REVIEW: CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS: THE FIRST EPIC MOVIE

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

It’s ironic that a Dreamworks animation film aimed at young kids is probably the funniest comedy this year, but it’s not surprising, given the diminishing returns offered with ‘comedies’ this year such as The House, Baywatch, Rough Night and Snatched.

Harold (Thomas Middleditch) and George (Kevin Hart) are best friends. They draw their own comic, which they’ve entitled Captain Underpants. In very Bart Simpson-esque fashion, they endlessly torment their overly aggressive Principal, Mr. Krupp (Ed Helms). Threatened with being separated into different classes, Harold and George inadvertently hypnotise Principal Krupp with a cheap plastic toy ‘hypno-ring’, inexplicably forcing him to believe he’s their fictional comic creation Captain Underpants (also Ed Helms). Soon after, a German accented science teacher with a bent towards villainy and world domination (voiced by comedian Nick Kroll) starts his tenure at the school, his name? Professor Poopypants.

Ok – you can pretty much tell what you’re in for. The film, as enjoyably silly as it is, is positively nuts. Its free-wheeling and anarchic vibe perfectly captures the books. If you find fart jokes, poo jokes and vomit jokes giggle-worthy, then this is a very funny and wonderfully puerile ride.