There are times when a critic has to ask a simple question of a film. This question can be good or bad depending on the context, and either open things to discussion or point out how ridiculous something seems. This question, of course, is "Why?"This is a question I asked myself many times during this movie. I questioned the motivations, the characters, the plot and the action. But the one I had the most trouble answering was perhaps the most simple answer of all.
The question I had asked was, "Why is this film so good?"
Captain Underpants seemed doomed to fail the moment the trailer hit the big screen: the combination of toilet humor, dirty jokes, and ridiculous situations is a relatively run-of-the-mill plot for comedies, and with such an absurd title and plot, one would think to write it off as a standard-issue way to occupy your kid for an hour and a half with subpar jokes and no novelties other than the trademark hero and his hijinks. But, against all odds, the film managed to get a set of good comic actors, a simple yet effective plot, and lots of surprisingly well-made wisecracks. It's amazing what a film can do with proper direction. It can turn a ridiculous idea into something truly unique (that's what makes films like Kung Fu Panda, and indeed Captain Underpants, so great).
Our main characters, elementary schoolers George and Harold, are two young students who like to pull pranks and draw comics in an effort to make other students- and themselves- laugh amidst the depressing atmosphere of their school. Their greatest creation: Captain Underpants, a superhero who wears nothing but his white cotton briefs and a red speckled cape ("Most superheroes LOOK like they're flying around in their underwear. This guy actually is!") and fights villains with his battle cry of "Tra-La-Laaaa!". Unfortunately, their laugh-inducing pranks and comics result in them catching the attention of their principal Mr. Krupp, who threatens to separate the two.
After their sabotage of an invention is caught on a spy camera (courtesy of Melvin Sneedly, the school suck-up), Krupp has all the evidence he needs to place George and Harold into separate classes, which they believe will force their friendship apart. In a desperate attempt to stop this, the two boys use the powers of a cereal box hypno-ring to distract Krupp- but, much to the surprise of the two, the ring actually works, and Mr. Krupp obeys their every whim. They quickly decide to make him believe he is Captain Underpants as a gesture of humor- which quickly spirals out of control when the now-nearly-naked superhero jumps out the window to go fight crime. Their greatest creation becomes their greatest problem. But maybe there's another looming around the corner- perhaps in the form of the new suspicious-looking science teacher Professor P.
Most of the film is what you'd expect from something with a name like Captain Underpants: the silly superhero runs around attempting to battle injustice (I.E a mime trapped in an invisible box or a marauding inflatable monster) while at the same time maintaining his secret identity of formerly grumpy principal Mr. Krupp. The Captain bungles his way through situations that leave George and Harold racing to calm him down before he causes any damage. But there's a lot of humor and heart in the film, and a lot of it stems from the boys and the captain himself: the boys do display a genuine comradery and enjoyment from being with each other, and they do believe that the jokes they make are for good purposes (Laughter is the best medicine, after all). The Captain as well, honestly believing that he is helping people,makes some of the situations even more amusing.
A lot of what makes this film work is how well the toilet humor is handled, and to be honest, it's a bit of a lighter hand than one would expect. Sure, the film has it's fair share of dirty and sometimes even adult jokes, but they aren't all over the place- and when they are made, it's by those you'd expect to make them (Captain Underpants is, after all, being made by elementary schoolers). Most of the humor comes from in-jokes to animation and fourth wall breaks, including references to the original books (the page-flipping action feature Flip-O-Rama from the books makes an appearance), and it's these little touches that make the film shine. It strikes a good balance between being self-aware of the ridiculousness of the idea and simply embracing the madness. Interestingly, the film consists of more than CGI animation: there are several different segments utilizing 2D animation, page-flipping, and even sock puppets for some cute cutaway segments. It's got a strong sense of humor about itself, which is something most comedy films struggle to do.
If you're not a fan of the books or just find watching a fat bald man in underoos jump buildings (they originally wanted Chris Farley for the role), then this may not be for you. However, if you like the idea or just want a good laugh, then I'd say it;s worth a look. Put on your cape and your favorite pair of briefs (everyone has one, dont lie) and check it out.
OVERALL RATING: 8/10
There's a lot to like in this film: the good-natured ribbing. The references to the original. The song by the legendary Weird Al Yankovic in the credits (this actually came from a reference in the first book, where the boys were accused of hijacking the intercom system to play Weird Al for six hours straight). It's a good film for a good man. Three cheers for our defender of Truth, Justice, and All That is Pre-Shrunk And Cottony.
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