#why did megamind choose hal

[true-blue-megamind]

FAN THEORY THURSDAY – Why Did Megamind Choose Hal?

Yes, yes, I know, I'm late again. So sue me. (Don't really do that; you'll only be disappointed.) But at last, I am back!

If you are that one person who still insists reading these posts without having ever watched one of DreamWorks’ best animated movies, well, firstly, I have questions. Secondly, SPOILER WARNING!

Special thanks to Berry Marais for suggesting this, and I quote: “wickedly bad idea for the greater good of bad.” You’re amazing!

During yet another interesting discussion on the Megamind’s Evil Lair Discord, a fellow fan, Berry Marais, brought up an interesting point: if our favorite blue alien is supposed to be so incredibly smart, how did he not notice that Hal was literally the worst person in Metro City he could possibly imbue with superpowers? “I mean,” she went on to say. “Minion realized it at once and wanted to diffuse Hal as soon as possible. This was a serious case of not reading people.”

Is that all that it was? Could Megamind be a true super-genius yet also a completely inept judge of character? If so, why? Let’s take a look at what the evidence can tell us!

Initially, the blue man’s failure to recognize Hal’s obvious lack of heroic qualities seems oxymoronic, completely at odds with other aspects of Megamind’s character. This is not only because of his genius but also due to his background. Consider for a moment how the former villain was raised; as a child, he survived and even thrived while living in a high-security prison filled with adult criminals. As I’ve mentioned before in other posts, the alien child may have had the protection of some of those inmates—his “prison uncles,” as the fandom has charmingly named them, who we see teaching him when he is an infant—but by the time he was old enough to enter grade school, he had already been separated into a lonely cell.

Why does that matter? It may indicate that Megamind often had to rely on his own methods to keep both he and Minion safe. His success was likely based in part upon forming a terrifying reputation from a young age, (you can read more about that in The Warden,) but there was almost certainly more to it. In order to identify possible threats as well as potential allies, he would have needed to become an excellent judge of fellow prisoners’ characters. Although this is never stated outright, it’s difficult to imagine that the blue man would have protected himself and even climbed to the top of the criminal world without such insights. So why did that same skill fail him where Hal was concerned?

Perhaps the most obvious fan theory is that Megamind simply didn’t know Hal. As far as we know, he’d never interacted with the creepy cameraman before the latter was infused with Metroman’s DNA. (Many fans point to Megamind’s obvious attraction to Roxanne Ritchi coupled with the fact that he did not rain villainous wrath down upon her harassing stalker as possible evidence of this.) Indeed, in the original film script, Hal accidentally “saves” a mother and her baby, thus leading Megamind to assume he is a quintessentially Good Guy. Of course, that part was cut from the final version, but it nonetheless illustrates that the blue man clearly knew little or nothing about his homemade nemesis.

The next conjecture finds far more notable support in the movie itself. Starting during his school days, Megamind appears to develop a near-obsession with the concept of Good Versus Evil as well as with that of Destiny. These ideas help form his worldview and remain a driving force for the character throughout much of the film.

Two things render those facts vital to this examination. Firstly, the blue man firmly believes that Hal has been chosen as his new nemesis by fate—he even says as much when Minion suggests it was a mere mistake—and he seems to possess an almost zealous conviction where destiny is concerned. Thus he might not only fail to question what he viewed as a predetermined outcome but also ignore any evidence contradicting it. Secondly, Megamind seems, throughout much of the movie, to have a nearly binary understanding of society. Many argue that it’s likely he feels people must fall into one of two categories: Good or Bad. Therefore, if he and other criminals are bad, then supposedly “normal” citizens must, by the process of elimination, be good. This concept may be combined with the previous hypothesis; although Megamind was probably adept at reading fellow lawbreakers, he may have lacked equal insight into regular people.

Indeed, the rules governing interactions within a prison or a criminal organization differ vastly from those dictating ordinary interactions on, for example, a city street. This brings us to our next supposition: it’s possible that, while he perfectly comprehended how to read other Bad Guys, the blue man may have been so unfamiliar with normal social norms that they were nearly alien to him. It’s not a far leap. Having been raised in prison and ostracized for the majority of his life, Megamind is unlikely to have ever been fully socialized. This means that the only cultural norms, so to speak, he would be deeply familiar with are those of the prison subculture. Judging the character of anyone outside of that group would be nearly as difficult for him as it would be for us to read a stranger in an unknown country.

There is a problem with this theory, however. Megamind and Minion were raised together, in the same circumstances, so why would Minion be better able to see Hal for what he was? Aside from the concepts already discussed, such as Megamind’s preoccupation with fate, there is another possible answer. The fishy henchman may have had more opportunity to observe ordinary society. One reason for this is that, while they did both spend a significant portion of their childhoods incarcerated, Megamind is the only one we ever see in jail as an adult. Whether because he was Metroman’s sole focus, because he regularly bought his friend time to escape, or, as some fans theorize, because he made it abundantly clear that messing with Minion would be extremely bad for a person’s health, the blue man alone seems to have endured punishment following his plots.

This means that his henchfish may have had more time and opportunity to experience society. Furthermore, we know that Megamind and Minion both have holowatches—two of the disguise generators are used during the final battle with Titan—and we know that Minion likely donned his to go out in society more often. During the film, when Megamind lies about his date with Roxanne, claiming that he needs to “run a quick errand,” Minion reminds him that he doesn’t run errands. Yet someone must have taken care of such chores, and the most likely candidate is the fishy henchman himself. Therefore he may have had regular interactions with the people of Metro City while Megamind did not, giving Minion far better insight into humanity in general.

Both the film and other sources support this. According to The Analytical Couch Potato, an online entertainment magazine, director Tom McGrath described Megamind as “a villain who is really naive to the ways of the world, who never had a decent childhood.” He goes on to explain that this is why “everything’s new to this guy outside of his darkened Lair.” However, there are several times during the movie when Minion appears to have superior insight to the society around them. For example, when Megamind is enthused by the windows of the mayor’s office, Minion tells him what they are. Although a bit absurd—the blue man has to have seen windows before; even the Evil Lair has them, albeit old, thickly grimed ones—this scene and others like it were apparently intended to illustrate just how unfamiliar with normal life Megamind really is. However, Minion seems to be a good deal more knowledgeable, suggesting once more that he has greater experience with social interaction.

So, Minion may have been better able to recognize Hal’s unsuitability as a hero simply because he had spent more time among ordinary people and therefore had better comparative data. There is one more reason, however, why our favorite villain-turned-hero may not have easily seen what sort of person Hal really was. Surprisingly, it has to do with Megamind’s intellect. That’s right. While many would naturally assume that a genius should be better able to read people, there is some evidence that the opposite may be true.

According to an article by Dr. Roberta B. Ness in Psychology Today, geniuses are more likely to have difficulty relating to people, and can often even be antisocial. Interestingly, this piece focused specifically on inventive geniuses, which could certainly describe the blue alien, and stated that they can often become so focused on ideas and pursuits that they sometimes overlook people. “In the case of some geniuses, the most radically original thinking may have the greatest blind spot for human interactions,” Dr. Ness explained. Indeed, another article on Learning Mind takes it a step further, stating that highly intelligent people often have poor social skills and difficulty understanding other people. Due to tendencies such as overthinking everything, focusing on cerebral interests rather than social ones, and becoming disinterested in anyone who seems dull, geniuses can sometimes have a hard time comprehending and interacting with other individuals. This could be another reason why Megamind didn’t see that Hal was clearly a terrible choice for a new hero.

Interestingly, that might also help explain how the blue man could have been able to read people well enough to survive a childhood in prison yet have been completely blind to Hal’s faults. If you consider the issues discussed above, it becomes obvious that many of them are connected with focus. Ideas and curiosity will often hold a genius’s attention better than people—especially if they find those people too ordinary and boring—and even when they do socialize, their minds are likely to be engaged by overthinking their own responses rather than listening to others. However, this suggests that a genius can focus on reading people if that task becomes important enough to be prioritized.

