Over the summer, DreamWorks did the whole super-villain-gone-good thing with "Despicable Me." Apparently, they didn't say everything that needed to be said. Now, we have "Megamind."

Of course, there are new developments here. First of all, instead of Steve Carell, we have frat-pack brother Will Ferrell to voice the title character. Also, the character of Megamind is slightly less of a looker than Gru -- which actually says a lot about his looks. Throw in a childhood nemesis named Metro Man (Brad Pitt) and a fishy minion named Minion (David Cross) for something slightly new -- as well as something to fuel the funnier parts of the movie. Finally, instead of the love of little children, Megamind's black heart melts via the love of a good woman (Tina Fey).

"Megamind" does borrow from a few superhero movies -- cartoon superhero movies, in particular. The "Despicable Me" thing really stands out, since the two films share a studio as well as a calendar year. The repetitive portions of the movie work, though, thanks to the vocal performances, as well as an alternate plotline. Yes, "Megamind" actually throws a mega-curve into the plot you were probably expecting. Instead, a good portion of the movie actually deals with how the average schlub would handle newly acquired superpowers. I don't want to spoil too much of that plot, but it does involve a very dorky, very creepy character named Tighten (Jonah Hill).

Despite good performances and an interesting twist, "Megamind" isn't exactly a mega-good-time. The film's kryptonite is actually its 96-minute runtime. That's not long and it's certainly not painful; "Megamind" just seems to have more than a few slow moments. There was plenty of room for a few extra jokes for the wee ones. It should have some for that set, because frankly, most of the fast talking and funnier moments will probably go over their heads. Don't expect the pretty colors and creepy fish creature to keep them out of the aisles.  

Speaking of which, the 3D certainly won't help your cause. When does it? The movie's 3D is more than acceptable, but also completely unnecessary. There isn't one moment in "Megamind" that benefits by 3D effects. If anything, there are a lot of scenes that fall flat, making the lack of special effects noticeable and annoying. Also, DreamWorks cartoons have spectacular color, but here, they are muted by the 3D. While some movies get a pass on that, "Megamind" does not -- because they just left out too many 3D goodies. The Superman-ish opening scene, in particular, lacks oomph, as far as the 3D is concerned.

Overall, the film does have depth and some of the flying scenes are cool. Even Metro Man's facial hair seems to stick out on occasion. The 3D is just sort of inconsistent and extremely unnecessary.

Viewers should certainly add "Megamind" to their "maybe" list. The movie has great style, solid performances, and is a giant blue head above most kiddie releases. That said, save yourself the added cost for the 3D; the technology actually manages to drain the movie's few superpowers.