Review: Megamind 3D (PG) ****

The star power attached to the voice cast of this latest offering from Dreamworks is sufficient to attract most regular punters. What they get for their dosh is a way-above-average tongue-in-cheek spoof of the superhero genre.

Conceived with slightly older children in mind than the average Pixar or Disney outing, Megamind falls into the same field as The Incredibles in that it both deconstructs the established superhero genre while not-so-gently lampooning everything about it.

Thus it is that two rival alien babies crash land on Earth and grow up possessing incredible powers. One becomes Metro Man, guardian of all that is good. The other, the blue-skinned class oddball, reluctantly becomes the hero's nemesis and calls himself Megamind.

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Their continual struggle ends when, accidently, Megamind wins the day by bumping off his handsome adversary. But in becoming lord of all he surveys, he realises life has little meaning without an opponent.

He solves the problem by creating Titan, a new superhero with the late Metro Man's DNA. Unfortunately, he cannot predict that the loser-turned-champion will turn bad. Suddenly the unwilling evil genius finds himself stepping into a new role as public saviour...

In a casting coup Will Ferrell brings his innate gifts to Megamind, Brad Pitt is the charismatic Metro Man, Ben Stiller is Bernard, Tina Fey is Roxanne and Jonah Hill is Titan.

Yet the joy is not so much in the casting (which is quite inspired) but in the creation of a spot-on burlesque that comes close to satire without losing the warmth of its homage.

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Writers Alan J Schoolcraft and Brent Simons, along with director Tom (Madagascar) McGrath, have crafted a winning animation that parodies everything from Superman to Batman and everything else in between.

They throw in a nod to clunking '50s sci-fi "classic" Robot Monster and allow Ferrell to impersonate Marlon Brando as he steers his new-born hero towards a future he never expected.

Finally, check out the 1963 episode of The Outer Limits entitled The Sixth Finger, starring David McCallum, for an understanding of where some more of the film's wackiness comes from.

There are some adult themes within Megamind that will delight older viewers, hence the PG certificate. Children expecting lots of OTT cartoon violence similarly will not be disappointed.

On general release

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