In fact, we may actually see this occurring in the movie. While the former supervillain seems to have been entirely oblivious to Hal’s negative qualities at first, the more problematic the creepy cameraman becomes the better Megamind seems to be able to read him. After his supposed new nemesis fails to accept his public challenge, Megamind recognizes fairly quickly how best to enrage Hal, prompting him into their first battle. During their final fight, he comprehends his enemy even faster. Consider the scene during which Megamind is trying to run for the invisible car when Titan picks him up by the collar. It takes the blue man a mere second to not only formulate a plan, but judge exactly what he can say to make Hal propel him toward the unseen vehicle. If he had angered Titan too much, Megamind might have been incapacitated or ever killed; too little and his plan might not have worked. Yet he was able to pick the perfect balance to achieve his goal. It seems that because Hal had become a threat, he had become worthy of attention, and because he was worthy of attention, Megamind was able to focus on him and accurately predict his reaction.

So, why did Megamind not initially see, as was so obvious to Minion, that Hal was decidedly not hero material? It may well have been a combination of nature—the predisposition of highly intelligent people to have poor social skills—along with nurture—the lack of experience interacting with people outside of criminal groups leading to false assumptions. Considering all of the proverbial cards stacked against him, it’s little wonder that the alien genius had difficulty understanding his short-term nemesis at first. However, it appears that our favorite blue hero does have the capacity to read people very well once they gain his full attention. That concludes this Fan Theory Thursday post! I hope you enjoyed it!

[buginateacup]

Bug’s Fic and Gin collection

It’s wednesday night and I’m in the mood to do something a little weird so I’m pairing my gin collection to my Megamind fics. These will be in order of first posting.

Shut up and Ki(ss)dnap me - A short two chapter fic, my first foray into the fandom (though not the first thing I wrote for it). Short and zippy but a delightful finish. Pair with: Ambleside Small Acre gin. Heavy on the botanicals. Rhubarb, bay leaf, apple and cloves give a savoury zing on the palate. On the Palate: Juniper, pine, notes of white pepper, herbaceous and earthy body, slight bite to finish.

The Shoal - A Cthuluesque oneshot mostly about the gods of Megamind’s species and how they followed him to Earth Pairs with: Amphitrite Gin Elixir. A sweeter gin, milder than most but ooh take it slow because it will change your life

Bad Idea  - A songfic and the first of the Feral Roxanne iterations. Pairs with: It has to be Chase Sloe and Mulberry gin. Sweet gins aren’t for everybody but this one has a strong flavour and quite strong. If you’re going to indulge in something over the top you might as well make it worth it.

Fishcakes - Why did I torture Minion this way? Minion’s POV but mostly revolves around “Oh good they worked it out...could they stop working it out for five minutes maybe?” Pairs with: Queenscliff Distillery Dry gin. Bitey, very dry. Poor Minion deserves better.

Tea with Topsy - Ah yes...the big one. The slowburn falling in love Evil Queen AU. Specifically without an external catalyst. No Hal, no other big bad, just flirting and phonecalls and a slow slow steep into the darkside with no interest in redeeming the villain or setting them on a path to light. Still a feral Roxanne but also just two actual adults just coming together with the kind of inevitability of a fuse burning down to the explosives. Pairs with: Brookies Byron Slow Gin. Made with Davidson plums rather than sloe berries. Bright and flavourful with a hint of bite. I prefer it over ice.

Behind the scenes - Its just horny guys. What feral Roxanne wants, feral Roxanne gets. Pairs with: Tiny Bear distillery Brew. Coffee infused gin. delicious. Punches your lungs out with the fumes if you’re not careful.

Layers - Roxanne makes self destructive decisions. Megamind makes self sabotaging ones. Nothing is going well. And yet it ends lightly? Pairs with: Larrikin Barrel Aged Gin. This gin has been ‘aged’ in small American Oak barrels, that once held bourbon and then Tasmanian whisky. Strong whisky scent but none of the afterburn. Lingering flavours, best served over ice.

Presentation - Ultimate Alien Megamind, written for a Gift Exchange. Megamind rescues Roxanne, makes better decisions than she does. Quiet and painful. A sequel is coming (eventually) Pairs with: Archie Rose Coast. Strawberry gum, sea lettuce and lemon myrtle, the second most Australian tasting gin I’ve ever had. Delicious.

Rings - The crackfic idea that should not have turned into 80K+ with feelings. And yet here we are. Pairs with: Dasher + Fisher Sloe Gin. One of my favourite gins, very sweet and a serious indulgence. Comes from Tasmania. Extremely delicious and very sweet.

Run - Still might actually be my favourite oneshot. Brains/Brawn/Boss. Roxanne disappears and Megamind and Metro Man team up to find her. Everybody goes Evil because Evil has Standards. Pairs with: Underdog Gin from Applewood Distillery. Anise myrtle my love.

Liminal Spaces - Outtakes and alternate scenes from Rings. Pairs with: Brogan’s Way Hearts Afire gin. Cassia, aniseed myrtle, lilly pilly. Warm and winter.

Date Night - Accidental Evil fake dating, written to have two bastard ferals bang in the car. Somehow needed 10K+ of logistics beforehand. Sigh Pairs with: Tiny Bear Sailor Gin. Extra strength Navy gin and fucking hell I need to finish this fic.

Better the Devil you know - Another Roxanne runs to a supervillain for safety. Happens very early on in their relationship before they trust one another well enough that things would have progressed if it happened a few years later. Pairs with: Roku Gin, a very smooth Japanese gin with a very pretty bottle.

Pomegranate Seeds - Kind of fucked up Hades/Persephone AU Pairs with: Dasher + Fisher Cherry Gin. Sweet but cruel.

and the taste of you sweet on my tongue - Sweet soft soulmate AU where I was more interested in the worldbuilding than the outcome. Pairs with: Dasher + Fisher Strawberry Gin. Very sweet. Nothing to it after that.

No one calls you honey when you're sitting on a throne - Heheheh. Similar to Run wherein we see Roxanne choose Evil. But a lot bitier and immediately destructive. Pairs with: Copperwave Gin from Hunter Distillery. Aromatic and citrusy with a licorice finish.

Hey kids lets rob a bank!    - Based on an anon prompt. Two old marrieds just as in love as ever. Pairs with: Greenall’s Wild Berry Gin. Its sweet and light. What more do you want?

Waiting - Very silly. Diary style fic. Means I get to avoid all the awkward bits I don’t feel like writing. Pairs with: 78 Degrees Sunset Gin. DELICIOUS. Could drink it forever no effort.

Mirror Mirror - Extremely fucking horny fucking. Pairs with: Teddy & The Fox from Bellarine Gin. Its bitey.

Please break me gently - Oooh how badly do you want to hurt? A continuation is planned. About 4 chapters in total eventually. Pairs with: Brogan’s Way Everyday Salvation. White pepperberry and strawberry gum. Don’t talk to me while I’m drinking this. I need to be alone.

Wake Up Call - Short with a twist. Pairs with: Ginny Pig Spiced Fig Gin. Enjoy with ginger ale.

Bonus unwritten fic: Paperwork Polycule, specifically because there are bits of it floating around Tumblr. Pairs with: Threefold Distilling Aromatic Gin. Grapefruit, Rosemary and Lavender. Self explanatory really

(The most Australian gin is Lyrebird. It tastes like a hills hoist in a backyard with dry summer grass and birds calling on a hot evening.)

[lovelytonys]

100 great things about megamind

basically i just watched megamind and wrote down everything that made me go “hey that’s good”

1. The opening monologue slaps I literally do not care about your “cliches” it’s GOOD

2. “8 days old and still living with my parents...pathetic right?”

