Dav Pilkey’s beloved children’s novels are brought to life in this funny, warm-hearted film for the whole family.
In this charming, warm-hearted and very funny animated comedy, Kevin Hart and Thomas Middleditch star as best friends George and Harold, fourth grade pranksters who wreak havoc by day and write comic books by, well, early evening. But not even this mischievous pair could anticipate that waving a cereal packet hypnosis charm in the face of the tyrannous principal Mr Krupp (Ed Helms) would turn him into Captain Underpants, the hero-of-sorts from their comic book creation.
Humorously attired in briefs and a cape ,and with the intelligence and super ability of a big toe, it doesn’t look too likely that he will be able to save the school from a dastardly new science teacher known as Professor Poopypants (Nick Kroll).
Who would have thought that an animated film centred around toilet humour could be such a joy? Not only is Captain Underpants delightfully silly, it is filled with smart one-liners and visual gags that just keep coming. For young viewers there is the touching camaraderie between George and Harold, who bond over their mutual hysterics at the mention of ‘Uranus’, fire loo rolls at their class mates and declare their everlasting friendship when threatened with separation. For the adults, there are quips about teachers’ salaries, druggy visuals of kids smacked out on sugar, and a priceless joke about supermodels having as much humour as a chair.
Director David Soren plays around with the animation just as the boys experiment with their comic book drawings, switching from computer graphics to hand-drawn animation to a flick-book style sequence near the end of the film. There’s even a nod to Zoolander’s Mugatu, and some great fish-out-of-water laughs as the boys attempt to introduce Captain Underpants to the real world à la George of the Jungle. This is a film that will transport you back to your childhood, saturated with pure silliness and enough jokes to keep you giggling away.
Published 24 Jul 2017
Popcorn fodder for the little ’uns, surely?
A snappy animated comedy with a lovely, gooey, sentimental heart.
We regret nothing.
With great jokes and a subversive moral core, this animated comedy manages to have its brick-based cake and eat it.
By Jack Godwin
The animation studio’s latest is inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead.
America’s most famous loser/dog comic strip combo graduate to the big screen with charm and ease.
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