MEGAMIND and Nice Guy™ Syndrome

What is the difference between niceness and goodness? Megamind is all about one guy who doesn't understand the difference, and another who learns the difference.
Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright talk about Nice Guy Syndrome, especially as seen in the character of Hal/Tighten (Jonah Hill) and how he thinks he deserves or can earn Roxanne's affection. But also how Megamind (Will Ferrell) learns what it really means to be good, how Roxanne (Tina Fey) and Metro Man (Brad Pitt) go against stereotypes, and the absolutely fabulous humor in this movie. They also give some advice for recovering "Nice Guys" or guys who realize they've maybe internalized some of these ideas, especially around romantic relationships, and want to actually be good instead of just "nice."
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Written by: Megan Seawright, Jonathan Decker and Alan Seawright
Produced by: Jonathan Decker, Megan Seawright, Alan Seawright, and Sophie Tellez
Edited by: David Sant
Director of Photography: Bradley Olsen
English Transcription by: Anna Preis
Spanish Translation by: Juan Willems

[@CinemaTherapyShow]

Start building your ideal daily routine ! The first 500 people who click on the link will get 25% OFF Fabulous Premium: thefab.co/cinematherapy

[@jocabedrivera7756]

Speaking as part of the asexual and aromantic family, you are both pretty.

[@antidotebrain69]

Could you do unrealistic crime movies such as the Hannibal Lector character or shows like criminal minds?

[@OblivionSunshine]

Hi guys. I have a suggestion film for you guys to look at. The movie is call 'Till Death'.

[@G.F.SF55]

Now here's a roast for you, Alan looks like a tomato that fell on the ground before it could ripen and grew fungui on top, while John overall is shaped like a potato Of course all of this is greatly over-exaggerated, your hair actually looks good on both of you, and your overall likeableness *immensely* overwrites your mediocre looks (ha! Got you!)

[@micaelajuarez2523]

Thanks so much for doing this movie! It's a family favorite ❤️

[@argon7624]

"I do not want to live in a world where we have 3 despicable me's... and only one megamind" And in the corner of a room, nestled deep in a drawer, tucked away in a dusty box, a single finger on a monkey's paw curled.

[@kermitgotthesickkicks4265]

Should've stayed that way.

[@fruitymoony39]

STOP I LOVE THIS COMMENT THE MONKEY PAW THING IS SO REAL

[@craven_the_crow]

I really hope that pee-cock throws that movie away and actually restarts with a decent one

[@allmight5133]

They're making another megamind it's gonna release hopefully this year

[@argon7624]

@@allmight5133 yea and it looks like shit

[@rainbowwigglecactus6605]

I love how she isn't scared when Megamind kidnaps her, not just because he's predictable but because she knows he won't actually hurt her. He just uses her to fight Metroman. But with Hal she's horrified because she knows he could and would actually hurt her

[@nixpardus3575]

she knows that all the threats megamide thows at her are just toys really. she also knows hes a complete fuckin dork

[@henrynegro8397]

Well mega mind isn't really a bad guy, whereas Hal was always low key a creep even when he wasn't full of powers.

[@Stardust_7273]

And he does. He literally tries to kill her a couple times before Megamind takes his powers.

[@ShatteredQvartz]

If you think about it, the relationship between Megamind, Metroman and Roxane is some kind of weird friendship

[@Stardust_7273]

@@ShatteredQvartz Definitely. I think Metroman was selfish when Hal got powers and was threatening the entire city, killing people, and taking everyone hostage, and Metroman had the power to stop him but literally decided to just do nothing.

[@nonyabeeznuss304]

Megamind is a story about facades. Megamind created his evil persona as a way to push people away to hide how vulnerable he really is, whereas Hal created his nice guy persona to camouflage how despicable he is in an attempt to lure people closer.

[@Musiclover-tm5es]

This comment doesn't get enough attention! It is so good, because it is so true!!!

[@alexanderdixson9956]

I just want to say that you are very wise for quoting this out, and I commend you for your wisdom, this happens a lot in real life, hal was basically like Loki, deceiving everyone, and Megamind shows how people can choose to be better and open up so that they no longer feel pain and hurt alone

[@solidskullz5736]

And then you have Metroman who felt empty and unsatisfied with all his fame from being a hero so he acted all confident and bombastic

[@foxymetroid]

I think his "evil" persona comes from a combination of being adopted by literal criminals as well as society as a whole not really giving him any other real options. Seriously, who would hire him when everyone's already a little scared of him? "Evil" was just him filling the only available niche and he doesn't leave it until the end, when society "allowed" him to. As for Hal, I don't think it's a "facade". I think he truly believes he's a "nice guy" and is simply doing what he believes "nice guys" are supposed to do. As soon as he gets powers, he uses them to try to get what he believes he's "owed" for being "nice".

[@foxymetroid]

​@@solidskullz5736I don't think that was an act. All his life, he was told how awesome he was, so he really believed it. He likely quit because: 1. He desired a challenge. Fighting Megamind wasn't a challenge. For his sanity, he needed something his powers wouldn't just make easy. That's why he chose music. Super speed and flight wouldn't make the guitar any easier. 2. He knew Megamind wasn't a real threat to the citizen. 3. Megamind wasn't interested in being evil. Megamind was only interested in having a purpose. Once Metroman left, he knew Megamind would eventually take his place as Metro City's guardian. After all, the only part of super villainy that Megamind truly liked was the rivalry aspect.

[@tjhooker824]

That line “she will never find out. That’s the point of lying.” Always cracks me up

[@D_YellowMadness]

That's what the point of the mask is.

[@NfromMurderDrones323]

@@D_YellowMadnessI like that song

[@finnpeterson4335]

@@NfromMurderDrones323 Consider therapy

[@NfromMurderDrones323]

@@finnpeterson4335 It isn’t the first time someone has told me that

[@crumblemuffin1257]

One thing that made me fall in love with megamind it's how they dodge the "Oh you saved me and now I'm in love with you" superhero cliche and I'm so glad

[@trinaq]

Indeed, Roxanne and Megamind actually got to know each other properly, as equals, and not because he saved her.

[@TKZells16]

Plus Metro man saved her all the time and she just didn’t like him that way

[@_Gullible_]

100%

[@CroobieLetter]

Not only did they dodge it, they poked fun at it!

[@MeleeStormbringer]

@@trinaq exactly. By the end of the film, Roxie has realized that Bernard is who Megamind really is, and she came to know and care for him on that level. Once he was able to escape the trappings of trying to be the villain, he was free to be himself

[@ztslovebird]

I think it’s important to note that Megamind didn’t assume Bernard’s identity to get with Roxanne - he just didn’t want to be caught mourning Metroman in his fluffy jammies. And I think he continued to hang out with her because he never really had a friend outside of Minion and . . . whatever Metroman was to him. Falling in love was a complete accident.

[@corrat4866]

His bro, Metroman was his bro.

[@arthurlam751]

The whole accidentally in love reminds me of Shrek.

[@marctaco2624]

They were just two pals trying to one-up each other. Only friends enter a battle with robot sheep.

[@TheDarkroomDude]

In fairness he did keep up the lie for the purpose of hanging out with, and then dating her

[@AuntieL_ATL]

And he made Bernard a better person than he actually was!

[@Rubatose]

The interesting part to me is how Roxanne was always so kind to Hal despite his awkwardness and his selfishness. She was never dismissive or rude to him. Even in that tower scene where she's trying to explain to him what's going on, she never once raises her voice or gets impatient with him, it's him who gets worked up with her. And that's such a perfect depiction of real life. You can be so kind, and so polite, and it doesn't matter, because if someone has decided you owe them something, they're going to be angry at you just for existing if they don't get it.

[@patrickripleyiii134]

Yeah Hal just wanted her to magically be in love with him, he didn't want to put any actual work in, they maybe could have been a couple, Roxanne wasn't a shallow person who was just in love with the superman. Hal just sucked as a person

[@iceburgess461]

Why would she raise her voice at him when he can kill her in 2 seconds? That doesn't make sense

[@iceburgess461]

​@@patrickripleyiii134Roxanne was shallow. She liked that one guy with the glasses who was way better looking than Titan

[@gamingrat842]

@@iceburgess461 1. Women tend to like better looking guys 2. Megamind also improved as a person and showed himself to be good. You’ve missed the whole point of the movie and this video.