3. The idea that Megamind is inherently good since his origin story should have been his dad saying he’s destined for “greatness” but the greatness got cut off uwu

4. Literally just the fact that Megamind was about to go to the Rich Nice House and his destiny changed at the last second,,,everything about this movie makes it a cinematic masterpiece

5. “A baby! How thoughtful!” “yes yes I saw it and thought of you”

6. “While they were learning the itsy bitsy spider I was learning how to dehydrate objects and rehydrate them at will”

7. When you hear the Bad to the Bone guitar riff kick in,,,,,,heck yeah babey!!

8. J.K Simmons is here! yeah!

9. Will Ferrell’s voice acting is literally SO darn good like even just from the beginning,,, the funny affectation of whatever kind of accent that is,,,,,the expressiveness of literally everything he says,,,,,I’m not actively a fan of Will Ferrell or anything but he just did a good job ok

10. “His heart is an ocean inside a bigger ocean”

11. Idk why but I just love the phrase “you fantastic fish you”

12. Metro Man is such a fun character. Like. A hero who shouldn’t be a hero, but he just….is one? Someone who’s idol-worshipped and, despite his grandeur, doesn’t exactly deserve it?

13. MEGAMIND’S CHARACTER DESIGN IS LITERALLY SO GOOD like the vivid colors of his skin and eyes? His COSTUME? His hilarious proportions, between the giant head and the skinny & scrawny everything else? Superb, you funky little alien

14. All dialogue between Megamind and Minion is god tier by default

15. The twist on “damsel in distress” where yeah the girl gets kidnapped but she is so not distressed and has the intellectual power in the situation as she roasts Megamind at every turn and he can’t combat anything she says

16. “Oh potato tomato potato tomato”

17. “I’m shaking in my BABY SEAL LEATHER BOOTS”

18. THE ENTIRE EXCHANGE BETWEEN MEGAMIND AND METRO MAN ABOUT JUSTICE AND REVENGE AND THE MICROWAVE OF EVIL AND WARRANTIES

19. “Can someone stamp my frequent kidnapping card” “You of all people know that we discontinued that”

20. The way this movie manages to SO effectively establish character while diving right into the action and keeping with a fun, fast pace? The world & characters are set up incredibly well AND the start of the journey/ “break into the new world” hits at a brisk 20 minutes? Lovely work, Dreamworks

21. When Highway to Hell kicks in with the lasers and Megamind dancing at the police,,,,,this is nothing short of priceless

22. “Imagine the most horrible terrifying evil thing you could possibly think of and multiply it…..BY SIX”

23. When you’re a supervillain who takes over the city and you say “let’s just have fun with this” to the citizens

24. *whispering behind the door* “now slam the door really hard!” *snickering like a 12 year old girl* “move they can still see you”

25. “Did you think this day would come?” “No, no not in a million years, not ever...I mean yes”

26. “That’s called a window, sir. All the kids are looking through them”

27. Crazy Train is SUCH a nice touch, the fade into Alone Again Naturally is great. The use of music in this movie is absolutely A+, MEGAMIND DID IT FIRST AND GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY AIN’T SPECIAL (jk gotg you’re so special ily)

28. The images of Megamind’s destruction & deterioration of the city are so creative and funny

29. *to a desk toy bird* “What’s your vacuum like?”  

30. “GOING OFF THE RAILS ON A CRAZY TRAIN SIR”

31. Haven’t yet mentioned how lovely the animation of Megamind’s face is! Every single frame, he’s so expressive

32. Mispronunciation of words like “school”, “Metro City”, and “melancholy”

33. This voice cast in general is so good like it’s not just big names phoning it in for an animated movie, they’re fully into it

34. Real Bernard doesn’t get much screen time but he’s hilarious

35. “Typhoon Cheese”, whatever that was gonna be

36. The juxtaposition in body language & facial expression between Real Bernard and Megamind Bernard,,,,,actually just the way Megamind’s physicality is transferred to the other characters he disguises himself as. Great stuff

37. Megamind’s off-the-walls high energy is so fun and electric

38. “This is a bad idea” “yes, a good idea for the greater good of bad” “maybe it seems good from your bad perception but from a good perception it’s just plain bad” “oh you don’t know what’s good for bad”

39. Ollo? Oh, hello

40. “I’m just yelling at my…..mother’s urn”

41. Megamind and Minion just saying “code” before things that aren’t in code. This movie is so good with its running gags, they don’t feel like “oh haha they used that joke again!” they feel like inside jokes between the characters I love it

42. Megamind fighting himself as Bernard while complimenting himself, COMEDY GOLD

43. The various occurrences of random life-altering things happening on a whim to the wrong people, like Hal getting the superpowers and earlier Metro Man being molded into a hero and Megamind landing in prison as a baby

44. The forget me stick

45. Space Dad and Space Stepmom

46. Every character Megamind inhabits always retains Megamind’s eyes

47. MR BLUE SKY PLAYING OVER HAL’S DISASTROUS TRAINING SEQUENCE AND THE FALLING IN LOVE SEQUENCE THAT INCLUDES DONKEY KONG AND MEGAMIND WEIRDLY TEXTING ON A FLIP PHONE (gotgv2 who? Don’t know her)

48. Roxanne’s positive influence making Megamind genuinely want to make the city better uwu

49. ROXANNE AND METRO MAN WERE NEVER A COUPLE! Lovely trope subversion

50. Tropes in this movie in general are so fun. This isn’t some uninspired genre parody. They don’t just subvert tropes in the exact way that you’d expect. I feel like the way that this movie plays with the superhero genre often feels unique and creative

51. Bernard’s character design kind of slaps tbh. The turtleneck, the hair, the glasses, all very nice

52. When Hal calls Roxanne “a really good looking one I’ve got my eye on” like she’s meat or something as opposed to Megamind valuing her personality…..makes ya think u know

53. T h e  b l a c k  m a m b a a a a a

54. “Maybe I don’t want to be the bad guy anymore!” and Megamind & Minion’s subsequent falling out that served as a precursor to the disastrous date with Roxanne- it happens pretty much exactly halfway through the movie. Some people look down upon following structure to a T, but sometimes it’s satisfying when a movie perfectly follows structure and this movie’s structure is flawless

55. “Good luck on your date” “I will” “That doesn’t even make any sense” “I know”

56. Right after fighting w Minion when Megamind looks in a cracked mirror and frowns at his reflection but then changes into someone else, into Bernard, and then smiles? THE CINNAMON TOGROPHY, THE STORYTELLING

57. When Hal is just an incel whose feeling of entitlement is framed as disgusting and he’s not supposed to be sympathetic and Roxanne’s rejection of him is not framed as evil but rather completely justified? VERY epic of them, this movie would have SMASHED the pop culture scene if it came out today

58. The GRAVITY of the part when Roxanne accidentally reveals Megamind in the restaurant is so powerful that I can STILL barely watch it even though I’ve seen it so many times

59. The part that immediately follows where Roxanne shuts down Megamind is SO well done. Roxanne is giving out some harsh words to our dear protagonist, but she is not framed as the bad guy. The great thing about this scene is that they let Roxanne call out Megamind on how he’s been a jerk and she gets to be RIGHT. How very cash money of them! The emotion here isn’t anger at Roxanne because she’s ~being mean~ to Megamind. It’s a sting over the fact that she’s right, and the heartbreak over the dramatic irony of us knowing that Megamind is becoming a better person and Roxanne having no idea. Now Megamind is left with a decision that will show who he truly is on the inside: he could either retreat back into safe, evil ways for the rest of time because it’s easier to be bad because then no one expects anything from him and rejection is easier to handle, or he could ultimately choose to grow from this and recognize how he was wrong and how he has to change. The execution of this midpoint is exemplary.

60. “Do you really think I’d ever be with you?” “....no” the delivery of those lines is so good

61. “You were right! I was….less right!”

62. The Black Mamba is a god tier costume and the fact that it has its own theme song in the score makes it at least 6x better

63. WHEN BACK IN BLACK KICKS IN YEAAAHHHH (Iron Man who? Don’t know her) (Iron Man was already out at this point but how fun is it that this movie used TWO iconic mcu songs)

64. Megamind in the giant suit playing with cars

65. Hal SUCKS I love how much the movie wants you to hate him

66. The difference between Megamind and Hal/Titan/Tighten is so interesting to watch. How Megamind is the self-proclaimed “bad guy” but he’s not even out to do serious damage & it’s just a game to him, while Hal is out for blood but was created to be a hero

67. “Now it’s time for witty banter” “AAAAAAAAA” “I’m not really sure where to go with that”

68. “I’M CALLING A TIME OUT”

69. Twisting the Kryptonite trope by having Metro Man make up the copper weakness

70. “Does he have a hideout? A cave? A solitary fortress?” lol I understood that reference

71. “OW! MY GIANT BLUE HEAD!”

