Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017) Review

TRA-LA-LAAAA!!!

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie is the newest film by DreamWorks Animation, based on the book series by Dav Pilkey. There was a lot riding on this one. Fans were eagerly awaiting to see their childhood book series transitioning into the big screen. From the looks of the trailers, it looks the part and has potential to carry over the series' brand of humor.

I was a fan of the books back in elementary school. They were funny, deliberately immature, sometimes gross, and self-aware of how nonsensical they are. Re-reading some of them as an adult now, I appreciated a lot of the in-jokes and constant fourth-wall breaking. In addition, I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for Captain Underpants. In fourth grade, I was inspired to make stories in the form of comic books after seeing the protagonists do that, too. I went from drawing on scraps of paper that I could get my hands on, to filling out entire notebooks. Up until high school, it was a regular past-time for me.

With all that I just said, it should be obvious that the Captain Underpants books have a special place in my heart because of this. I'm among the many people who were inspired to create their own stories because of them. Naturally, I was looking forward to the film, but was also cautious at the same time. DreamWorks is what I consider to be a hit-or-miss animation studio. They have their share of mediocre or forgettable movies, but films like Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon are proof that they can occasionally strike gold.

This is one of them. Fans will definitely get a kick out of this movie. It captures the spirit and overall silliness of the books. It even offers some Easter eggs as a nice treat. Can non-fans also enjoy it? I say that if they're looking for a good time and do not mind childish humor, then they'll get their money's worth. It's got ACTION, THRILLS, and definitely a lot of LAFFS.

That's where I should start: this movie is uproariously funny. It's got some great slapstick and clever visual gags. It also doesn't forget its roots by including immature and mild toilet humor, like a Uranus joke and a scene about whoopee cushions. I don't usually find these kind of jokes funny nowadays, but it was the opposite here. It's not just because the books were like this, but they have great build-up and satisfying pay-off. This movie brought back my inner child and I have absolutely no shame in admitting that. I attended a screening that had a lot of children watching this and it was great to be on the same boat as them and sharing their sense of humor.

The film centers around two trouble-making boys named George and Harold (Kevin Hart and Thomas Middleditch, respectively). They get in trouble by their mean, old Principal Krupp (Ed Helms) and he threatens to separate the two. The boys fight back and hypnotize him. As a cheap joke, they make him think he is their creation, Captain Underpants, a superhero who literally fights crime in his underwear. Yes, it's as silly as it sounds. In fact, it knows it's silly and rolls with it.

What I think the film succeeds at is that it shows pranks and practical jokes as not all sunshine and rainbows. Sure, a lot of people will find them funny, except for a certain few who will take things the wrong way. In fact, jokes that go too far can lead to some harsh consequences. Case in point, George and Harold's joking around is what led to them inadvertently having an evil scientist hired as a schoolteacher. This leads them to trying to make things right again before it's too late. It's not groundbreaking by any means, but it's a nice lesson to teach to children.

Ed Helms is fantastic as both Mr. Krupp and Captain Underpants, perfectly alternating between the two contrasting personalities. As Mr. Krupp, he did a great job portraying him as this affably evil and intimidating figure. The animations on him are also a part of what makes him work thanks to his expressions. Krupp also says some things that will make the audience laugh, yet feel guilty afterwards because he's such a mean dude. As Captain Underpants, he is just downright lovable because of his positive and goofy attitude. He's just a person who we'd like to be friends with... well, if you don't mind him wearing just his underwear and a cape.

I was originally skeptical of casting Kevin Hart and Thomas Middleditch as George and Harold, respectively. I have nothing against them, but they cannot pass themselves off as fourth-graders. Couldn't DreamWorks just cast actual child actors? George and Harold in the final product sound like adults talking out of children's bodies. This is a far cry from Jason Ritter as Dipper from Gravity Falls. The reason that casting choice worked was because of two things: (1) he's 12-years-old, around the same age where a child goes through puberty; and (2) his character is more mature for his age and his voice is proof of that.

With that said, while I still think they are miscast, I thought they did fine overall. The vocal dissonance does not make or break this film. They may not be able to pass off as children, but they got their mischievous personalities just right. Also, they're pretty likable. We root for them all the way as they're trying to spread joy to all their classmates, which the teachers are all against.

I haven't gotten into the animation yet: it's great. Remember how The Peanuts Movie purposefully retained the original art style and cheap-looking animation, only it's in CGI? Captain Underpants does the same thing, only that the animation is much smoother. It's a lot bouncier, too, which makes for some great physical comedy. Of course, some minor liberties were taken, but do not heavily depart from the books' art style. The characters' eyes are pupils instead of vertical lines and the hairs on their heads are a lot more detailed.

What I was most surprised with is that the film is not entirely CGI. There are a couple of scenes that show George and Harold's comic books that are 2D animated. The visuals are a mix between Dav Pilkey's simplistic but appealing art and George and Harold's crudely-drawn art-style. Since last year's Moana, which made a tattoo into one of the best characters, it's great to see 2D animation become integrated into a fully-CGI film, rather than being reduced to only playing in the end credits.

The one problem I have with this movie is that there is a huge change in plot after the first third. The first third is dedicated to the origin of Captain Underpants, and then the main villain pops up right after. To better illustrate what I'm talking about, think of the first Spider-Man movie. Imagine if the Green Goblin is introduced and set up right after the first third finishes Spidey's origin story. That's what it feels like in Captain Underpants and it's kind of jarring.

Other than that, I had an absolute blast with this movie. It's funny, clever, and silly. There is also a lot of heart, which is definitely a plus. When the credits rolled, I didn't just clap with the audience; I almost felt like crying tears of joy. This isn't just because it's a great adaptation of the first few books. It brought me back to when I was an elementary school student illustrating his own comics. Perhaps that's what this movie is: a time machine to several people's childhoods.

Like I said before, fans of the books and non-fans will definitely enjoy this film. It's easy to say that Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie is...

WORTH CHECKING OUT

If this movie does well and a sequel is said to be in the works, I would be on board with it. There is a lot of material to bring to life on the big screen. Who knows: maybe the films can continue to inspire the younger demographic to create just like the books did. It would also mean one thing: How to Train Your Dragon 3 would no longer be the only film I look forward from DreamWorks.