[@trexasaurus5322]

@@iceburgess461if she was shallow she’d go for metro man. Nobody owes you anything in life, and Hal was always a weirdo who was never properly socialized. It sounds like you need to do some reflecting and personal growth if you think Hal wasn’t in the wrong

[@SoaringDragon562]

“I do not want to live in a world where… we have only one Megamind.” Be careful what you wish for!

[@jskywalker58]

if there's anything the sequel thought us its that sometimes less is more

[@The_Artist_Official]

*time warp trio opening*

[@glasshorse6893]

button of doom is the real sequel and you cant convince me otherwise. least it feels mostly in character and doesnt add a dozen characters that werent established previously

[@scottlang-lee10188]

​@@glasshorse6893I don't like barbeques

[@mastermoye3915]

​@@The_Artist_OfficialNOSTALGIA OVERLOAD!!

[@Shiny_Sandshrew]

"Chicks don't like bouncy houses! They like clowns!" Hal, if girls like clowns, why don't they like you then?

[@driftingdruid]

oooooooo buuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrn

[@lonelypancake5979]

Holy shit bro

[@curiouscat7448]

Emotional damage

[@Pokemon_fan11]

“Hello 911? I would like to report a murder!”

[@Wally_Darling1960]

Oh fuck! Does anyone remember first aid from health class???

[@Dark-Avennger]

“Chicks don’t like bouncy houses they like clowns” If that were true Hal then she would of already been with you by now.

[@libertyprime2013]

Burrn

[@JulianAlvarado2006]

Owned XD

[@carlosfuentes9307]

God damn i read this and immediately went "oof"

[@j2das9684]

Oooo sick burn

[@aceofspades5109]

Gonna need some ice for that burn

[@roguejester4986]

Tighten:" This is the last time you make a fool out of me." Megamind:" I made you a hero. You did the fool thing all by yourself. " I just love that bit.

[@jt3948]

Titan*

[@jt3948]

Titan*

[@roguejester4986]

@@jt3948 I know, it was to reference Hal's spelling and his confusion of the two words.

[@jt3948]

@@roguejester4986 ooooooooohhhhhh, that makes more sense

[@jt3948]

ooooooooohhhhhh, that makes more sense

[@TheRogueCommand]

Little detail I love: when Roxanne learns the truth about Megamind, the rain rehydrates all the garbage he and Minion had "cleaned up" earlier. It's a great visual gag, but also I think it's a strong metaphor for Megamind's actions: he was trying to turn his life around for the better, but he was just covering up the problem vs fixing it.

[@GamingwolfZJ]

“There is no Easter Bunny, there is no Tooth Fairy, and there is no Queen of England.” Ah yes, the line that aged the best in this movie

[@Sov_spoiled]

GOD SAVE THE QUE-

[@jacobsheehan5775]

Oof

[@simoneyoung825]

😭😭

[@chrismatthews2040]

It was always correct, there hasn't been a Queen of England since 1714; as the Kingdom of England ceased to exist (upon merging with the Kingdom of Scotland) and was replaced by the Kingdom of Great Britain.

[@fos1451]

@@chrismatthews2040🤓

[@cheezemonkeyeater]

Don't look at it as you're disappointed we didn't get more Megamind. Look at it as you don't live in the timeline where Megamind was ruined by tons of terrible sequels. Please stop commenting "This aged poorly." I know. another 50 people telling me won't make me know it any more than I already do.

[@birbwho]

although... there's a new show in production rn 👀

[@graceholbert2126]

@@birbwho Say it ain't so

[@deadguy775]

I hate the accuracy

[@geeworm]

*glances at ice age* megamind only having one movie is probably for the better

[@dokidokieienni1622]

True. But to be fair, this is Dreamworks. The ones responsible for Shrek 2, Kung Fu Panda 2, and How to Train Your Dragon 2. Not a guarantee, but the chances are good, I'd say.

[@squatmaster1405]

You fools, you spoke megamind 2 into existence. Look at what you've done.

[@marieporter9488]

I think it was in Nuxanor's reaction to why Megamind is a masterpiece where someone commented that Hal, as a former camera man, made Megamind 2 as revenge after he was out on parole

[@jarrish2040]

It’s worth mentioning that it is left up to interpretation as to whether or not Megamind and Roxanne end up together. It’s implied, sure, but they also don’t outright say it. After Roxanne finds out that Megamind is disguising himself as Bernard, they don’t do anything romantic again. Sure, they hug, but hugs can absolutely be platonic and between two friends. They could’ve had them kiss at the ending ceremony, or after Megamind defeats Tighten, but they don’t. Sort of interesting to consider.

[@shawn576]

It might not be the important part. What matters is she sees him as a good person, and he knows that. He is being accepted as the person he wants to be.

[@AD-dg3zz]

Wait, but Roxanne *did* kiss him right before the credits began rolling.

[@bowen3963]

​@@AD-dg3zzyeah wtf

[@bowen3963]

Um... They do kiss...?

[@catscanhavelittleasalami]

That's just not true lmao

[@shorty.shorty.mcjordie]

Fun fact: When hal said “Whats wrong with me?” His original line was “Whats wrong with HER?” Making him even more creepy and even more of a “nice guy”

[@Ramsey276one]

Oh GOD!

[@Kjf365]

As creepy as that would be, that would be a little too on the nose too quickly. Early movie Hal is supposed to be a kinda cute dork with a crush who seems like he'd make a good super hero once he gets hit with the power thing. Which leads into the nice vs kind thing this video talks about so much.

[@strange4107]

Your name is pronounced "cooehttæg eEelf

[@loturzelrestaurant]

I genuinly think knowing those Terms and Tropes, like Karen, Nice-Guy and Neckbeard, helps Society overcome Stuff. So excuse me if i mention that Many, including but not limited to 'THe Take' and 'HUSH' and 'Pop Culture Detective' have covered them and more. Also Hbomberguy, though he didnt use the Terms per se.

[@ARandomEliatrope]

@@strange4107 lmfaoo

[@blacksun3884]

My uncle once summed up the entire argument thusly: Good people will never have to say they are good people. Their actions will say it for them.

[@fangchick93]

True. When people say "you're such a kind person, or you're so nice" to me, I'm always surprised. I mean I try to treat people the way I want to be treated, but I don't go babbling about being nice, it just kind of happens, I guess

[@TimedRevolver]

That applies to most things, really. If you go around constantly saying you're a certain type of person, you probably aren't.

[@joepapa1189]

@@TimedRevolver and vice versa if your saying you aren’t things like I’m not racist or something. You don’t need to say it if you aren’t that thing you existing is proving that your not that thing or that you are that thing

[@themangoman9315]

@@fangchick93 same

[@neoqwerty]

@@TimedRevolver Corollary to that; if you WORRY that you're a certain type of person, you probably aren't, either.

[@JHellraiser]

In regards to the end with Roxanne, we don't know how long it took for the city to be rebuilt, plus have a statue made of Megamind. For all we know, the workup to them actually becoming a couple could have happened off screen over several months.

[@yourcollegedebt8384]

It's not canon, but the sequel said it was two days. I don't care what people say, the sequel and series are not canon.

[@indecision3835]

@@yourcollegedebt8384 Megamind and the Button of doom is the true Megamind franchise Ending for me

[@MichealRealman]

Definitely not long enough for the characters to recover from whatever head injury caused them to be miraculous characters

[@shame2189]

"I do not want to live in a world where we have only one _megammind"_ THE PAINNNN

[@Andyisgodcky]

Notice when Titan is throwing her around while he's "rescuing" her she's actually screaming, and not once while Megamind is 'threatening' her to draw out Metroman.