72. Metro Man’s confession scene is so good. Really, how often do you get a hero who feels that he was forced into being a hero? That’s usually a villain trope. Does the hero ever realize he doesn’t want to be a hero….and actually quit FOR GOOD? Again, the trope subversion is awesome

73. “I have eyes that can see right through leaaaaaaaad” that’s my favorite song

74. “You left the city to HIM! No offense” “no I’m with you”

75. “There’s a yin for every yang. If there’s bad, good will rise up against it.”

76. “I say we just go all GANGSTA on him” ms tina fey i would die for you

77. Megamind turns himself in to the police, the fact that he willingly submits himself to the punishment of being a villain at this point is a lovely and stirring way of showing the sense of justice he has deep down and showing his character development

78. When Roxanne gives Megamind a desperate & compassionate pep talk over live tv no matter what it means for her reputation :*))

79. When Megamind has 88 life sentences

80. “I. Am. Sorry!” *dramatically slides down door*

81. Megamind’s heartfelt and regretful admission of all his mistakes that brings his character arc to a head? Lovely

82. “Good luck” “WE’RE GONNA D I E! Hahahaha!”

83. “There is no Easter bunny, there is no tooth fairy, and there is no queen of England.”

84. MEGAMIND’S EPIC ENTRANCE BY COMING OUT OF HIS OWN MOUTH

85. “Oh you’re a villain alright. Just not a super one.” “Oh yeah? What’s the difference?”

86. P R E S E N T A T I O N

87. METRO MAN THUNDER CALVES

88. Again with the green eyes continuity! Love that!

89. “Going somewhere? Besides jail?” *flies in a fancy pose*

90. When Megamind is ready to let everyone think Metro Man is back but Roxanne wants to see the real hero :*))

91. “This is the last time you make a fool out of me!” “I made you a hero, you did the fool thing all by yourself” SICK BURN

92. “There’s a benefit to losing. You get to learn from your mistakes”

93. WHEN THE DEHYDRATION GUN COMES IN CLUTCH

94. Minion being a drama queen lol comedy peaked in 2010

95. Minion’s Little Face

96. “GET BACK YOU SAVAGES” “Sorry he’s just not used to positive feedback!”

97. “Destiny is not the path given to us but the path we choose for ourselves”

98. When Megamind gets to parallel Metro Man’s entrance from the beginning of the movie and everyone cheers for him :*)) and he adds his own fun little twist by making a villain joke

99. “Megamind, defender of Metro City” “you know? I like the sound of that!”

100. Name a better villain to hero story. YOU CANNOT. Cinematic excellence. I am never disappointed.

[douxreviews]

The Umbrella Academy - ‘The Day That Was’ Review

'The Day That Was' fiercely reminds me of an anime that's realized it's catching up too close with its source material on print and therefore has to color in the rest of its story with some filler-esque material until the climax can be reached. It's not that 'The Day That Was' is especially lagging filler, but it does pale in comparison with regards to a compelling advancement against the first three-quarters of 'The Day That Wasn't.'

So what's the story? As it turns out, 'Leonard Peabody' is in truth Harold Jenkins. Physically and emotionally abused by his alcoholic father, Harold still believed that because he was born on the same day as the children of The Umbrella Academy, he may be one of the many youths born with mysterious abilities. Harold believes his powers are taking an especially long time to develop but Sir Hargreeves rebuffs Harold's efforts to join the academy, crushing Harold. At his wit's end, Harold puts his foot down at last and murders his father, earning him twelve years in prison. And upon release, who should he first see but Klaus Hargreeves from across the street, ditching his now deceased father's prized journals for drug money, thus creating the catalyst for Harold's revenge.

While it does deliver answers to multiple inquiries held by the audience, Harold's backstory isn't especially that interesting a revelation at the end of it all. What would have been an intriguing direction is the reveal that Harold in fact does possess an ability of his own that could make him a force to be reckoned with against the Hargreeves siblings. Right down to the episode's end though, as he takes a beating in order to protect Vanya, it looks as though this is not the case. My guess is that the intent was to paint Harold more as a 'nobody' who became a very dangerous 'somebody' like Syndrome in The Incredibles or Hal in Megamind, but the difference here is that at least Syndrome and Hal get instances to demonstrate why they are credible threats, in spite of having no or amateurish super-abilities. In The Umbrella Academy's case, I'm afraid that for all of Harold's patience and manipulation, I still don't buy him as someone that intimidating; rather, I'm more concerned with what could happen if he succeeds in getting Vanya to turn on her siblings.

What's worse is that Harold's plot, now that it's all out in the open, doesn't really make sense either. Him being angry at Sir Hargreeves for his cold and ill-mannered dismissal I get, but the kids had nothing to do with it. If anything, they were just as tormented and victimized by Sir Hargreeves as Harold was, so they should be figures Harold should be able to at least sympathize with a bit.

So in the present, Harold takes Vanya into the woods to get her to understand her abilities better and to harp on the tired 'powers-being-linked-to-emotions' trope. Meanwhile, Five returns to the mansion and gives his siblings Harold Jenkins' name, believing if they find and stop Harold, they stop the apocalypse. Can we just take a moment here to speculate why on Earth Five isn't the empirical leader of the academy? While Luther prattles on, struggling to connect every issue to the moon, Five actually succeeds here in inspiring morale and teamwork between Diego and Allison. Even Luther couldn't do that in this exact setting only one episode ago. Five does here what Luther couldn't and even when walking around with a piece of shrapnel still lodged in his torso, he's still intent on doing whatever it takes to ward off the end of the world. It actually makes me a little intrigued as to whether or not the series chooses to go in that direction when the second season comes around. (Yes, at the time of writing this review, The Umbrella Academy has very fortunately been renewed for another season!)

Wishy-washy Luther chooses to stay behind only so he can discover what we already learned last episode, that his endeavors to the moon were for nothing. So naturally... his solution is to get intoxicated, go clubbing, and leave Klaus to nearly die in the middle of a rave. For a brief instant, like I said with 'The Day That Wasn't,' I get why Luther is so beat up in the beginning, but narrative-wise, this isn't the wisest of options to get people engrossed with his character. Mostly everyone else has put aside their selfish desires for the time being, so now that we're within eyesight of the finish line, Luther's own hindrances feel more like an obstacle we're just waiting to get over. Personally, I think this is where we should have started with Luther, way back in the pilot, so we can see him work his way back to resembling something of a sympathetic character.

The highlight though to this subplot means that since Diego is out investigating Harold, Klaus needs someone else to bounce off of, and here, it's Luther. While Luther loses points in the sympathy bracket, Klaus gains many more here, as he's forced to try and do his best to snap Luther out of his brief depressive interludes. I admire Klaus for his efforts, despite the fact that Luther hasn't done jack for Klaus in the past. And here Klaus still stands at his side, willing to let bygones be bygones because he believes Luther still is the academy's best candidate for being team leader. Also, I'm sorry Ben, I adore you and all, but I'm going to have to shoot down your assertion that Luther would do anything to save Klaus in flames, because I haven't seen a shred of evidence in this series displaying that.

Five, Allison and Diego discover Harold torched action figures of them and that he's moody for not being inaugurated into their super-secret-boy-band, while Klaus attempts to drag Luther away from the party scene, resulting in him getting knocked unconscious for a moment. Klaus awakens in what he believes is heaven, and I really dig the notion that God is a little girl in this universe, leading me to endlessly speculate then what this universe's devil looks like. Klaus is met by the spirit of his deceased father who tells Klaus that in truth, he took his own life to inspire the academy to band back together as a team. Sir Hargreeves is also pretty vague on if he knew anything about the imminent apocalypse, neither confirming nor denying knowledge of it to Klaus, so ultimately, this reveal has a bit of a bland taste to me. Did he know the end of the world was approaching, and if so, how? Did this have anything to do with his warning to Luther to not trust anyone? The big surprise that nobody outright killed him doesn't exactly help our heroes in the long haul unless there's been something else divulged to Klaus off screen...

