DreamWorks Animation
Streaming on Peacock and Broadcasting on YTV
The second half of Megamind Rules is far better than the first because there’s a lot more of a serialised tale going on. Here, this villain turned hero (who I’ll nickname as Mega/MM) has to contend with Machiavillain (perfectly handled by the musician turned comedian Adam Lambert). This uber bad guy’s feelings got hurt when he switched, and to get him to return to his old ways is tougher than what Gru faced. This pointy nosed protagonist has a family to keep him grounded and when his brother is still up to no good, the polarity will always exist.
Here, MM has Chum/Minion (his ever so faithful number one), Roxanne who is now mayor of the city, and Keiko, a “Mega” fan, to help him fight crime. This new character was introduced in Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate, and I wasn’t aware until I did some backtracking. I tried watching this direct to video sequel, and sadly, it simply didn’t live up to what the film represents.
“Hero for a Day” is great at showing how heroes can spring up from anywhere, even if that is for a day. I laughed quite hard when a kid went chasing after MM. The reason is that a person from Mega’s past wants his prodigy to resume his evil career, and by declaring he’s never changed his ways, the people of Metro city are ready to vilify him once again! There’s a story to admire because the citizens have always feared this alien would revert to his old ways. To see how he can prove them wrong makes for a stronger series.
While the magic is nothing like DreamWorks other properties, namely in getting Jack Black back for half the Kung Fu Panda series, and Jay Baruchel for How to Train Your Dragon, I don’t think this studio has the budget to do this all the time. The only character that really suffers from the change is that of not having Will Farrell back. His substitute, Keith Ferguson, is good, but not perfect. The only part that hurts Josh Brener can’t hit the same levels of hilarity as David Cross in the role of Chum. Part of it involves how well the script is written, versus what’s allowed to be ad-libbed that showrunner Eric Fogel would approve before the animation gets done.
I believe it’s possible to watch this continuation starting the lamented sequel, and continuing with episode nine, “Hero for a Day.” However, I believe “Who Wants to Save a City?” is better because Machiavillain shows off his chops here. I’m glad that what’s offered as an animated series recognises what’s important from the movie–and that’s to show how some people are a product of other folk’s perception. While some bad guys are just that, others are aligned differently. Although some bad guys can’t be transformed into good by any means, society at least defines the roles one plays based on why people behave that way. Oh, and I want more of Music Man too! Without him making an appearance, this series would’ve been a hard pass.
3 Stars out of 5
Megamind Rules Trailer
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