Parents' Guide to Megamind vs. The Doom Syndicate

It's fun to see the return of this beloved animated character, both in this film and the companion series released at the same time. Even without the all-star cast of the 2010 original, Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate offers good-natured, fast-paced, kid-friendly entertainment that squeezes in enough positive messages to give the mindless action some purpose. Characters new and old are endearing: Megamind's inherent goodness, his "complicated" relationship with Roxanne, tween influencer Keiko, over-achieving buddy Chum, and the slightly ridiculous gang of villains.

The film, from the same writing team as the original, peppers in some goofy lines and concepts, like Lord Nighty-Knight's un-scary new name and his soft spot for teddy bears, and flipped expressions like the "bad old days" and "darkness fades to light." This time around, Megamind needs to learn lessons about teamwork and valuing one's friends, while Keiko's character gives a speech about only needing to live up to her own expectations. She also delivers what must be the film's cringiest, clichéd line: "My generation was born tech-savvy." Likewise, female characters woman-splaining concepts to their male counterparts is not an especially subtle theme. The ideas are perhaps more obvious than in the original, which might also make them a tad less interesting for older audiences, but Megamind's heart remains in the right place.