this is a movie which is all but guaranteed a chuckle minimum out of everyone who watches it.

Say what you will, it's still more fun than Henry Cavill's Superman

The voice cast in the movie is also spot on. Kevin Hart and Thomas Middleditch star as school chums George and Harold respectively. Although both are similar in terms of their character, the two actors have great chemistry with each other and really manage to sell the dynamic between the two as friends from an extremely young age, the two of them against the world. They undergo some development which proves incredibly enjoyable to watch, and they are a great pair for the film to focus on. Ed Helms delivers his part perfectly as principal Mr. Krupp and Captain Underpants separately. Although one and the same person, Helms excels at making the two entirely distinct in their voice and mannerisms, effectively selling the hypnosis that the grumpy headteacher has been placed under to become the Waistband Warrior (they made that name up, not me, so please don't judge me for it). Lastly, Nick Kroll and Jordan Peele also make for great villains to the film. Kroll is the main adversary as the new science teacher on the scene at George, Harold, and Krupp's school, whose name is Professor Poopypants. Not the most tasteful joke in the film I'll admit, but it is drwn straight from the books and the character is given some interesting motivation which make his actions throughout the film somewhat believable. Not what he achieves you understand, but why, and to an extent you actually sympathise with the character. Peele is the probably the most stereotypical character in the movie as classroom "nerd" Melvin (the most clichéd nerd name in movie history? Possibly) but he has a fun dynamic with the rest of the cast of colourful characters in the film, so the writing shortcomings in terms of character are utterly forgivable. Essentially, all of the characters in the movie are great fun to watch, no matter when they are on screen, and the development and motivation given to each of them makes perfect sense to allow (shockingly) for us as an audience to connect to them on a deeper and more sentimental level. Of all the films that have and are going to come out this year, I didn't think I would say that about "Captain Underpants" of all films. Then again, I also didn't predict this would be one of the most charming movies of the year at well past the halfway point, and here we are.

Hair or devil's horns symbolism? I'll leave it up to you

The film also has a great score. Alright, I'll quickly get this out of the way. The movie does not actually end with a dance sequence (a thankful change of pace from the rest of modern animated films not made by Disney and Pixar) but does have a particular song which I was warned about before going into this movie. I was told it was terrible. I didn't think it would be THAT terrible. The song (which I have listened to more than once before writing this and have lost many brain cells in the process) ticks practically every box of the modern children's song, and comes across as the most clichéd garbage not even the darkest depths of YouTube could produce. I pray for the parents of children who want to stay for this song or the cinema workers who have to clean the screens while this song plays (likely to be repeated up to three times throughout the credits). That said, the actual score which accompanies the film is excellent. Theodore Shapiro's score takes jabs at the majority of modern superhero movies and is a great accompaniment to the superhero parody playing on the screen. The editing in the movie is also excellent. That might seem to be a strange thing to pick up on in an animated movie, but the use of comic panel-style transitions is a fun little detail which has been added into the movie, again harkening back to the film's roots as a kids' book which takes the layout of a comic book itself. Montages and sequences are also stylishly edited together to make them interesting to watch rather than the random jumble of clips a lot of modern animated movie studios seem to be content to leave the matter at. It's attention to small details like these that makes "Captain Underpants" such a joy and a pleasant surprise to watch.

What's funny about this?

What more is there to say about "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie"? I thought this film was going to be terrible, I truly did. I think a small part of me might have wanted it to be, just to see another bad movie to put a review up here. I know that's not right but I saw "Valerian" regardless so there you go. That said, at risk of all of my credibility and any right to call a film distasteful again, "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie" was a supremely fun time watching. Beautifully animated and boasting an original story, the movie is constantly engaging and funny, including your often standard jokes for kids (even though even here the writers are able to innovate) and some jokes for adults as well. However, the true strength of the movie is in how self-aware the movie is. With fourth-wall breaking to an extent to rival 2016's "Deadpool", and jokes throughout indicating the writers own knowledge (and acknowledgment) of the inherent silliness of the concept, the movie embraces wholeheartedly it's nature, and is a heck of a lot more fun because of that. Fully prepared to admit what it is and adapt the books often more than faithfully, it is a movie which I urge you to try in spite of the title. It's funny, it's actually the most appropriate title they could have picked despite it's confidence. The movie was indeed great, and I hope that this is only the start.

Pros

• Adorable animation
• Constantly funny
• An original plot
• Brilliantly voice acted
• Fun characters
• A killer score
• Great editing
• Incredibly self-aware, adding to the fun/absurdity
• Appealing to both adults and kids alike

Cons

• Don't watch if you can't stand toilet humour

Rating: 9/10

Original Release Date: 24th of July, 2017

Starring Kevin Hart, Thomas Middleditch, Ed Helms, Nick Kroll, Jordan Peele, and Kristen Schaal