I've noticed that as the series progresses, the characters of Hazel and Cha-Cha continue to wear thin for me, but not because they share Luther's complication where they're not sympathetic anymore; rather, they're just dull. What was at least interesting in the beginning was seeing them work off of the Hargreeves siblings, Klaus in particular, but in this episode, it's just the two of them talking about...retiring? Which is a fine motivating factor but their conversations just don't hold the same merit for me as the dialogue between the siblings do.

At the end of it all, mostly everything we saw develop over in the last episode is done once again here in 'The Day That Was,' just with less pizzazz, for lack of a better term. In fact, Klaus' development and his increasing attempts to sober up nearly end up being the better alternative to 'The Day That Wasn't's plot points; the only downside for me is that his efforts to reunite with the afterlife apparition of Dave are cut short once again. As is the reunion between Diego and Mom, Vanya is still none the wiser with Harold, and by the time the credits roll, the team is still no closer to getting their act together what with Luther being a jerk, Five out of commission and Allison deciding she was right in wanting to see her daughter before the end of it all.

Name That Tune:

The trend of upbeat tunes set to a violent maiming makes a comeback, this time with 'One Is The Loneliest Number' by Three Dog Night set to the gruesome murder of Harold's pops.

Hargreeves Humor:

Diego: "You had me at Gerald Jenkins." Five: "Harold Jenkins." Diego: "...Whatever."

Diego: (about Leonard) "He didn't seem dangerous when I first saw him. Looked kinda scrawny." Allison: "Yeah, well, so are most serial killers and mass murderers. I mean, look at him." Five: "Thanks."

Allison: "What do they think you did?" Diego: "Murder." Allison: "Did you?" Diego: "No, no, no, of course not, okay? Why would you ask that about me, anyway?" Allison: "I mean, you do carry knives with you everywhere."

Klaus: "We've been to seven bars, three strip joints, and a laundromat. Luther's not here. Can we go home now?"

Aaron Studer loves spending his time reading, writing and defending the existence of cryptids because they can’t do it themselves.

[true-blue-megamind]

FAN THEORY SOMETIME EVENTUALLY: Hal is NOT Megamind’s Greatest Enemy

I’m back! Real life is consuming massive amounts of my time, so I’m afraid these Fan Theory Thursday posts have become sporadic. I'll try to write them as often as possible. Special thanks to Dalniente for suggesting this topic and sharing his fan theory! You rock! Please note: while fascinating, this blog article is going to get dark. IF DEPRESSION IS A TRIGGER, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! This post may also leave you with an uncontrollable urge to hug a certain blue super-genius. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Finally, if you are that single strange individual who has been reading these posts for over a year without actually watching the movie… Well, I’ve probably given away nearly everything already, but nonetheless: SPOILER WARNING!

It’s clear to any fan of this wonderful DreamWorks film that Megamind has been through a lot. Not only was our favorite blue hero ostracized, bullied, and raised in prison, but we see him facing yet more hardships during the narrative. In fact, according to one fan theory, although his triumph over Titan is the primary story arc, the super-stalker is not the greatest foe Megamind faces.

It all begins with the blue man’s emotional turmoil. As I’ve mentioned previously in Megamind’s Psychology, the film’s protagonist seems nearly obsessed, at least during the first half of the story, with both his presumed evil nature and the idea of destiny. In fact, it appears that this has led him to construct his entire self-identity around supervillainy—something that only changes when his preconceived notions do. Such a drastic alteration, however, is often painful, and this one was no different.

Megamind, at the beginning of the film, obviously feels that fighting a nemesis provided his only reason for existing. This is because Metroman unwittingly offered mental engagement as well as something to work toward. More specifically, their fights were a perfect excuse for Megamind to invent, plot, and challenge his own brain. Without this, the blue man feels unfulfilled and purposeless. He clearly states that fact while he and Minion discuss creating a new hero. The thing is that, as Dal suggested in the Evil Lair Discord, losing his former adversary doesn’t merely leave him without an objective, but also disrupts the very stability of his existence.

“He wants his life back,” Dal explained. “Literally, he says this: his goal with the infuser gun was to get his life back to the way it was ‘when the world was perfect and rosy.’”

The problem, of course, is that this is easier said than done. Megamind feels like a ship adrift in the ocean with no compass or destination, and like many of us would in those circumstances, he falls into making some bad decisions. Those choices only make his predicament worse. After losing the his excuse for the battles and inventions that gave his life meaning, Megamind begins a relationship with Roxanne under a false identity, has a massive argument with his only friend, Minion, and chooses the worst possible person to imbue with superpowers. (You can read more about what might have led to that particular misstep in Why Did Megamind Choose Hal.) All of this ends badly.

Let’s look at the argument first. Not only does the blue man likely feel terrible for hurting his friend—there is ample evidence that he does care about Minion—but, following their fight, his henchfish walks out, presumably for good. This is significant because it further destabilizes Megamind’s reality. Minion was far more than a, well, minion.

“It was Megamind and Minion against the world,” Dal said, describing that incident. “And now it is just Megamind.”

It must have been hard enough to be an isolated refugee from a destroyed planet, but without his only friend, the blue alien is truly alone. That loneliness further increases when Roxanne, the only other person to have positive interactions with Megamind during the film, rejects him.

This remains true even though Roxanne Ritchi’s feelings in that moment were both justifiable and reasonable. Upon discovering that the man she’d fallen in love with has been lying about his identity and is, in fact, the same supervillain who regularly kidnapped her, the woman feels understandably shocked, betrayed, and upset. However, it appears likely that that may not have been the way Megamind saw things. Once again, Dal offered some insights

“Roxanne is furious with him, and reacted to his feelings for her with something I read as shock and some incredulity, but which I think Megamind would be way more likely to read as disgust,” he stated. “She insinuates that she thinks he is truly evil, which he would be very willing to believe, at this point.”

Heartbreak is never easy, but when it follows on the heels of other personal hardships it can be even more devastating. The blue man’s emotional response to this final blow is beautifully portrayed in his shattered expression and a single hopeless word: “no.” This is because Megamind truly doesn’t believe she would ever be with him. (He states later on that, being the bad guy, he can never “get the girl.”) This is precisely why he found it impossible to reveal his true identity to his date—although, to his credit, it appeared he was attempting to summon the courage to do so before his disguise failed. He believed that the only way he can have even a taste of romance is by pretending to be someone else.

Add to all of this the setback in the blue man’s emotional growth and it’s not difficult to see why he might be so strongly affected. As mentioned in an earlier post, The Warden, there is evidence that Megamind was pushed into supervillainy from a young age. Thanks to his interactions with Roxanne and a little initial reevaluation of his life, he had started to believe that perhaps he actually could be good until everything fell apart. As a result, his journey to heroism stalls and, had his integrity or will been less strong, he might have abandoned it permanently.

When the cumulative impact of these events is considered from a psychological standpoint, it is frankly amazing that Megamind’s melancholy is not even more severe. He has essentially lost his job, so to speak, his sense of purpose, his best friend, and the girl of his dreams all in a short period of time. As Dal expressed it: “as far as he knows, he has lost everything.” Considering that, when this occurred, he was already emotionally scarred by being orphaned, bullied, and raised in incarceration, the man’s resilience is certainly noteworthy. However, that doesn’t mean he was immune; far from it. Dal pointed out how one scene, following his breakup, illustrates exactly how bad Megamind’s emotional state had become.

“When he gets back to the Evil Lair, he has not slept. Minion is still gone… And [Megamind] does not sleep. He gears up to fight Titan in an untested battle suit, and says that line about: ‘It's time to go down in style.’”

At first glance, viewers might assume that the blue man is referring to Titan going down, or perhaps to himself inevitably losing the battle and returning to jail, but Dal suggested that the statement may hide a darker meaning. Megamind might, on some level, intend for this battle to be his last. It’s possible that what he really means is that he wants to go out with a proverbial bang.