[@SCP01986]

That and Roxanne is never actually in danger with Megamind nor feels to be in danger. With Titan... yeah, she feels very, VERY unsafe. :(

[@dollpickle]

lmao roxanne always knows when megamind is just bullshitting

[@dragonstooth4223]

this is probably why she can forgive him at the end. after going through what she did with hal/titan she realizes that Megamind is actually not that bad deep down. Even when Hal was just a camera guy you can tell she felt, at the very least, uncomfortable around him. When he became titan she then really felt unsafe. When she compares that with megamind she realizes that she can trust him. I dunno thinking about this too much lol

[@Jane-oz7pp]

@@dragonstooth4223 I actually disagree. I'm certain that she *always* knew he wasn't actually that bad of a guy, just kinda a criminal. She was never afraid of him, because she always knew that he didn't like hurting people, so he wouldn't hurt her. She didn't like him at that point because he chose to be a pariah and to wallow in misery. I think she was able to forgive his lie more because she knew that he had always been wearing somebody elses face. More because of a long time understanding of who he was than because of anything to do with Hal. It needed maybe another ten minutes or so to flesh out the process of her moving on from his lie and him earning her trust, but everything they needed for that moment was in it from the very first moment they met, long before the events of the movie, it was already part of their characters and their chemistry.

[@superfanmusicmaker]

Hal was clearly trying to replicate the iconic romantic flight scene from Richard Donner’s Superman movie. But while Clark was always considerate of Lois and absolutely assured that she wouldn’t be in any danger, Hal pretty much abducts Roxanne with no consent or warning, and takes her on a joyride where she’s clearly fucking terrified.

[@404name_not_found6]

There’s something that I always thought was interesting with this movie. When Roxanne is with Megamind in the beginning, when she was “in danger” and waiting for Metroman to save her, she wasn’t scared in the slightest. However, when she was with Hal, she was genuinely terrified of what he would do. It just goes to show how the “Nice Guy” Syndrome is a real problem for anyone.

[@stephwong6422]

I saw that scene with megamind and roxanne as she wasn't afraid because she's been kidnapped by him many times and she knew that metroman would beat him and that megamind was a predictable idiot who is most likely reusing some of his past traps. Hal however was someone/something "new". something that she knew megamind had been working on but not titan's purpose she didn't know if he was good or bad but since megamind was working on him he was probably bad. also his actions seemed unpredictable (one moment flowers the next highway dropping) she only found out when she was on the tower that he was hal.

[@CP-gk4ri]

@@stephwong6422 Yes, but she is also scared/frightened when he asks her out to his appartment as Hal at the beginning, she politely says no multiple times while being uncomfortable when in contrast the "kidnapping" scene is played out jokingly without stakes.

[@bestdadoftheyear7181]

I mean it gets really bland if you get kidnapped by the same guy to the same place,with the same tricks for a LOT of times,on the other hand,Hal is a total stranger to her,so she doesn't know what hal might do or what Hal WOULD do if he gets pissed,plus he's being creepy af

[@MossyCat0101]

@@stephwong6422 She knew he was... unstable. Mentally unstable, hothead, now supported with phisical power

[@chiarardn2401]

That's because Hal was sexually harassing her (both as Hal and as Tighten) while Megamind was not. It's kind of a huge difference.

[@MLaak86]

Megamind and Roxanne always seem to have a truly organic connection - there's a definite degree of flirting between them in the initial scene, even if it's subconscious on Megamind's part (he wants her to think he's cool; fretting over his appearance and hoping she'll take him seriously as a threat vs comic relief) that Roxanne does play into somewhat (showing she's not genuinely afraid of him and arguably enjoys, if subconsciously, the attention he pays to her) then when he takes on the Bernard disguise he's actually able to be himself and they effortlessly connect and fall in love. Hal on the other hand doesn't have any chemistry with Roxanne, doesn't know or care for what she likes or thinks, and just sees her as a prize/object of desire/a thing to feed his sense of self.

[@emily_nelson]

Totally agree--the relationship between Roxanne and Bernard doesn't come out of nowhere. He was always a little taken with her and she, at the very least, seems to have always trusted and been amused by him.

[@shinygems739]

30:47 Really cool tiny detail, when he bursts out and the droids are falling all around him, you can see the moment when they recover and regroup. Such a tiny thing but man this movie was made with love

[@nadineyoussef-hatch7903]

The whole scene where he drops her multiple times so that he can "rescue" her is such a horribly amazing abusive behavior. Gives me a stomach ache every time.

[@gusmc2220]

Not only mentally but physically, he would have ripped her to pieces. I despise when hero movies show people falling being instantly stopped when caught. The G forces would be astronomical! If anything the hero would be making it worse by adding in a second velocity perpendicular to the first! Bye bye spine lol

[@Someonecalledeli]

@@gusmc2220 Didn't they acknowledge that in a Spiderman movie plotline or something? I forgot,

[@gusmc2220]

@FarsideEli1313 do they? Cool. And about time. There's so many Spider-Man movies anymore I haven't watched them all lol

[@Someonecalledeli]

@@gusmc2220 I think Gwen Stacy died? Again, lots of spiderman movies, just like you said.

[@daustin8888]

​@@gusmc2220You would like the show The Boys

[@ezerstudio9195]

I feel like there’s this extra layer of “you could have had nice me but you wouldn’t give me what I wanted so now you get abusive me and that’s on you”

[@scorne414]

That’s it right there. Where the whole Mr. Nice Guy thing came from. It’s an act with no genuine follow through.

[@Vinemaple]

And that's a big reason of why Hal remains creepy even in such a silly movie. He isn't *just* a Nice Guy (TM), he's also genuinely abusive.

[@mikaelgrande6968]

His true colors are hidden with the justification he of him being “nice” and that the whole world hasn’t seen how great he is yet. Also a type of male entitlement which is just appalling, but I do think that it is something most men go through and learn in life.

[@Doctor_Straing_Strange]

Self-justifying mechanisms all the way, no one wants to be the bad guy so they find someone else to blame, they take their frustrations about themselves and weaponize them against others

[@Doctor_Straing_Strange]

@@Gamfluent yep, she falls in love with the personality and sensitivity of a random guy. She's sweet and appreciates good qualities in a romantic partner

[@plaidhatter1674]

26:30 In a game ive played, NSR, one of the characters literally says to their ex "You don't need anyone else to complete you, because you complete yourself." It really is a powerful line.

[@soldier9618]

Zuke to eve, eh?

[@S1ncerelyMe]

Absolutely love that game !!

[@filmaru8556]

Hello from the future. Megamind 2 is coming out and people are worried

[@SpaceMonkeyBoi]

Hal being shocked that she doesn't immediately love him after he gets superpowers is a good representation of how niceguys assume that getting money will make a girl immediately fall in love with them

[@daffodilsanddogwoods9695]

Yes, or getting a new cool car or getting ripped.

[@isapheonix]

Ugh there's a whole genre of fake vids based on exactly this premise. The "thot" isnt interested... until she sees his car.... DUN DUN DUN

[@RozWBrazel]

Like women are vending machines lmao if you put in enough $$, then s3x and (romantic) love tokens will come out

[@maximsavage]

@@isapheonix Well, I mean... People like that exist. You don't really want them in your life, because they're not there for you, they're there for what you provide, but they exist. One mistake a lot of "Nice Guys" make is believing that ALL women are like that.

[@nemumami]

@@RozWBrazel Snap out of it man. That is the same for a lot of people but you can’t buy everyone out, that’s just how it is.

[@veronikamajerova4564]

I like the theory that MetroMan chose to be a Music Man because music is something his powers can´t help him with. He has to learn how to play instruments on his own, just like any other human, and that challenge for him is refreshing.

[@libby9047]

interesting that they brought up the good place as well, because michael an immortal being ends up taking guitar lessons after trying to master it for like 300 eternities

[@matheussanthiago9685]

that and the striking resemblance with elvis

[@pisaschitt787]

That's literally what Metroman is talking about. He says he's good at everything except music but society forces him to be a superhero so he cant have a choice yet

[@AustynSN]

Which is essentially one of the reasons given for Clark Kent becoming a writer.

