SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN

THE DESIGN SCHOOL

FOUNDATION IN NATURAL BUILD ENVIRONMENT

NAME: PHUA JING SERN

STUDENT ID NO: 0314572

FILMS SELECTED: MEGAMIND AND DESPICABLE ME

WORD COUNT: 604

ENGLISH 2 (ENGL 0205)

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 1: COMPARE – CONTRAST ESSAY

LECTURER: CASSANDRA WIJESURIA

SUBMISSION DATE: 5TH DECEMBER 2013

Admit it, most of us have watch at least a few animated movies from time to time,

and we always stereotype that most protagonist are always the good looking hero

and the antagonist are the ugly and ruthless villain. But how often do you see the

plot twist of how the ugly, ruthless bad guy turns out to be the ugly good guy after

all? Well now I am about to compare the similarities of two of my favorite animated

feature films ‘Despicable Me’ and ‘Megamind’, both productions from DreamWorks

Studio.

To start off, both of the main protagonists are not actually the good, heroic guys.

Gru, from the movie ‘Despicable Me’ and Megamind, from the movie ‘Megamind’ are

ruthless super villains. As both of them don’t really possess supernatural powers,

they have a huge laboratory, with a collection of cool looking weapons that creates

outrageous chaos to the public. But why are we paying attention to the bad guys?

Why are they the main protagonists? Well the next few points might clear some

thoughts out.

Though initially, both Gru and Megamind intentionally create chaos for power and

status pride. But as we go through the storyboard deeper, both of them turned over a

new leaf for the sake of their love ones. Initially Gru adopted 3 orphan girls for his

own advantage: To use the girls as a bypass to his arch-enemy lair. But later a bond

is created between them as time goes by. As for Megamind, after he ‘killed’ off the

hero, he disguises himself as another man, hoping to live a normal life with a woman

he fell in love called Roxanne.

But what is the main reason that they change? Well both of the movies shared the

same reason: Their love ones are kidnapped by their own arch enemy. In the movie

Despicable Me, Victor, Gru’s arch enemy, kidnapped his children as a ransom. As

anger flow through his body, Gru uses his own evil machines and weapons to rescue

them. Megamind also share a similar story, Megamind’s enemy, Titan, kidnapped

Roxxane and threatens to kill her if he doesn’t show up and save her. Using

Megamind on evil creations, he presents himself and fight with him in a heroic

presentation.

And of course, a villain is not a super villain without their trusted companions.

Despicable Me has his own mad scientist named Dr. Nefario that works in a huge

laboratory and helps Gru to create deadly, and sometimes weird weapons, like the

fart gun. Gru also has a large number of cute yellow little minions that also aids Gru

both in the laboratory and also in battle. Megamind has his own companion as well,

also named Minion, a talking fish in a robotic body that aids him in battle as well. As

for the happy ending, Gru reunited with his girls after sending Victor off to the Moon

and live up as a great father; and as for Megamind, after saving the city from Titan,

the Mayor gave him the status ‘Hero’, and he gets his woman in the end.

To wrap things up, I believe that sometimes the bad guys deserve to have their own

spotlight, to be loved by the general public. Two of the movies do give out positive

moral lesson: We shouldn’t judge people by their looks, as people may change for

the better for their love ones. Our modern society should learn from this and be less

judgmental in our daily lives. Though one might look evil and do evil things, that

status shouldn’t stick on them throughout the rest of his/her life.