Captain Underpants - The Super Great First Movie

Georg and Harold are the very best of friends. Not only do the boys draw comics together in their tree house, but they also take every opportunity to pull pranks on their school - much to the displeasure of the nasty principal, Mr. Krupp. When he finally has enough evidence to prove the friends are pulling pranks, they are threatened with separate classrooms - the beginning of the end of any childhood friendship. This can't be allowed to be a thing. In desperation, Georg and Harold even try to hypnotize Mr. Krupp and turn him into their invented superhero Captain Underpants. And indeed, this crazy plan succeeds. But the boys have not reckoned with the consequences. Things get really dicey, though, when mad scientist Professor Poopypants shows up and it takes a real superhero to stop him.

Captain Underpants - The Super First Movie is a quirky animated adventure based on the popular book series by bestselling author and illustrator Dav Pilkey. Director David Soren (Turbo) and his team have staged a film that seems like one long homage to toddler toilet humor. Pee pee, poop, fart and poop - also yes, how funny are those terms. And one is almost inclined to give the animated comedy a wide berth for that alone. But actually the whole thing is much more amusing and he humor a bit more subversive than that seems to be at first glance.

Just the first half can with quirky ideas, amusingly edited sequences and playful animation over the somewhat shallow jokes consoled. Seeing Georg and Harold desperately trying not to get transferred to different classes is very hilariously realized. Especially when the idea of how this might affect their friendship comes across as over the top, it makes for some really good laughs. Also the first clumsy appearances of Captain Underpants are pure good-humor cinema and score with an almost anarchic implementation.

When Professor Poopypants appears, however, the entertainment value decreases significantly. The humor now becomes increasingly infantile and the production lacks the charming whimsicality that made the beginning so worth watching. And at some point, especially the character of Captain Underpants tugs at the nerves. Nevertheless: Even if there are some weaknesses and some gags come across as childish, Captain Underpants - The Super First Movie is still a lot of fun. Georg and Harold are two lovable bullies, who are fun to watch while they are fooling around. And despite all the overacting, the genuine friendship between kids is beautifully portrayed here. It may not be super cool, as the title promises. But the film is definitely worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp