Today’s quick review: Henchmen. As punishment for acts of heroism, Hank Corrigan (James Marsden), a henchman for the Union of Evil, is assigned to janitorial duty with Lester (Thomas Middleditch) as his apprentice. The two get a shot at real villainy when Lester accidentally steals a prototype battle suit, setting them on a collision course with Baron Blackout (Alfred Molina), a nefarious villain trying to stage his comeback.
Henchmen is an animated superhero comedy that pays tribute to the genre’s hard-working and overlooked minions. The story pairs Hank, an honest worker upset at his uncaring bosses, with Lester, a novice henchman eager to make his mark on the world. Henchmen features a charming story that plays with the conventions of the superhero genre, but it runs into a handful of issues with its visuals and the details of its script.
Henchmen does a lot with its premise. The story takes place in Supervillain City, a bustling metropolis where villains hatch their plans and henchmen take care of all the grunt work. The setting gives the movie a solid base to work with, setting up any number of supervillain jokes and establishing a conflict between the grand villainy Lester dreams of and the modest life of work and friendship Hank has come to appreciate.
Visually, Henchmen occupies an interesting niche. It has clear budget issues that show in low-resolution character models, mediocre designs, and a slight stiffness to the animation. But the movie finds clever way around these limitations. Even if the character movement is not always fluid, it has plenty of life, and the combination of a bright color palette and hand-drawn visual effects lets the graphics punch above their weight.
Even so, Henchmen has some rough edges. The friendship between Hank and his fellow henchmen is a vital plot point, but the script does not have the finesse it needs to make it stick. The plot has a couple of visible seams where separate subplots are welded together. And while the movie does its best to put its own mark on the superhero genre, it has to compete with a long line of predecessors that explore some of the same ideas.
For fans of the superhero genre, Henchmen is a diamond in the rough. Its humble exterior conceals a clever script, a talented voice cast, and a clear love for the genre. At the same time, Henchmen can come across as a little generic, and the limitations of its visuals and its writing make it a tough sell to critical viewers. Give it a shot if you are willing to approach with an open mind. Avoid it if you are looking to be impressed.
For another animated superhero comedy that looks at the genre from the villain’s perspective, check out Megamind. For an animated superhero adventure with a similar love for the genre, try The Incredibles. For a live-action superhero comedy that gives a similar treatment to wannabe heroes, try Sky High or Mystery Men.
[5.1 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3076510/). I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for creativity, humor, and heart held back by some notable limitations.