[@lunerblade13]

He also always had a passion for showmanship and spectacle.

[@summersimpson2632]

I CHANGED MY MIND I WANT THE 1 MEGAMIND TIMELINE AGAIN

[@MichealRealman]

It is too late it can’t be undone by anything other than major brain trauma so are you with my brother?

[@MichealRealman]

*Me

[@justynas1167]

My favorite thing I got to tell my best friend is that “you’re good, not to be confused with nice” bc she will put people in their place, but also her heart is always in the right place ❤😂

[@Di5tantLine]

"Just kidding, I know everything about you." "I grabbed some flowers, I didn't know what you liked, so I just grabbed, you know, all of them." Perfect example of a NiceGuy (TM) He may know a lot about her as an idea, but not as a person. He doesn't care about the person.

[@Celeste-jh2lj]

Right. Like he immediately contradicts himself

[@Ronin3453]

Hey! Good catch!

[@DarkPrincessOfLight]

Omg! Great point

[@SkyknightMu]

Definitely sounds about right for your Mk. I Mod. I incel...

[@SkyknightMu]

@Beaverish Buck Teeth I was thinking more in terms of the very end of what I was responding to. The non-quote.

[@mikagrossmann5370]

It just occurred to me that the "bouncy castle\clown" bit was a great indicator to Hal's true personality. When things don't go as he wants them to he becomes violent (he's beating the car, and really aggressively). And then, when due to his own actions he gets hurt (hurt his hand) he blames others ("stupid car!"). It's played for laughs here but it's a great indicator to what's to come.

[@SieMiezekatze]

The scariest part is that there are guys like him everywhere in real life

[@baldr6894]

Also the audience can look back at that scene and know he was lying because he lives in a tiny little apartment so where was he going to fit a bouncy castle and have a “party”? My personal interpretation is that he was trying to lure her into a trap where she was alone with him and would feel pressured to do as he said, which is very dark I know, but that’s how I see it

[@br9760]

Very nice.

[@Gingersnaps_the_pumpkin_kitty]

@@baldr6894 not to mention it just came across as subtly as a white van with "🍬cAnDy🍬" spray painted on the side.

[@ronweber1402]

@@baldr6894 This has nothing to do with this thread but I named my dog Baldr, with that same spelling. He's a giant, 135lb. floof.

[@whathapppendtousfly]

This may be because I'm Ace, but at the end it felt to me as if he didn't get the girl, not romantically anyway. He definitely earned her approval to be a hero. That's why the hug at the end and the dancing instead of the cliched kiss. They could have easily ended it with a kiss but that seemed wrong and would give off the wrong message I feel like .

[@cheetolord4008]

"I dont wanna live in a world where we have 3 Despicable Mes and 2 spinoffs, and only one Megamind" This just shows that we have to be careful what we wish for. We got what we wanted, and now it's too late to go back, cause we know that peacock isn't gonna pull a sonic :(

[@saifsufian4286]

A detail I love is that when Megamind captures Roxane she really doesn’t care and is calm because she knows that Megamind won’t hurt her, but when Titan captures her she is terrified because Titan will actually kill her

[@DarkFallen001]

Yeah, his reason for capturing her makes her more a close-up audience to the shenanigans he pulls with Minion against Metroman than an actual bargaining chip. He has no deliberate need to hurt her, though he does try to make her SCARED of the danger, not him.

[@WynneL]

Exactly. It even shows their mindsets in a way--Titan tosses her around like a rag doll with no concern for her safety or terror; there's a creepy sense of "I could coerce her to touch me if she's afraid she'll fall to her death...😏" while Megamind puts her in a flying vehicle immediately. Care for her safety, and as minimal terror as possible. Because he values her as a person, and values her feelings, while Titan only values her as far as he can bully her into submission.

[@kittikats]

@@DarkFallen001 And it's part of the game. Metroman won't bother with Megamind without a hostage and who better than the reporter who will put it on the news? The traps etc are to give the illusion of danger FOR METROMAN, for him to treat this more urgently. They are all out of range to hurt her. Even capturing her his concern is her safety (putting her into a safety car) because hurting her is not the plan. He has no desire to hurt her and they both know it. Hence why she snaps back at him because she feels safe enough to do it.

[@ambrosekillpack4841]

Megamind only captured her because he wanted to draw out metroman. He was putting on a facade which the public percieved as scary so that metroman would react. He just wanted another showdown with metroman, he wasn't actually looking to hurt anyone.

[@seigeengine]

Basically Megamind is a good guy pretending to be a bad guy. Nothing he does in the movie is really directly harmful to anyone other then Metroman, and he didn't expect it to work in the first place. In contrast, Metroman is an ordinary guy pretending to be a good guy. He fills the role, but he doesn't really feel the call to do good. He just wants to be left alone to live his life, mostly. Then Titan is just a bad guy, and not a power-corrupts bad guy, he was bad from the beginning, but lacked the power to fully act on it. Roxanne basically understands that Megamind isn't actually a threat. He's not going to kill her, or basically anyone else. Until she thinks he killed Metroman, it wasn't even serious.

[@brianalambert1192]

Whoever wrote/animated Hal has had experience with these relationships. The way he looks at Roxanne even in the beginning; any woman sees a guy looking at her like that, they are bolting.

[@abiw9999]

Also the way she tries to get personal space and he just keeps overstepping her boundaries even from the start.

[@WhitneyDahlin]

5:45 I respectfully disagree that people are born good. Babies are born selfish. Look at toddlers. You have to TEACH toddlers not to hit other kids, you have to TEACH your toddler to share, you have to TEACH your toddler not to throw a tantrum when they don't get their way. People are born selfish and entitled. They have to be TAUGHT goodness. That's why so many children turn out badly, because their parents don't want to take the time to actually parent and teach their children. If children were born good you wouldn't have to teach your kids not to hit other kids, you wouldn't have to teach your children to share, that would be the default setting. They would only hit if they saw their parents hitting each other or if they got hit themselves. But that just isn't the case.

[@BlackoutArtz]

@@WhitneyDahlin Same here. I believe that the actual “default setting” is to just do what it takes to “survive,” since that’s what our instincts tell us to do from the moment we’re born. That’s why we have to learn how to balance our own needs with the needs of others. Our ancient ancestors had to learn to not be selfish because if they didn’t, they would be kicked out of social groups and almost certainly die because of it.

[@danielawesome36]

@@WhitneyDahlin No offense, but I've seen some babies born 'default' good. On a side note: It's half genes, and half upbringing.

[@user-wn3wv5bx5e]

I'm rather sure _anyone_ would bolt from any guy who acts like this. Guys are fortunately not the targets, but there also are nice guys who like guys.

[@johnparker4366]

I love the way Megamind mispronunces stuff. He does what my daughter does - uses words she has read but never heard used.

[@robwilson4975]

appreciate the call-out for Hal's flight animations and the shots at Metro Tower. This whole movie is animated with so much more care than I expected; all the action feels so impactful, more so than a lot of live-action superhero movies even. Oh, and the thing where Hal only hears his superhero name spoken, never written, and then when he carves it into the city he spells it "TIGHTEN" - cracks me up every time.

[@tobiaslawrence8928]

Hal is the definition of "what if you gave a rejected incel superpowers?"

[@korratheaustralianshepherd5804]

This deserves to be pinned!

[@tobiaslawrence8928]

@@korratheaustralianshepherd5804 "pinned"?

[@Complexicon_of_a_Startist]

@@tobiaslawrence8928 Getting pinned is when the uploader 'pins' the comment, meaning that it's the first comment everyone will see when you enter the comment section of that video ^^

[@NotABot-px7ky]

yes, that is the character description

[@prinnyhayate5517]

SUPER INCEL

[@wormonastring2169]

I really like the way the scene where Hal "rescues" Roxanne is animated. Even when she is actually in his arms, she is just flopping around, and he is doing things like holding her up by her arm (which would be pretty painful). He is literally treating her like an object.

