Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017) Review

There’s clearly a lot of love for the source material in DreamWorks’ adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s “Captain Underpants” children’s book series. Bright, breezy and unashamedly childish, it’s potty humour fashioned into fantastic family entertainment.

George Beard and Harold Hutchins are a pair of imaginative elementary school best friends who like nothing better than pulling pranks and creating comic books about the amazing Captain Underpants but when their mean-spirited principal, Mr Krupp decides to split them into different classes, the boys accidentally hypnotise him into thinking he is Captain Underpants. As the boys struggle to keep Captain Underpants under control, the new science teacher, Professor P, has plans to eliminate fun altogether.

The animation design is fantastic, the deceptively simple characters absolutely brimming with life against backdrops crammed with detail. The voice performances are terrific, especially Ed Helms’ Mr Krupp/ Captain Underpants and it’s the Captain himself who nearly steals the show. The film isn’t afraid to get pretty weird either, and the jokes come thick and fast, catering to every member of the family. There’s more than enough to keep parents happy in “Captain Underpants” but it saves its best material for its target audience, kids (of all ages). Farts have rarely been funnier and it’s more than willing to plumb the depths of toilet humour in search of fun. Both Mertmas and his little sister haven’t stopped talking about it since we saw it for the first time (I’m pretty sure there’ll be a second and third before it leaves cinemas) and even the soundtrack has made it into the drive time playlist.

This is classily silly, wonderfully whacky family entertainment and in a summer plagued with so-so cartoon sequels and animated abominations, it’s your best bet for holiday fun.

8/10