That’s right. Megamind, at this point in the movie, has developed situational depression, perhaps even passive suicidal ideation. He has hit rock-bottom, he feels his life has crumbled into pieces, and his actions have become reckless.

“I do not think Megamind cares a whole lot, in that moment, whether he comes back from this fight at all,” Dal explained. “I think he is desperate and angry and upset and self-destructive… But also, he does not actually want to die. This is an important distinction. He wouldn't mind being dead but he does not want to die; he wants his life back.”

This fan theory makes sense. Keep in mind that re-establishing the status quo was, after all, the entire reason for creating the Infuser Gun in the first place. What the former villain really wanted in that scene was to return a sense of stability, order, and purpose to his existence. This may also be why, when everything else falls apart, Megamind appears to fixate on his battle with Titan.

“We see this in the way he interacts with Titan,” Dal stated. “He waits for HOURS before going to see wtf is up. He is dismayed to realize how far sideways his ‘turn Hal into a hero’ plan has gone, and he pulls out all the stops in goading Titan into fighting after all. He does not stop to think about whether this is a bad idea—he does not care. Titan is the one shot he has at restoring some sense of familiarity to the world… And he gets what he's looking for! He is so relieved to finally lose. Finally, for a few bright seconds, the world makes sense.”

That brief moment of emotional and mental clarity is also what jolts Megamind into action when he realizes Titan is homicidal. After reveling in a feeling of renewed purpose, the blue man suddenly realizes that his life can still have stability. That completely changes his outlook.

“At this point I think he is probably back to wanting to live, because this is where he finally displays some self-preservation. He felt okay for like three whole seconds and a fight; it's enough to get him into a less awful head space and into survival mode,” Dal said.

When Titan begins destroying Metro City, it pushes Megamind to overcome his internal struggles because he sees that the problem is much larger than its immediate effects on himself. This is important for three reasons: it reconnects Megamind with the world around him, proves that despite being a supervillain he possesses empathy, and provides him with a new purpose. All at once, the blue man understands that his reason for living doesn’t have to come solely from having a nemesis; it can be something bigger and more meaningful than that.

Thus Megamind defeats his greatest enemy: depression. The fact that he has to face this particular monster during the course of the narrative makes the former villain both more realistic and more impressive. It’s relatively easy to fight another person compared to battling darkness within yourself, and actually conquering the latter takes enormous strength of character. Yet Megamind does exactly that, becoming a better man and building a better life as a result. It serves to offer a message of hope to others fighting the same foe. The inclusion of such a deep and mature theme in this animated film is simply one more reason why it is one of the greatest things DreamWorks has ever produced. Little wonder that so many, even among adults, are devoted fans of this amazing movie.

[true-blue-megamind]

I’ve been mulling this over for a while now, do you think that Megamind’s costuming is supposed to be the antithesis of his cultures? The contrast between white and black is significance, and its shown in the movie that Megs remembers the details of his parents and planet before going to earth, so why not honour that? Could the black be for punk/ villain and as such feels undeserving of the pure light he remembers his people as? Or could it be mourning due to earth culture? He kinda keeps the same silhouette of fashion from his planet but thats about it, even in the button of doom in his white costume it doesn’t feel the same tone-wise as his parents wearing white. I’d love to hear your take on this :)

FAN THEORY THURSDAY – Why Does Megamind Wear Black?

No, your eyes do not deceive you! This is today’s second Megamind fan theory post! After skipping last week due to illness—as explained in the previous blog article—I’ve decided to make up for lost time by writing and publishing two Fan Theory Thursdays! You’re welcome! LOL!

If you haven't seen it yet, you can read today's first Fan Theory post, concerning why Megamind didn't notice Hal was a terrible choice for a hero, HERE.

Although Minion threatens to sew everything out of super-itchy 1970’s polyester every time I say this, here it is anyway: SPOILER WARNING!

As you can see, this fan theory topic was suggested to me by a fellow Megamind fan. Thank you very much to Big-Dick-Garfield for asking about this! Keep being epic!

Like many imagined sci-fi races, Megamind’s people seemed to have something like a cultural uniform, in this case form-fitting, high-collared white with blue accents. Furthermore, the blue man likely knows it. Despite having been days old, he is clearly able to recall his early life as he recounts the destruction of his home world at the beginning of the film. And yet he chose to reject this evident norm of his original society, opting for black instead. Is there something significant about that color choice? Let’s find out!

At first glance, the answer may appear simple: Metroman dresses in white and Megamind dons black as befits a hero and a villain. It’s quite possible, however, that there is more to it than that. Is it possible that there is some basis for Big-Dick-Garfield’s suggestion that this was a rejection of the overall goodness and light in Megamind’s homeworld? Does he feel he is the opposite of his demonstratively upstanding parents? And are there clues in the original film that might help us discern an answer?

Let me begin by saying that I love this supposition. It’s creative, interesting, and insightful. While researching this question, I did find some solid information concerning why the former supervillain chose his color scheme. Here’s what we know for certain.

In the DVD commentary as well as an interview with Jason Schleifer, who headed up all character animation in the film, the creators clearly state that Megamind’s style and persona were both inspired by heavy metal singer Alice Cooper while Metroman’s character design was significantly influenced by Elvis Presley. (For a more in-depth look at Megamind’s persona, feel free to read Who is the Real Megamind Part Two.) Once considered, it makes sense. A few things both performing artists are known for include larger-than-life stage presences, over-the-top costumes, and massive performances. Indeed, according to Schleifer, both aliens “play the good guy/bad guy game to the crowd like rock stars.” Similar to their musical counterparts, Megamind and Metroman have big personalities, attention-grabbing personas, and knacks for putting on a great show. Clearly, this inspiration for their character designs goes more than skin deep, if you will, and that’s important because it indicates that there may be more than one reason for our favorite blue genius to wear black.

Firstly, consider the significance of Megamind choosing the aforementioned rock star as a basis for his look along with the specific music he blares during battles—a playlist that includes bands such as Guns n’ Roses and AC/DC. It’s not difficult to deduce that our favorite villain-turned-hero is clearly a Punk Goth Metal Head. Secondly, let’s compare American society’s views concerning each of the previously-mentioned musical artists. While Elvis was an edgy and controversial sex symbol during the 1950’s and 60’s, by the time the film Megamind was made he had become synonymous with older generations and straight-laced conservatives. Many among that same demographic, however, still viewed Alice Cooper as shocking, negative, and even “demonic.” This likely parallels with the images both characters, within their own world, were trying to project. Being the local hero, Metroman wanted to portray himself as a hometown Good Guy while his nemesis was purposefully aiming to stun, offend, and even frighten. Both his hard-rocking Gothic tastes and desire to unsettle those around him are major reasons why Megamind might don black leather and spikes.

That doesn’t mean that these are the only explanations, however. If you’ve read posts like What’s Hidden in the Animation and Are There More Hidden Details, you already know that the DreamWorks’ animation team put a lot of thought and attention into subtle-but-significant minutiae. As such, it seems highly doubtful that the choice to clothe both Metroman and Megamind’s parents in white was accidental. Indeed, the color does seem to symbolize goodness in the film, as Megamind, upon taking up the role of Defender of Metro City, is swathed in a white cape by his love interest, Roxanne. It is therefore likely that the choice to clothe the blue man’s mother and father in the same hue may have been the animators’ way of clearly indicating these were truly good people.

So is there room to suppose that the former villain’s choice of black clothing represented his rejection of goodness and acceptance of his perceived place as its evil counterpart? Yes, there is. It’s a viable fan theory. Unfortunately, it’s also one for which I have been unable to find any solid proof.