[@fixedfunshow]

Yes bitches

[@dodsonboys]

Gaw dam

[@piie6603]

Ye

[@voltinator]

Girl you're just hating on Hal because his face isn't manly. Imagine the same scene except it was the superhero guy with the good jaw from the beginning doing it. It would be a romantic comedy if superhero guy did that.

[@fixedfunshow]

@@voltinator No bitches?

[@MegaChickenfish]

The Puppy Punter absolutely sounds like something Megamind would invent during his villain arc.

[@chrissugg968]

22:30 I remember someone saying, of writing a plot, "Is this the most interesting period of your characters' lives? And if not, why aren't you making that movie instead?"

[@superfanmusicmaker]

Megamind’s “villainy” is really just elaborate, over-the-top theatrics and we never even see anyone actually get hurt during them. Whereas, superpowers aside, Hal is the kind of villain that can and does exist in real life, and it makes him so much scarier.

[@sheenawarecki92]

Plus to go along with how you mentioned Megaminds theatrics and them never really hurting anyone, Hal even without superpowers is representing someone who can and has hurt people in real life which adds to his character really being a monster at least for me.

[@mattdylla3225]

Megamind is the equivalent of the just4laughs channel.

[@blobbertmcblob4888]

One thing I've never understood is why the cops act so afraid of him. He's clearly not a threat and even "killing" Metro man was an accident. Even his kidnapping of Roxanne is regular and treated like a playful game, not only between the two of them, but Metro man as well.

[@schwarzerritter5724]

Megamind is playing the roll he thinks is expected of him.

[@Colopty]

The contrast really shows in Roxanne's reaction. She was completely relaxed and making conversations while Megamind had her strapped to a chair and waving every death trap imaginable in her face since she knows it's just for show. With Hal she was already unnerved at the really weird party invitation and once he did get powers you could immediately see all the gears in her head switch to "oh shit this guy might just kill me" even before he got mad and started explicitly threatening her.

[@RandomKai27]

This movie taught me two things 1) People who seem to take pride in being "bad guy" are really just so desperate for attention they'll accept any role the community gives them 2) People who take pride in being "the nice guy" are often just waiting for a chance to flex whatever power they can get on whomever society will allow them to

[@renansm6691]

3) Presentation

[@ina733]

number 1 is giving me cassy vibes from euphoria :))

[@hanatemonstas4485]

what happens if someone is “both”?

[@Noodlepunk]

Apply that 2nd one to people who virtue signal to much are usually have skeletons in their closet.

[@mariathaisnavarro7518]

@@hanatemonstas4485 I'm not sure if that's possible but I could be wrong who knows. how would both work out?

[@arggggggggggggggggg]

Whoever wrote the captions and keeps calling Hal "Tighten," you are my hero.

[@favillionbellarion9655]

One of the best phrases i heard for nice vs good is this : "A good person will help you when its inconvenient, a nice person may just walk by" or something like that.

[@StrawberryBelle]

I like the part when Titan brings Roxanne the flowers. It shows how little he *actually* cares for her. He says he knows everything about her and then immediately after he says he doesn't know what kind of flowers she likes. He likes the idea of being with her but doesn't actually like her enough to learn about her.

[@thatgrumpychick4928]

This is actually a really good point. Their favourite flowers should be the first thing you learn , like birthday and beloved childhood pet's name. We I see people acting like this I called it a "Henry viii" move. They like the idea of having the person and enjoy the chase but are bored or unsatisfied when the get it

[@alexvaughan1013]

​@@thatgrumpychick4928 A "Henry VIII Move" is a really good name for it. The guy had 2x as many failed marriages as Ross from Friends!

[@TechySeven]

@@thatgrumpychick4928 There is also a kind of opposite/flipped extreme of that to consider & be cautious of too though. As a silly old joke I've heard before goes: "Nobody loves you more than your stalker". 😅

[@washcode9613]

@@thatgrumpychick4928 Oh wow. I never thought about Henry VIII as being obsessed with NRE but that's totally a thing

[@ChristianGibbons777]

@@thatgrumpychick4928 What if she never had a favourite?? What if, she didn’t particularly like flowers though?? Like just didn’t like them in general even if, she didn’t hate them.?

[@emilydivis6369]

I think part of what makes Hal such a brilliant portrayal of the "nice guy" problem is how Megamind behaves in contrast. He pays attention to Roxanne and tries to make her happy. Her, specifically, as an individual. For example, he cleans up the whole city because he notices how sad she is to see the park covered in litter. By contrast, Hal doesn't try to get to know Roxanne. He sees her as a girl he likes and that's all. "I didn't know what kind of flowers you liked, so I got you all of them." "Girls don't like bouncy houses, they like clowns!" Et cetera. Roxanne could have been literally any woman he thought was attractive and he would have behaved exactly the same way. At the end of the day, Megamind sees Roxanne as an individual and develops an honest connection to her, while Hal fails to see Roxanne as a person - so not only does he not try to understand her, but he is completely flabbergasted when she doesn't react positively to the reveal that he's got superpowers. For someone who has known her for years, you'd think Hal would understand her basic personality.

[@cooki3monstrrr]

So well said!

[@Idontevenusethisshit_766]

Yea you just articulated my exact thoughts

[@eternalvibe9083]

He basically thinks it's his lack of powers that are what's keeping himself from her. He gets them, and then starts to believe he is owed her because he has them, and also that he is a "nice" guy.

[@facefucker7923]

Well said amazing 🙌🙌

[@cheriekalel9578]

Hal seems like a narcissist.

[@TheMamaluigi300]

Something I don’t think many people notice is how Megamind is giving the “all your gifts and you squander them for personal gain” spiel to Hal when he finds out he wants to become a villain You could just attribute it to him wanting Hal to be the good guy, but it can also be an ironic realization about Megamind’s bad guy nature, like he realizes the problem with his own *desire* to be a bad guy, adding another push to his drive to eventually become a good guy

[@shbs0819]

“You complete me” watched that and just had the joker ‘s voice from the dark night playing in my mind over that scene

[@GrabaCuppaPodcast]

I love the detail that Hal says "I know everything about you" but then immediately after says that he doesn't know what Roxannes favourite type of flower is. Just a cool little detail right there.

[@luxteroff]

It's like youtubers. People always watch their videos and says that they know this youtubers. But, no? This is only a fraction of his live, one that he shows the public because he feels he can want to share it. At the end you know nothing until that person let you know it.

[@CartoonCrossovers]

das what i said XD (no but fr i didn't even see your comment till after i said it too lol)

[@dudewhatthewhat8983]

“I know everything about you! Expect maybe 99% but it’s still something” Why does the conversation feel so realistic

[@rayf6126]

It's the arrogance of Hal being better at something than he is. I have watched you, worked for you, bought things for you and look at all my effort!

[@Emma-ei2zk]

​@@luxteroff parasocial relationships are wack

[@DonnaBarrHerself]

The reason we don’t get more Megaminds is because this movie sleekly covered all bases so perfectly. What else needs to be said?

[@keyabrade1861]

It literally cannot be beaten. I mean, I'm open to there somehow, possibly being a better movie out there, but I don't think there is one.

[@bns481]

No more really but Id be up for more Button of Doom type humor! Just seeing him run around and do his best, being a hero and mostly fighting his own inventions and mistakes ^_^ Still lots to learn in a new arc!

[@ThatOneLadyOverHere]

@@bns481 maybe a TV show would be a good way to go about it, short an sweet adventures just for fun on his healing journey (because honestly he's got a lot to work through.)

[@gustavogodoy9626]

I'm honestly glad there wasn't a Megamind 2. the bar is just too high and specially big companies tend to make worse sequels because they'll sell for being part of a franchise instead of the plot, the characters or the kind of details all of which Megamind lives for. on this landscape, I dread a Megamind 2 as the new Shrek the Third

[@TheNativeEngine]

Megamind has completed his growth but maybe there's some story to be had with another character doing the same? Like he could mentor someone again.

[@ryanleeenglish]

Not going to lie, you guys gave me a realization that im still living in the stage of “nice guy” mixed with my bipolar 1 disorder.. i literally cried. And now i wanna seek help to have someone to talk to about myself. I love you guys ❤ film and music as a passion and the deep dives of therapy is a great insight.

