Based on the popular books by Dav Pilkey, the movie adaptation "Captain Underpants" was titled with the expectations to make sequels, hence its subtitle "The First Epic Movie." Only I wish it never made it past the desks of Hollywood executives. It is eighty nine minutes of pure potty humor, which even the film calls "the lowest form of comedy," and I agree. If your kids, or the kid in you, laugh at the idea of a chorus of whoopee cushion noises, then this is the movie for you, because there is a tireless scene of it. And if just the thought of a towering, walking toilet has you immediately going and buying your ticket, then stop reading. I might spoil one of the poop jokes for you.
Despite debuting the same day as "Wonder Woman," and coming before and after numerous other superhero flicks, "Captain Underpants" is too afraid to parody them. This could have been the audience's relief from all the the darkness of the genre, all the gluttonous and sameness, but like this years "The Lego Batman Movie," the underwear wearing captain settles for flashy visuals interrupted by only by musical numbers, flatulence, and a story that wraps up far too conveniently, with a message about friendship to boot. For a superhero who literally wears tight underwear, there is a funny idea here, somewhere, buried deep below more potty jokes than Adam Sandler would dare tell.
The animation is fast paced but painfully boring, save for that one "sock puppet" scene. Simple geometry and bland art style pale in comparison to the company's other films, and particularly when graded against Pixar or Disney's offerings. The budget is smaller; perhaps that is why the most of the cast are "for-rent" comedians and actors.
The plot goes something like this: George (Kevin Hart) and Harold (Thomas Middlehitch) are grade-school delinquents who spend their free time writing a comic about the imaginary "Captain Underpants." Their principle, Mr. Krupp (Ed Helms), spends his time trying to prove that the duo are behind all the pranks around the school. But through the power of a cereal box prize "hypno ring," which actually works despite the reluctance of both the two heroes and the principle himself. As a joke, they snap his fingers and poof, Mr. Krupp is now the title superhero; splash him with water, and he is back to his school-running self. I like how the film never bothered explaining how or why the ring works, or why water retards its effect; it adds to the sugar-coated visuals and zippy pacing, but why they never try and hypnotize villain "Professor Poopypants (Nick Kroll), disguised as the district's new science teacher. Or why the police don't show up when a giant toilet rampages through the school until the film's credits are revving to start rolling. Or where everyone's parents are. Or why Professor Poopypants doesn't change his name (that is, of course, the reason he is evil). Or why every punchline involves farting, burping or nose-picking.
It isn't that farting, burping or nose-picking isn't funny- only it isn't. But every line sets up the same punchline, and that punchline is well, farting, burping or nose-picking. Kids are smarter than that; I saw this in a theater fairly filled, all kids with the parents, but very few laughs were generated. That is the sign of a movie failing to realizes its target audience.
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