Tra la laaa! These are the great words of the phenomenal Captain Underpants, the titular character of the very successful children’s books by Dav Pilkey. The story is about two friends George and Harold who hypnotize their principal into believing that he is a superhero from their self-created comic books. They all then go on wild adventures together trying to supervise their hypnotized principal and saving the day from outlandish threats.
With titles like Attack of the Talking Toilets, the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants, and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space (and the Subsequent Assault of the Equally Evil Lunchroom Zombie Nerds) it’s easy to see how crazy the story becomes. This series is a large and unique staple in children’s literature. The humor is witty and even utilizes meta jokes. One of the most prevalent jokes is when a chapter ends on a cliffhanger, it is then is answered with the title of the following chapter. So, now that Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie is in the midsts we have to wonder if it will measure up.
The trailer opens with an introduction by Kevin Hart and Ed Helms, who provide the voices for George and Harold respectively, before hitting un in the face with a blast of bright colors and sound. Admittedly, this statement should not be taken as a complete criticism because the series has always been extreme and crazy. The difference is that while the series has always escalated to silly levels, the setting took place somewhat realistically. The film appears to jump right into the craziness showing the security door and the hypno ring. The few jokes punctuated throughout the trailer work rather well, and the art design is perfect and looks exactly like the drawings that made Dav Pilkey so popular. The last element to note is that the film seems frantic and manic like so many animated movies now. There are many fans who are probably wondering if the movie will capture the surprisingly subtle humor of the books, but there already seems to be a couple jokes scattered throughout the trailer that showcase Pilkey’s wit.
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie is produced by Dreamworks, directed by David Soren and stars Kevin Hart, Thomas Middleditch, and Ed Helms. It will be released by 20th Century Fox on June 2, 2017.