[@Rad-Dude63andathird]

hope you're able to get the help ya need, always a great thing to see people work to change themselves for the better.

[@scoccerball4170]

i now wish we only had one megamind...

[@randomdots7758]

facts

[@hpdanfan14]

One moment that absolutely terrifies me, is at the end of the scene where Hal is “rejected”, not only does he fly off in a whiny tantrum-y way, but he LEAVES Roxanne on the top of that skyscraper. Not on the roof of a tall building where she can get down - on a spire where she’s left completely stranded. I thought that was a good, subtle, and completely chilling example of how deeply selfish “nice guys” are.

[@GothGobbo]

I always wondered how she got down.

[@rebekahking6276]

That moment always scared me! Like, seriously, how did she get down???

[@AegixDrakan]

Yeah that scene threw me too. Like, I legit said to my then girlfriend "Wait...Did he just.....How did she get DOWN?! :o "

[@tosinakin2508]

Exactly! That was my first thought when I saw that scene. Like, how is she supposed to get down from there? It really just shows you that he doesn't actually care about her or view her as a real, valuable person. She only has value and is deserving of respect, care, and assistance when she fits into whatever mold he's envisioned. That's the most terrifying type of partner.

[@kitb7624]

@@GothGobbo I rewatched it recently, and I thought I saw a ladder attached to the side as a maintenance thing

[@AceWolf456]

Therapist: “Hey, tell my friend he’s ugly. Roast the hell out of him.” That… that is a strong level of irony you can only get from being good friends, and one of those friends being a therapist.

[@shadeblackwolf1508]

someone should crosspost just the clip of him asking to be roasted to r/roastme

[@tomjohnson1662]

I couldn’t resist a good roast lol

[@MeleeStormbringer]

you know...I wanna, just for comedic value but...I got nothing

[@CinemaTherapyShow]

1/10. Poor quality roast. (Alan here)

[@CinemaTherapyShow]

Alan here: Please do this. Please please please.

[@SasuNaruL0vR80]

thank you guys SOOO MUCH for going over this movie! there's so much "adult" stuff to actually unpack in it. its obvious that Megamind is supposed to be the villain in the movie but when you pick it apart you find stuff like: every "evil device" he tries to scare Roxanne with NEVER get close enough to actually harm her, he NEVER actually harms anyone through the whole thing (OK yeah there's the Forget-Me-Stick but that's hilarious). Hal not only rampages the city but actually harms people; his super strength flick that sends the mayor flying could've cracked the guy's skull, and is ready to actually kill Roxanne! its such an underrated gem of a movie ❤❤❤

[@blueskysahead238]

1:31 "Man, I wish Megamind got a sequel." OH, BELIEVE ME, YOU DONT.

[@RadioactiveBluePlatypus]

Yeah that really aged like milk

[@moonbeamsun9066]

Megamind is the perfect example for a film too ahead of it’s time. It got forgotten pretty quick when it came out, now it’s been hailed and beloved so much that it’s getting a TV show.

[@miasinbela9609]

Wait what the fuck?!

[@localscissors4036]

It’s getting a series?? Shoot, it’s probably gonna be exclusive to the dreamworks streaming service right

[@lunamariamiraestels7408]

Excuse me tv show??? :O

[@frog6054]

My guy just share some sacred information and just dipped without further explanation.

[@cyber-streak8324]

Really??

[@onon8909]

even as a kid, i liked how megamind respected roxanne’s boundaries. he was unlike hal who kept pushing his agenda onto her, even though she said no and her body language showed that she was uncomfortable. also, roxanne is the og girlboss.

[@krisdeltarun]

So true bestie

[@TheSequentCalculus]

Megamind didn't respect her boundaries. He pretended to be Bernard specifically to get *around* her boundaries. It's interesting that people see why Hal is a problem, but not why Megamind is, who is a career criminal who has destroyed Metrocity multiple times and who is deceiving Roxanne.

[@galarstar052]

@@TheSequentCalculus it's obvious why, women only like bad boys, they forgive them for their faults but not a nice guy like Hal. smh.

[@gamerdweebentertainment1616]

@@TheSequentCalculus the problem now relies on... how do you show that you're good, different without deceiving, if people don't give you a chance in the 1st place. However it was still an accident not intentional of sorts.

[@Leader7353]

@@TheSequentCalculus thing is Megamind first got roped into it. He was trying to hide, then Roxanne talked to him about his secret lair and he knew he had to get her to leave by convincing her as Bernard. That failed and he grew attached. He knew he couldn’t keep lying, so he revealed himself. When she didn’t want him, he let her leave because he knew he fucked up.

[@thomasward6022]

1:30 aged like milk

[@daniellejackson6543]

Ok, NOW we're in the worst timeline.

[@jetgalaxy9465]

1:27 Oh bro... you have no idea how good a world is without MegaMind 2

[@oz_jones]

Somebody used a monkey's paw on that one.

[@purplehaze2358]

I'm actually completely okay with Megamind not getting any sequels. It expertly covered everything it sought out and needed to, didn't leave room for many new stories, and exploitative sequels could very well have ruined the original in hindsight. Edit: Life is pain.

[@angelsarereal4902]

Your name checks out Dr. Bright

[@BigPanda096]

@@angelsarereal4902 Oh boy, you have no idea do you?

[@BigPanda096]

Thats exactly how I feel about Avatar The Last Airbender.

[@angelsarereal4902]

@@BigPanda096 No idea about what?

[@ventusvindictus]

I agree completely. I think the real tragedy here, in terms of movie sequals, is the fact that Despicable Me got so many sequals.

[@bigpurplepops]

“I know everything about you” right into pausing for flowers and saying “I didn’t know what you liked…” is PERFECT scripting.

[@meanya4687]

I never even put that together

[@sourlofi]

OMG YEAH

[@gRinchY-op5vr]

I've always noticed this, and its not that long after the scene where Roxanne tells Megamind (Bernard) about the park...dude cleans the place up asap because he paid attention to what made her sad/happy without expecting anything in return because she'll never know he did it for her.

[@alexs.7956]

@@gRinchY-op5vr exactly!

[@kittikats]

He knows everything about Dream Roxanne that he creepily watches and has created in his head.

[@ilikebeanies3499]

Megamind is pretending to be a villain because that's what's expected of him, Hal becomes a villain because that's who he truly is inside. MM never actually wanted to hurt Roxanne, and even with Metroman (who he hated since childhood) he never felt downright malicious. Hal is an awkward, self-centered, ignorant weasel from the beginning. But he had no power to act on any of his delusions until he became Titan. He actually became bloodthirsty after Megamind taunted him, and it was scary. I love this movie and analyzing the different characters. (Also love the Markiplier cameo as Metroman, definitely my favorite part of the film) 🥶🙏

[@nohbody.5458]

Him wanting a Megamind Sequel aged poorly.

[@ScrambledAndBenedict]

You know what's so great about Roxanne in this show? She's not a damsel in distress, but she still shows genuine fear when it's warranted. She's not scared of Megamind since she's come to learn he's not a threat to her, and even trash-talks him, but when faced with Tighten she, while still being fairly tough, genuinely does show fear and become afraid of him. It makes her seem like such a real person, like that's how you'd expect someone to act like in her situation: she's not a distressed damsel but she's not this overly brave plank of wood either.

[@MZRTMusic254]

It also expresses the idea that you don't smile when facing a demented psychopath who gets his hands on power for the first time in his life

[@somethingclever8916]

I didnt like Roxanne. It came across as "I'm too good to be in this movie"

[@ScrambledAndBenedict]

​@@somethingclever8916 True, but I think that was the joke. Like, they were making fun of how the hero and the villain are just pointlessly going through the motions, and the damsel character was aware of that and just like 5000% done with constantly being kidnapped. Because she begins to take the movie pretty seriously when Tighten shows up.

