Characters fall flat in 3-D 'Megamind'

The creation of an animated feature consumes so many years and so much money that one really hopes the makers of "Megamind" have embraced the moral of their own movie: Struggle isn't always a means to an end; it could very well be the end itself.

That would be weak consolation, of course, but apt, given the existential quandary at the heart of this wildly ambitious, supremely unfunny movie directed by Tom McGrath ("Madagascar") and written by newcomers Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons. Very early on, the movie's titular, bulb-headed, Smurf-blue alien (Will Ferrell) succeeds in orchestrating what has evidently become a routine emergency for Metro City: He once again kidnaps TV reporter Roxanne Ritchi (Tina Fey), who couldn't be less impressed; once again puts the city on high alert, and once again lures his lifelong antagonist Metro Man (Brad Pitt) into a life-and-death situation. Except, this time, Megamind wins. Metro Man is defeated. Gone. The city is on its knees. Megamind rules. But he doesn't quite know what to do.

Before long, he's bored. And he isn't alone.

One of the marvelous things about animated features - generally speaking - is that there are no constraints, no human-size limitations; virtually anything that can be imagined can be done, and, thus, everything is a choice. The verdict on "Megamind"? Bad choices - not about plot lines as much as characters, none of whom give the audience anything to grab ahold of. Megamind is conflicted, yes, but there's not enough in the dialogue to give him depth and thus make him embraceable. Roxanne should be the soul of the movie, and while she's not quite shrewish, Fey's delivery is chilly, and she has nothing funny to say. Hal - Roxanne's worshipful, nerdy cameraman, whom Megamind accidentally turns into a new Metro Man, sort of - has the double handicap of sounding like Jonah Hill and looking like the character actor Nate Torrence ("She's Out of My League"). The resemblance is such that Torrence should be getting royalties.

The animation in "Megamind" is strong, if a bit busy, with lots of stuff flying off the screen. But don't worry: Very little of it will hit you, and certainly not in the funny bone.

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