Today’s quick review: Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. George Beard (Kevin Hart) and Harold Hutchins (Thomas Middleditch) are a pair of fourth-graders who spend their time pulling pranks, drawing comics, and staying one step ahead of Principal Krupp (Ed Helms). When they manage to hypnotize their principal with a toy ring, they convince him that he is one of their comics creations: the bungling superhero Captain Underpants.
Captain Underpants: The Epic First Movie is a CGI-animated family comedy based on the books by Dav Pilkey. Captain Underpants is an energetic movie that captures the fun and creativity of being a child. George and Harold are the audience’s guides to Jerome Horwitz Elementary, a school ruled by the joyless Principal Krupp. The boys’ antics are the sole hope for the students there, at least until the principal’s transformation shakes things up.
Captain Underpants excels at a goofy, imaginative flavor of comedy that combines superhero parody, playful fourth wall breaking, and general silliness. Its peculiar style of 3D animation replicates Dav Pilkey’s original drawings, and it retains enough of the visual conventions of 2D animation to feel like a cartoon. The movie shows plenty of love for its source material and its characters, diving into their world wholeheartedly.
Captain Underpants does have its weaknesses. The plot has little substance to it, and a significant portion of the film is spent watching a hypnotized Krupp cause unwitting trouble around the school. The humor has all the bluntness one could expect from a kids’ movie and it seems to get more juvenile as the movie goes on. Not all of the gags are winners, although their quantity and rapid-fire delivery make the flops easy to ignore.
Try Captain Underpants: The Epic First Movie when you’re in the mood for an honest, energetic romp. Its particular sense of humor won’t resonate with everyone, but its enthusiasm and charm make it an excellent pick for anyone who misses the uncomplicated joys of elementary school. Skip it if you’re looking for a sharp or subtle comedy. For other movies in a similar vein, check out The Lego Batman Movie, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, or Meet the Robinsons.
6.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for unbounded enthusiasm and a good sense of humor.