[@cow167]

Literally what I was thinking, cuz soemtimes writers go too far with the strong woman role that they forget you can be strong and still be scared and have human emotions, but those characters are far less likeable

[@ScrambledAndBenedict]

@@cow167 Oh, they absolutely do. There's a difference between a "strong female character" and a female character that is strong. There's overlap, yeah, but the difference is like the difference between a virgin and an incel. A big problem, ironically enough, is the "strong female character" embodies a lot of toxic masculinity traits to be "strong". They're these unemotional, bellicose bullies that throw their weight around and act like assholes. Think like Gaston from Beauty and the Beast: most "strong female characters" are written like him, but unironically. And, the same way Belle was at best disinterested and at worst repulsed by him, a lot of viewers are put off by the "strong female character" because they see past their superficial positive traits.

[@cyber_runner]

Honestly just shows how well this movie was written. Being "nice" doesn't always mean you're a "hero", and being "bad" doesn't mean you're automatically a "villain". This movie showed this perfectly.

[@dianacarinao6667]

Ah, yes...expanding the moral spectrum in a healthy way. I just love this movie :3

[@UserName-zb8ql]

good comment but L profile pic

[@Yha1000itz]

To be honest, I am tired off people trying to be nice just for getting a girl. Now I cannot be nice (Which I am because of modals) because people may think other things... This is why I love the move.

[@antoinehicks2681]

No actually it doesn’t. Make it mine created Hal the way he was. It made him I had given him powers he would not have run amok. It is because of what Megamind did that Hal ran amok he gave him powers to a guy who was already emotionally disturbed plus he lied to him. You can’t expect a good outcome if you give a person who is being bully the same powers as superman, that person is going to use his powers get back as bullies but without training a self control that person is going to hurt his would be bullies. This is the case of Hal, while he wasn’t bullied he was a very depressed person who felt he was being used and his powers weren’t given exactly what he wanted. He became unhappy very quickly.

[@cyber_runner]

@@UserName-zb8ql ..bruh.

[@KodeGringle]

Little did they know that the darkest timeline is the one where Megamind got a second movie

[@ArchAngelHiel]

"you bring/add so much to my life" ive said this to so many people i love. Let them know how much they bring to your life before you cant 🙏🏽❤

[@CombativeMedic]

As someone who was stalked, I felt genuine fear for Roxanne once they gave the creep power. They gave him a means of access to her that he didn't have before...

[@YBNKASHWAYS]

Its a kids movie why scared?

[@CombativeMedic]

@@YBNKASHWAYS Just flashbacks. Nothing was going to happen to her plot wise because of the age rating, no crap. But he did certainly abuse that new access and endanger her just like I anticipated he would.

[@Falkuzrules]

​@@YBNKASHWAYS Maybe you didn't watch this video, you know, where two guys say "It's not a kids movie." Orrr maybe you're just a troll. But yeah I actually felt fear for this fictional character while just watching scenes in this video. I'm pretty sure I watched the movie but I remembered literally nothing from it but the characters, so this was like my first real experience of it... and then they skipped the big action and went straight to the ending with no warning!

[@tylere.8436]

@@YBNKASHWAYS Now, imagine if it wasn't...

[@michellesiregar8245]

I like Levi too

[@elvi1796]

I think the reason why Titan was such a horrible villain is because you can actually envision a "nice" guy actually do such horrible things if they get power. And he is so violent, don't take no as an answer, and thinks he is the one that deserves the girl, even before Hal got his powers which a lot of people have met before. We all know someone as a "nice" guy or girl that thinks they are entitled to everything or any person they are nice to. He's a villain we have in our everyday lives, like Umbridge, which is why we can hate them so much. Edit: Lol there’s a bit of miscommunication but when I said Hal was a horrible villain, I meant that he’s a well written villain and what made him a good character because he’s a realistic, horrible person that we have all seen and met before.

[@eugenienghi6167]

"Tighten" lmao XD

[@lizzyrank5405]

Yea, I just feel sorry for those that meet them and hope that those who are in the early stages or even the final stage, wake up to the fact that what they are doing is bad and nice doesn't equal good or entitlement.

[@elvi1796]

@@eugenienghi6167 Lmao, that was what they wrote in Google and I didn’t question it 😂

[@korganrocks3995]

The reason some "nice guys" think nice deserves a reward is because they're such selfish people that they have to put in actual effort to act nice. The last 5-6 years have showed that they make up a much larger percentage of the population than I could ever have guessed...

[@Perradocx]

@@elvi1796 "Tighten" _is_ part of the movie as a joke!

[@minefro3217]

he is going to look back and laugh "only one megamind"

[@PogonaV]

Too bad it looks like dookie

[@Mrnotpib]

“I don’t want to live where [sic] we only have one Megamind” Me, from the year 2024: I have bad news.

[@statikksheev4390]

What's so interesting to me as well that I didn't notice until this video, Roxanne isn't really scared of someone until Hal tries to "rescue" her a few times. The whole first half of the film she was so calm and collected around Megamind, but when hal becomes Titan she's genuinely terrified.

[@salpertia]

Of course she would be, she knew he was into her and as far as I remember she never directly told him the hell off directly. Of course I'm not blaming her for this, that's her partner and she decided for one reason or another to not do so. But even a moron can tell which people that get power would become absolute monsters

[@MsLilly200]

@@salpertia Because even before he got superpowers he was bigger and stronger than her (like, she's a little taller, but Roxanne is skinny af). And she's probably seen how he reacts to anger, what with working together for years. Notice how uncomfortable she gets when he's trying to convince her on a date in the beginning, and she's trying to let him down gently but he just refuses to understand the word no.

[@StellaMarisma]

@@salpertia She shouldn't have had to directly tell him this. Her body language, facial expressions, and clear lack of interest in him should have tipped him off that his attraction was one-sided, but Hal either refused to see this or he can't read nonverbal cues. Neither of those are Roxanne's fault.

[@YouthRightsRadical]

@@StellaMarisma We can call Hal a monster without resorting to tarring people who have legitimate difficulty reading nonverbal cues. People with difficulty reading nonverbal cues know they have difficulty reading nonverbal cues and don't flip the fuck out when someone finally directly tells them they've been reading the situation wrong. They listen and are generally grateful for the clarification. They might be hurt or embarrassed, but not being able to read cues well isn't the same thing as entitlement. And what Hal was was pretty classic entitlement. It's spelled out pretty clearly with "space dad" telling him that if he rescues her she'll be his. That sets up the entitlement. That clarifies the terms he's thinking of the situation in. Honestly, if I'm going to blame Megamind for one thing, it would be giving Hal that bit of advice, because that is really, really wrong. It's mostly down to him believing all the hero villain tropes too much, but it's probably the most destructive manifestation of him buying into that social construct.

[@zoomer2965]

@@MsLilly200 "And she's probably seen how he reacts to anger..." Also in the beginning. 7:06.

[@morigaena333]

I remember as a kid finding it strange how Hal literally doesn’t care that Metroman, the protector of the city, straight up died.

[@LogeenthLive]

In all fairness, this was probably a godsend in the eyes of Hal himself - Metroman is dead, he can finally have the girl that he always wanted. Only for Megamind to show up

[@jkaras6272]

especially since roxanne watched him "die"!

[@loturzelrestaurant]

I genuinly think knowing those Terms and Tropes, like Karen, Nice-Guy and Neckbeard, helps Society overcome Stuff. So excuse me if i mention that Many, including but not limited to 'THe Take' and 'HUSH' and 'Pop Culture Detective' have covered them and more. Also Hbomberguy, though he didnt use the Terms per se.

[@marctaco2624]

He immediately tries to use his absence to lure Roxanne into his home.

[@Randerson2409]

It's played for laughs, but let's acknowledge that Hal actively puts Roxanne in physical danger, just so he can save her. That's a thing in life. I've seen people do that. I've been on the receiving end of that. But I love that this movie never gives Hal any 'credit' for his bad behaviour, which a lot of movies do

[@FeministCatwoman]

11:35 was literally my reaction to being hugged for the first time as a kid in grade school lol I'm so happy you talked about aromantic and asexual people!! I feel so seen! :)

[@bowen3963]

Omg yes to both. ❤

[@nilsbabcock7686]

If you think about it differently, Megamind's "I'm the bad guy" soliloquy isn't him believing the good guy gets the girl, it's him recognizing that being the bad guy prevents HIM specifically from getting everything he wants, and accepting that as a fact. This makes his decision to do the right thing motivated not by "getting the girl", but doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do, even though he knows he won't get the girl, since he's the bad guy.