Why do I say that? There is one particular line in the movie, occurring when Megamind has taken over the city and settled himself in the mayor’s office, which calls this idea into question. When the blue genius says that he wishes his parents could witness his success, Minion responds with: “I’m sure they’re smiling down from evil heaven, Sir.” Evil heaven is significant. Keep in mind that the self-proclaimed Criminal Mastermind believed he was, as he stated near the beginning of the film, “destined to be a supervillain.” This means that he believed he was innately evil, his very nature so powerfully predisposed toward badness that it was unavoidable. Given both this and his conviction that his beloved parents had found some sort of odd evil paradise, it seems extremely unlikely that he believed his family had been good.

There is one more point which ought to be considered. While quite a few fans are not exactly enthralled with the short film Megamind: The Button of Doom—and admittedly there are a few aspects of it that make me cringe a little as well—it is nonetheless considered canon. In that piece, we see Megamind initially dressing himself in a white super-suit built to imitate Metroman’s abilities—essentially trying to become his predecessor rather than his own brand of Defender—but by the end we see him returning to his familiar black uniform and using his previously “evil” inventions to do good. Thus the blue man embraced his own unique style of heroism.

Furthermore, we see that the city has installed a searchlight displaying a blacked-out version of the blue man’s logo, similar to the Bat-Signal. It’s seriously doubtful that the choice was made on a mere whim, and indeed, there are some marked similarities between Batman and Megamind. Neither possess superpowers; instead, they each rely upon advanced technology, awesome gadgets, and intelligence. Both are heroes who wear black clothing—the hems of their cloaks are even similar—and, given the sort of fear Megamind was seen to inspire during the original movie, it’s likely that both, although decidedly Good Guys, strike terror into evildoers. All of that, combined with the fact that the original film was a spoof on DC comic books and Batman is, of course, a DC superhero, renders it likely that this was a very deliberate choice foreshadowing what sort of Defender Megamind will be. Thus, the idea that white equals good while black equals evil is turned on its head.

So, did Megamind choose to wear black as a reflection of the evil he felt was in his very core? It’s possible, but it’s also possible that his Gothic Rocker look simply matches his personal style. Beyond this, it seems that the blue man may continue wearing black as a hero, reaffirming one of the movie’s major themes: being different does not make a person bad. The rejection supposition is certainly interesting, and one of the marvelous things about fan theories is that we can all choose which ones we wish to believe, but, as I’ve said before, there is no firm evidence that it might be canon. And that might not be such a bad thing; I don’t know about you, but after watching Megamind finally learn to embrace his identity and work toward being the best version of himself possible, I would hate to see him thinking that he has to change his style and tastes in order to fit the role of hero. Let’s hope we all see our favorite blue alien still wearing black leather and spikes in the upcoming series!

[true-blue-megamind]

FAN THEORY THURSDAY – Why Does Megamind Wear Black?

No, your eyes do not deceive you! This is today’s second Megamind fan theory post! After skipping last week due to illness—as explained in the previous blog article—I’ve decided to make up for lost time by writing and publishing two Fan Theory Thursdays! You’re welcome! LOL!

If you haven't seen it yet, you can read today's first Fan Theory post, concerning why Megamind didn't notice Hal was a terrible choice for a here, HERE.

Although Minion threatens to sew everything out of super-itchy 1970’s polyester every time I say this, here it is anyway: SPOILER WARNING!

As you can see, this fan theory topic was suggested to me by a fellow Megamind fan. Thank you very much to Big-Dick-Garfield for asking about this! Keep being epic!

Like many imagined sci-fi races, Megamind’s people seemed to have something like a cultural uniform, in this case form-fitting, high-collared white with blue accents. Furthermore, the blue man likely knows it. Despite having been days old, he is clearly able to recall his early life as he recounts the destruction of his home world at the beginning of the film. And yet he chose to reject this evident norm of his original society, opting for black instead. Is there something significant about that color choice? Let’s find out!

At first glance, the answer may appear simple: Metroman dresses in white and Megamind dons black as befits a hero and a villain. It’s quite possible, however, that there is more to it than that. Is it possible that there is some basis for Big-Dick-Garfield’s suggestion that this was a rejection of the overall goodness and light in Megamind’s home world? Does he feel he is the opposite of his demonstratively upstanding parents? And are there clues in the original film that might help us discern an answer?

Let me begin by saying that I love this supposition. It’s creative, interesting, and insightful. While researching this question, I did find some solid information concerning why the former supervillain chose his color scheme. Here’s what we know for certain.

In the DVD commentary as well as an interview with Jason Schleifer, who headed up all character animation in the film, the creators clearly state that Megamind’s style and persona were both inspired by heavy metal singer Alice Cooper while Metroman’s character design was significantly influenced by Elvis Presley. (For a more in-depth look at Megamind’s persona, feel free to read Who is the Real Megamind Part Two.) Once considered, it makes sense. A few things both performing artists are known for include larger-than-life stage presences, over-the-top costumes, and massive performances. Indeed, according to Schleifer, both aliens “play the good guy/bad guy game to the crowd like rock stars.” Similar to their musical counterparts, Megamind and Metroman have big personalities, attention-grabbing personas, and knacks for putting on a great show. Clearly, this inspiration for their character designs goes more than skin deep, if you will, and that’s important because it indicates that there may be more than one reason for our favorite blue genius to wear black.

Firstly, consider the significance of Megamind choosing the aforementioned rock star as a basis for his look along with the specific music he blares during battles—a playlist that includes bands such as Guns n’ Roses and AC/DC. It’s not difficult to deduce that our favorite villain-turned-hero is clearly a Punk Goth Metal Head. Secondly, let’s compare American society’s views concerning each of the previously-mentioned musical artists. While Elvis was an edgy and controversial sex symbol during the 1950’s and 60’s, by the time the film Megamind was made he had become synonymous with older generations and straight-laced conservatives. Many among that same demographic, however, still viewed Alice Cooper as shocking, negative, and even “demonic.” This likely parallels with the images both characters, within their own world, were trying to project. Being the local hero, Metroman wanted to portray himself as a hometown Good Guy while his nemesis was purposefully aiming to stun, offend, and even frighten. Both his hard-rocking Gothic tastes and desire to unsettle those around him are major reasons why Megamind might don black leather and spikes.

That doesn’t mean that these are the only explanations, however. If you’ve read posts like What’s Hidden in the Animation and Are There More Hidden Details, you already know that the DreamWorks’ animation team put a lot of thought and attention into subtle-but-significant minutiae. As such, it seems highly doubtful that the choice to clothe both Metroman and Megamind’s parents in white was accidental. Indeed, the color does seem to symbolize goodness in the film, as Megamind, upon taking up the role of Defender of Metro City, is swathed in a white cape by his love interest, Roxanne. It is therefore likely that the choice to clothe the blue man’s mother and father in the same hue may have been the animators’ way of clearly indicating these were truly good people.

So is there room to suppose that the former villain’s choice of black clothing represented his rejection of goodness and acceptance of his perceived place as its evil counterpart? Yes, there is. It’s a viable fan theory. Unfortunately, it’s also one for which I have been unable to find any solid proof.

Why do I say that? There is one particular line in the movie, occurring when Megamind has taken over the city and settled himself in the mayor’s office, which calls this idea into question. When the blue genius says that he wishes his parents could witness his success, Minion responds with: “I’m sure they’re smiling down from evil heaven, Sir.” Evil heaven is significant. Keep in mind that the self-proclaimed Criminal Mastermind believed he was, as he stated near the beginning of the film, “destined to be a supervillain.” This means that he believed he was innately evil, his very nature so powerfully predisposed toward badness that it was unavoidable. Given both this and his conviction that his beloved parents had found some sort of odd evil paradise, it seems extremely unlikely that he believed his family had been good.

There is one more point which ought to be considered. While quite a few fans are not exactly enthralled with the short film Megamind: The Button of Doom—and admittedly there are a few aspects of it that make me cringe a little as well—it is nonetheless considered canon. In that piece, we see Megamind initially dressing himself in a white super-suit built to imitate Metroman’s abilities—essentially trying to become his predecessor rather than his own brand of Defender—but by the end we see him returning to his familiar black uniform and using his previously “evil” inventions to do good. Thus the blue man embraced his own unique style of heroism.

