CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS: Low-Brow Humour, High-Level Heart

In an ideal world, we would only send critics out to film’s specifically designed for their demographic: The Best Marigold Hotel 3  (not confirmed) coming up? Great, we’ll send a pensioner to see it. Fifty Shades sequel? Awesome, we’ve got our best woman on the way. Film about cars? A youthful male is racing you there. After all, we’re not allowed to experiment in this day and age, right?

If you haven’t picked it up yet, I speak only in jest. Cinema is gradually becoming an ever-expansive, all-encompassing entity, particularly over the past few years; it is no longer the case to slap a supposedly sci-fi ‘nerd-fest’ on screen and expect the room to be filled with sweaty teenage boys; the likes of the James Bond franchise are proof alone that films are opening up far wider than they ever have before – what would have been a sausage party back in the day is now a pretty even split between men and women attending the opening weekend of Daniel Craig’s Spectre.

We, as a society, are beginning to see identity as a social construct, with categories and conformity falling by the wayside, (theoretically) giving way to acceptance and the damn privilege to like whatever the hell you want. ‘Target audience’ is not what it used to be, with distributors and film-makers slowly but surely accepting the importance of attracting anyone and everyone to their latest tentpole offering, relying on a versatile mix of gender, age, ethnicity and identities to turn a moderate success into the blockbusting one they all desire.

But, despite my hopefully well-worded and insightful ramblings about the significance of diversifying your audience and acknowledging the importance of wide appeal, you can completely ignore it.

For Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie is conceptualised, written, produced, released and intended for kids yet to reach double-digits and, I’d argue based on the summer holiday screening I attended, those carrying both an X and a Y chromosome. Disney Pixar have proven that, with their world-renowned level of sophistication and well-curated balance, animation can appeal to both kids and adults, making it perfect family viewing; Underpants disregards that totally, plumping well and truly for its target audience with no consideration for anyone else along for the ride – well, at least on the surface.

And that, to some degree, is absolutely fine.

Laughs For The Kids

Sure, it makes reviewing it (and experiencing it) a little more difficult – but that’s what I’m here for. We cannot, after all, send a five year-old armed with a pen and paper to this superhero-comedy and except an insightful review (although, it is quite possible you won’t be getting one from me either). We sure tried hiring but no one took the bait so, as Film Inquiry‘s (probably) youngest and (certainly) most immature member, I took on the challenge of reviewing a film I was (again, probably) at least a decade too old to see.

To put it bluntly and to my surprise, Captain Underpants is a decent and well-made film. It will no doubt be enjoyed by those it is intended to be enjoyed by and the morning screening seemed abuzz with enjoyment and enthusiasm amongst the kids; meanwhile, everyone outside the target bracket will simply have to grin and bear it, should a young one be pestering you to indulge in this exercise of toilet humour and underwear-prancing –  but it’s light and fluffy enough to strap yourself in for the adventure anyway.

Its barrage of mildly-offensive, low-brow humour sends a chortle through the young audience and every so-often conjures a wry smile from whoever their ‘guardian’ happens to be. Rather unexpectedly thought, at times it catches you spinning back to your own childhood as the story weaves the world of friendship and happiness – a much simpler time that the film encourages you to look back on with fondness. In a fraught, dark and depressing time, Captain Underpants is bright and nostalgic enough to offer a brief reprieve.

Kevin Hart voices George while Thomas Middleditch is Harold, two fourth grade students who write and illustrate their own Captain Underpants comics. When their grumpy, mean-spirited principal (a game Ed Helms) is hypnotised, he becomes their panty-donning superhero, at the same time as an angry scientist, Professor Poopypants (Nick Kroll), attempts to rid the world of all laughter – and ultimately destroy Mr. Underpants. You understand the tone, right?

Incidental Nostalgia For The Adults

Our two charming vocalists inject George and Harold with an excitement and likability, sweeping you up in their adventures with a joy and endearing quality, powered by their wholesome friendship. As mentioned and almost accidentally, like a happy accident, the piece rests on nostalgia for the adults and causes you to reminiscence on bygone school days, no doubt side-by-side with your best friend. You will be assigning the various students, teachers and staff that populate the piece to distinct figures from your own school experiences. Melvin Sneedly (an unrecognisable Jordan Peele) will be a particularly joyous one to allocate…

Hart and Middleditch deliver two infectious performances, while Helms and Kroll are different sides of the same coin really, equally menacing and humorous. The piece is well-cast, even though it lacks with its female characters, and provides scope for future instalments, should a franchise organically develop as I could see it doing after this confident, well-received opening chapter.

Captain Underpants is a pretty gorgeous marvel too. Made on a comparatively tiny budget to your usual animation, The First Epic Movie provides slick animation with popping colours and a mix of style, including flash animation and a short cutout animation sequence; it keeps it exciting and varied, particularly when considering the nifty 89 minute runtime it operates within. Deeply rooted in the animation are some solid visual gags, where most of the success happens to lie, illustrated in a strong manner that makes it somewhat entertaining for all.

Nicholas Stoller’s screenplay may not play for adult laughs but the kids lap it up: from the farting choir to the continually referenced Poopypants, it well and truly understands its core demographic and ensures they are having the time of their lives. Despite doing very little for me, I can recognise a sharp screenplay when I see one and must acknowledge the self-assurance and confidence it employs to go about its kid-centric business.

In Conclusion: Captain Underpants

At its core, Captain Underpants is less about the titular hero and more about the lives and friendship of his creators, George and Harold, as they consider the challenges of growing up and retaining their bond. Even for someone unfamiliar with the source material, it feels like a nostalgic musing on childhood friendships and bonds, displaying its solid material through impressively varied animation. Itss lead performers inject the animation with charm and you cannot help be swept up in their escapades.

Unashamedly targeted entirely towards the under 11s, Captain Underpants makes no qualms about dialling its low-brow humour, and while everyone else must simply grin and bear it, maybe you’ll let out a chuckle or wry smile as they reflect fondly on their own childhood, as inspired by the adventures of George and Harold. There are much worse things kids could be watching. Like the news.

Surprisingly, and unlike a pair of the titular heroes y-fronts, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie never really rubs you up the wrong way. Let it be known that it is not made for you, with low-brow, literal toilet humour for the kids – but incidental food for thought elsewhere, conjuring an earnest, well-meaning and rather sturdily-made animation to enjoy over the summer holidays.

Did Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie bring back happy memories of your childhood?

Captain Underpants is out now in the UK and US and undergoing worldwide expansion. Full release dates are here.