Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017)

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017)

 

6/10

Starring

Kevin Hart

Ed Helms

Nick Kroll

Thomas Middleditch

Directed by David Soren

I didn’t bother watching Captain Underpants when it first came out because, honestly, who would want to watch a movie with that title? But when I finally gave it a chance, I found myself laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of it all. This animation is clearly aimed at children. That said, if I had kids, I wouldn’t let them watch it because of its themes. The plot is simple enough to keep kids engaged without boring them, but what I applaud the writers for is managing to sneak in humor that even adults can find funny.

Interestingly, I thought the principal (the villain in the first half of the film) was more entertaining than Professor Poopypants, who takes over as the antagonist in the second half.

The movie is based on the Captain Underpants children’s book series by Dav Pilkey, which he both wrote and illustrated. The plot revolves around two boys, George Beard (voiced by Kevin Hart) and Harold Hutchins (voiced by Thomas Middleditch), who love to write and draw. They’re so creative that they produce their own comic books. One of their favorite creations is a character called Captain Underpants, whose absurdity they find hilarious.

Their school is run by a mean, short-tempered principal named Mr. Krupp (voiced by Ed Helms). He’s been the target of many of the boys’ pranks and is determined to catch them red-handed. He’s also confiscated several of their Captain Underpants comics, which we later find out he secretly reads.

After one prank finally gets them caught, Mr. Krupp gleefully tells the boys he’s going to separate them into different classes. Desperate to stop him, the boys accidentally hypnotize Mr. Krupp and command him to behave like their comic book hero, Captain Underpants. What starts as a funny situation quickly turns chaotic as the boys realize they now have to babysit their principal, who genuinely believes he’s a superhero.

To make matters worse, a new villain, Professor Poopypants, joins their school with a plan to rid humanity of laughter altogether.

I can see why some parents might not want their kids to watch this movie. It does seem to encourage disobedience, mischief, and making fun of others—including mocking people’s names and personalities.

Despite these concerns, the movie was a massive commercial success, leading to an animated TV series, The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants, which has been running for four seasons on Netflix.

As I mentioned earlier, this movie can be enjoyable for adults or older kids who can appreciate its silliness. But for younger children, I’d recommend giving it a second thought.