2016 was quite the year for animated films. Nearly every feature that hit the big screens was a roaring success and this includes titles like “Zootopia,” “Kubo and the two strings.” “Sing,” “Moana” and even the adult comedy “Sausage Party.” Pixar, Dreamworks, and Disney have been collectively killing it in this field and it looks like 2017 will only look to take things even further in the genre. The latest offering by Dreamworks Animations is “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie,” and the new trailer looks quite hilarious.
Principal to Superhero, kind of!
“Captain Underpants” is a highly successful children’s book series penned and illustrated by Dav Pilkey. The story is now being adapted by Dreamworks Animations and is all set to become an animation series for the big screen. The first installment stars comedy stalwarts Kevin Hart and Ed Helms, along with other supporting cast members like Kristen Schaal, Thomas Middleditch, and Nick Kroll.
The plotline for the film is quite goofy and is technically the original story of Captain Underpants, the titular “superhero.” He isn’t born as a result of a horrifying accident or mutation but is simply created by two middle-school pranksters named George and Harold. The duo can’t seem to stay out of trouble and are constantly sent to their principal in order to be reprimanded.
On one such occasion, the boys accidently hypnotize their principal into believing that he is an awesome superhero called Captain Underpants (one of George and Harold’s favorite comic book characters).
Unfortunately for the boys, having their principal believe that he is a superhero is a lot less fun and a lot more work than they expected.
The principal or Captain Underpants truly believes in his identity now and is overly enthusiastic about saving the day and making a difference. The boys are afraid that their prank will be exposed quite dramatically, which is why they are forced to babysit Captain Underpants to make sure he stays out of trouble.
What to expect
Right off the bat, we can tell that the animation style used in the trailer is quite distinct in comparison to other Dreamworks films. This is because the animation is made to compliment the original illustrations made by the creator of the series – Dav Pilkey. The story is being adapted for the big screen by Nicholas Stroller and is being directed by David Soren, the man behind the animated film “Turbo.”
Kevin Hart and Ed Helms are no strangers to voicing animated characters, which is why they make a great choice for the leads of the film (that and the fact that they sound like man-babies). The film looks light, colorful and extremely PG-friendly in its comedy. We can expect this to be another solid Dreamworks film that hits the mark for parents and children alike. The film will be out on June 2, 2017, but here is the first trailer until then.