Furthermore, we see that the city has installed a searchlight displaying a blacked-out version of the blue man’s logo, similar to the Bat-Signal. It’s seriously doubtful that the choice was made on a mere whim, and indeed, there are some marked similarities between Batman and Megamind. Neither possess superpowers; instead, they each rely upon advanced technology, awesome gadgets, and intelligence. Both are heroes who wear black clothing—the hems of their cloaks are even similar—and, given the sort of fear Megamind was seen to inspire during the original movie, it’s likely that both, although decidedly Good Guys, strike terror into evildoers. All of that, combined with the fact that the original film was a spoof on DC comic books and Batman is, of course, a DC superhero, renders it likely that this was a very deliberate choice foreshadowing what sort of Defender Megamind will be. Thus, the idea that white equals good while black equals evil is turned on its head.

So, did Megamind choose to wear black as a reflection of the evil he felt was in his very core? It’s possible, but it’s also possible that his Gothic Rocker look simply matches his personal style. Beyond this, it seems that the blue man may continue wearing black as a hero, reaffirming one of the movie’s major themes: being different does not make a person bad. The rejection supposition is certainly interesting, and one of the marvelous things about fan theories is that we can all choose which ones we wish to believe, but, as I’ve said before, there is no firm evidence that it might be canon. And that might not be such a bad thing; I don’t know about you, but after watching Megamind finally learn to embrace his identity and work toward being the best version of himself possible, I would hate to see him thinking that he has to change his style and tastes in order to fit the role of hero. Let’s hope we all see our favorite blue alien still wearing black leather and spikes in the upcoming series!

[true-blue-megamind]

What Makes Hal a Great Villain?

Okay, I’m saying it upfront: this one is going to get a little dark and very real.  Potential triggers for harassment, stalking, sexual predation.  Nothing graphic or heavy, of course, but if these are especially highly sensitive subjects for you, please proceed with caution.

Also, SPOILER ALERT for anyone who has not yet watched the animated awesomeness that is Megamind.  (If you are that person, the DVD is on sale on Amazon, and the movie is available to stream on NowTV.  Go watch it.  I’ll wait.)

We all know Megamind is an awesome protagonist--multi-layered, relatable, and surprisingly complex-- but, truthfully, his antagonist is just as interesting.  In fact, when compared with other animated villains of the early 2000′s, he’s by far the most memorable... and the most terrifying.

Many may question my assessment.  I mean, let’s be honest: this guy doesn’t exactly look like the face of evil.  But make no mistake: Hal, who later becomes Titan, is an extremely scary person.

I don’t want to leave readers with the impression that this character is one-sided, however, so before we get started on just what makes this fellow complete nightmare fuel, let’s look briefly at a few of the other reasons that Hal makes a fascinating Bad Guy.

One of my favorite things about Hal’s character arch is that it defies expectations.  Superhero comics have a long tradition of Average Nobodies who somehow receive extraordinary powers and go on to save the city.  Or the world.  Or the universe.  You get the idea.  Many comic book fans, upon watching Megamind for the first time, probably expected Hal to do the same, but he doesn’t.  In fact, he goes rogue, choosing to use his newly-obtained gifts for wanton destruction.  Thus the film inverts the established trope.

Like the protagonist he faces, (and is thankfully conquered by,) Hal is complex, and his true nature reveals itself slowly.  I’ve heard some people say that they actually felt a bit sorry for him in the first scene he appears, as he awkwardly tries to express his feelings to reporter Roxanne Ritchi.  At first he seemed like nothing worse than a socially inept and sexually frustrated nerd.  Only as the move progressed, and the aforementioned viewers saw his creepiness more clearly, did they begin to revile him.  One of the many clever things about the movie is that the gradual development provides audiences with the experience of slowly getting to know the characters.  While Megamind is the somewhat anarchical Goth who worries you a little at first, but whose heart of gold has you loving him once you really understand him, Hal is that guy you really, really regret talking to at a party.  You know, the one who quickly starts sending your internal Creep-o-Meter off the scale and persistently follows you around for the rest of the night.  This is, indeed, part of what makes Hal disturbing; just like real villains, he hides in plain sight, wearing the guise of an ordinary fellow.

Which brings us back to the scary part.  Even before he gets superpowers, Hal is bad guy deep down.  He’s a creep and a stalker.  He harasses Roxanne at work and keeps pestering her for a date no matter how many times she says no.  Either consciously or unconsciously, he assumes that she’s shallow, and that once he has a muscular body and a bevy of godlike abilities, she’ll fawn on him.  The idea that he himself might be the problem never seems to occur to him.  In fact, he seems to feel that she will then owe him her affection.  This is because, even before becoming Titan, Hal appears to have an overblown sense of self-importance and an unrealistic concept about what he deserves.  (I go into detail about that in an earlier post, Megamind and Identity, which you can read here.)  The fact that he doesn’t get what he feels is his right seems to have created a deep-seeded bitterness in him that rises to the surface once he obtains power.

But Hal really is the problem.  His combined possessive harassment and complete lack of empathy are exactly why Roxanne neither likes nor trusts him.  And she’s right to feel that way.  Almost immediately after gaining his powers, now feeling that he is above society’s rules, Titan begins revealing just how terrible of a person he really is.  He uses his supervision to spy on Roxanne while he and Megamind (disguised as Space Dad) are in the park, and that must not be the only incident because he later tells Roxanne: “I know everything about you.”  This is just before he grabs her off of her balcony, without her consent, and begins throwing her around like a rag doll, terrifying her and putting her life in real danger because, apparently, he thinks she’ll be impressed.

Yeah.  This guy is pretty much human garbage.

Once he finally understands (more or less) that Roxanne really means it when she says she’s not interested, Hal/Titan reveals himself to be a man-child.  He  begins by using his abilities for selfish and criminal reasons, essentially stating that he doesn’t feel heroism is worth his time.  When he learns that Megamind has been dating Roxanne, (albeit in disguise,) he reacts with violence.  This is because Megamind, like Hal himself, is an outsider: unpopular, unwelcome, and considered unattractive by most of the population of Metro City.  In Hal’s mind, this revelation highlights the fact that none of these factors were the cause of Roxanne’s rejection, leaving only he himself to blame.  (In fact, the movie contrasts Megamind, who, although imperfect, respects Roxanne’s wishes and intelligence, with Hal, who basically views her as an object to be won.  Again, you can read more about that in Megamind and Identity.) Hal can’t handle that.  He can’t accept it.  So instead he turns his rage on the city as a whole.  (This is despite the fact that, deep down, Hal knows he is the problem, hence why he rejects his identity as Hal and fully embraces the new one as Titan.  That’s illustrated by his final line before abandoning Roxanne on Metro Tower: “It’s Titan, not Hal!”)

Hal abuses his power, and society suffers as a result.  Even then, however, Hal/Titan still tries to lay claim to Roxanne.  He accuses Megamind of “stealing his girlfriend,” and later tells Roxanne: “Let me guess, after seeing how awesome I am, you’ve come to your senses.”  All the way to the end, Hal still can’t quite seem to accept that reality is not following his design.

If the idea of a man who lets power go to his head, objectifies women, won’t take “no” for an answer, and reacts violently when denied what he feels he’s owed sounds familiar, that’s because it is.  Humanity has a huge problem with these sorts of behaviors, ranging from sexism and sexual predation to unfeeling abuses of power.  The Sarah Everard case in London, and the fact that several officials essentially blamed the victim, asking why Sarah was walking home alone rather than asking why some guy felt he had the right to attack her, is the most recent well-known testament to this, but it’s sadly far from the only one.  A.J. White said it best in his YouTube video, The Terror of the Incel Superman, when he expressed that news archives are full of stories about women being murdered by the sort of overgrown boys who can’t accept their refusals.  And although men of that sort do not have the ability to fly or shoot lasers out of their eyes, some of them do rise to social and political power.  They are Hals. 

That is exactly what makes this character so especially scary.  Unlike more farcical supervillains, he is based upon something that truly exists.  Preternatural abilities aside, Hal is terrifying because he is very real.  Let’s just hope our world will see more Megaminds willing to stand up to them. #BeMegamindNotHal