The title says it all: “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie.” It has moved one baby step closer to becoming a new children’s classic. And no wonder; it’s an animated film from the hit factory, aka DreamWorks. The child in most will snicker at the title, so youngsters are sure to be amused just by seeing the word “underpants” in a movie title. Happy to share that along with the funny title, this film will entertain the kid in you and those making your life a happy one.
The animated comedy, based on Dav Pilkey’s successful book series, is about two friends, George (voiced by Kevin Hart) and Harold (voiced Thomas Middleditch), who enjoy pulling funny pranks and creating D.I.Y. comic books about—who else?—Captain Underpants, a bold superhero whose outfit boldly acknowledges that most superhero costumes are little more than fancy undies. (Think about it.)
The boys’ nemesis is school principal Mr. Krupp (Ed Helms). The very words “school principal” can start a panic in schoolkids, and every stereotype in this film is brilliantly drawn out to comedic perfection. Dear Mr. Krupp has a sign on his desk that reads, “Hope dies here.” When the plucky boys hypnotize him, he turns into Captain Underpants, and the story and the comedy goes into super-warp hyperdrive, with the Captain becoming the world’s defense against the evil Professor—wait for it—Poopypants (Nick Kroll).
The plot is really irrelevant to the fun antics of a man trying to defeat evil in his fancy underwear and, thus, the movie rolls along on laughter. There are grown-up jokes and some are rather uncomfortable, with the nefarious Poopypants using his mighty ray gun to make everything gigantic and that includes—you guessed it—anything in the bathroom.
In the end, “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie” leaves with an upbeat and positive message, with laughter from start to finish.
“Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie,” rated PG, is now playing.