[@lemonzest6988]

He realizes that being the villan prevents him from getting anything he wants, yet he has to be the villan because of Metroman and the city. He could be the good guy but didn't get the chance until he was the only one left.... The last one picked.

[@AzureRadio]

This is very true. It shows how ultimately when the chips were down that he did the right thing because it was right, he knew he had nothing to gain from it, he knew he was still be viewed as a villain, and that people would still see him as such. Yet he saved the city anyway, because it was the right thing to do and it came from a selfless place of love, good.

[@AzureRadio]

@@lemonzest6988 I see it differently. It's not necessarily because he was "the last to be picked" but rather he never had a chance to shine, especially always being in Metroman's shadow his whole life. We especially see this as true with the fact that Metroman decides to leave being a hero because he KNEW that Megamind would step up and become a hero if he was just given a chance (no hero overshadowing him). Metroman saw the good in him, he knew that it was all a silly song and dance based only off of public perception, Megamind was a genuinely good person, just dealt a bad hand, over and over again.

[@lemonzest6988]

@@AzureRadio Actually I agree with you. I think that's how Metroman saw it. But from the other angle, no one else ever wanted Megamind to be the hero. They picked Metroman. It's true that he was always good and that for Megamind it was just an amusing game. He called them his 'glorious failures'. He's actually HAPPY with losing again and again. He just enjoys the challenge of creating new and interesting threats and escaping the cops and making move and countermove. His villany was a game of chess that he was trying to lose. Remember when Metroman told him copper weakened his powers and Megamind floundered because he wasn't sure exactly how to respond to the concept that he was actually at an advantage? Like oh no, I'm going to actually win for once. But I hope that being a hero gives him the same sense of enjoyment.

[@ohokay4663]

it's the self fulfilling prophecy. you become what you think you are

[@carnivorouspiano2394]

“Oh you’re a villain all right, just not a super one.” “Oh yeah? What’s the difference?” “PRESENTATION!” One of the most underrated movie lines ever

[@themurdernerd]

I love that scene SO MUCH!

[@runtergerutscht4401]

And he's right. Kinda. A supervillain is usually someone iconic, someone who leaves such an impression that his name invokes fear and recognition. Yes that usually means they're more dangerous than regular villains, but most importantly, everyone knows who they are. Like the joker. Or Thanos.

[@calowenby1654]

From what I remember, Megamind is filled with underrated quotes.

[@visualsweets]

I love that scene so much too. I especially love the music. Also love ironman’s scene “monkeys in a barrel”.

[@Kentaloupe]

Definitely not underrated these days

[@giantpinkcat]

Repeat after me: There is no sequel to Megamind There is no sequel to Megamind There is no sequel to Megamind We good? Alright.

[@need_more_time1119]

The button of doom was pretty good tho

[@Hesuklista]

*lamp spinning* Here, we are safe Here we are free There's no sequel to Megamind

[@zachjd18]

The fact tht they want a megamind sequel... This aged well 💀💀💀

[@TheNekoMimiGamer]

Hot take: Megamind was so perfect that they cant make a sequel or they'll ruin what makes it so good. The other movies did it so terribly that they keep throwing sequels at the wall to see which sticks.

[@basilofgoodwishes4138]

Well there is the Megamind game that takes place after the movie and Hal is now the leader of villainous organization.

[@TheNekoMimiGamer]

@@basilofgoodwishes4138 I legit didn't know there was a game, I've never heard of this

[@sirkillalot9892]

Dreamworks usually makes one good sequel per franchise. Kung Fu Panda 2, Shrek 2, How To Train Your Dragon 2, Madagascar 3... And besides How To Train Your Dragon which is more of a neck and neck thing, they are considered to be the high point

[@TheNekoMimiGamer]

@@sirkillalot9892 Fair enough on all points, though I preferred HtTYD3 and Shrek 4Ever After. Megamind will still always be a favourite to come back to. Not solely because it's the only one of its kind, although that is a playing factor for me.

[@cockycookie1]

Unpopular opinion: Despicable Me was great

[@cordeliamiller4322]

I think it's also important to mention how when Titan drops Roxanne, he's the one putting her in danger in the first place. A common thing that's also done in toxic relationships, where the toxic partner picks up a fight, gaslights the person into feeling like they're in the wrong, to just love them more when they're in peace with each other and in love again. I think the symbolism here is fantastic.

[@debymello4756]

"You're unlovable, you don't even deserve love!... Now that you lost friendships due to downspiriling let me give you love"

[@broadwaybrook2319]

That's what I read about Hero Syndrome and where the villain Syndrome from "Incredibles" gets his name from. Hero Syndrome is when someone puts another person in dangerous circumstances that they can "save" them from.

[@golgothasterrified]

My ex boyfriend would only ever compliment me, act loving, listen to me etc the day after one of our bad fights where I'd contemplate breaking up with him. Then it was back to our toxic routine. He kept me around god knows how long doing that.

[@golgothasterrified]

@Psych ??

[@SquirrelGirl13]

@Psych Then. Don't.

[@Rith9789]

One of the opening lines was compaining about no Megamind 2. And yet, they didnt know that was a good thing.

[@santi-37919]

1:20 TAKE IT BACK, TAKE IT BACK

[@sethleoric2598]

I feel like Megamind was only ever really "evil" because he grew up that way. He landed in a prison, he was raised by criminals and kept in isolation. Really he's a pretty decent guy.

[@awsomedude23456]

And even then he initially tried to do good at school, but once he saw that didn’t work he played the villain. But even as a villain we never see him hurt civilians, not even Roxanne who he’s captured enough times to where she’s not scared bc she know he won’t hurt her

[@joaopedrofm1299]

He's just like dophenzmit

[@chaosagent_0106]

@@joaopedrofm1299 you mean doofenshmirtz? In PnF?

[@marctaco2624]

"Just because you are bad guy does not mean you are 'bad' guy."

[@13crystals61]

@@marctaco2624 "Thanks, Satan."

[@heyfell4301]

I love how, as a kid, i thought Hal was genuinely funny and charismatic but just became "evil" after being handed superpowers, but then i grew up and noticed: "oh nah, he was creepy all along."

[@Emnms68]

It’s a great example of the captain America type superpower. It doesn’t make you a superhero, it just amplifies what’s already there

[@FastforwardxD]

@@Emnms68 yoooo this is such a brilliant analogy

[@Emnms68]

@@FastforwardxD **dramatic bow** why thank you.

[@FastforwardxD]

@@Emnms68 this ain't reddit, but here *gives an award*

[@timetraveler2012]

@@FastforwardxD r/wholesomechunguskeanumoment

[@honeycomb937]

this is such a thoughtful episode! and made me reflect. i've always known i'm "nice" as a defense mechanism (my trauma/conflict response is fawn), but until now i've never actually considered myself "good." i've never felt like a good person because people have torn me down so many times, but i think beneath the fawn response _is_ goodness. after i get over the initial fear of meeting someone new, the protective niceness goes away and is replaced by genuine interest and care (not to toot my own horn). i was never given the chance to be good because when i expressed it, it was taken advantage of, particularly by people like hal who were ONLY superficially nice without anything real going on below.

[@ChextheVes4451]

Hearing how Nice guy syndrome is described makes me feel less hateful about myself, because I used to feel like I was that "nice guy" but I never wanted to be nice because I wanted something, I wanted to be nice because I felt not enough people were nice. There wasn't enough "I'll help just cause I can help". I always hated being given stuff for free. I ALWAYS hated it. I loved giving gifts, but never receiving them. I always asked at the very least 3 times. "Are you sure you don't want something in return" And me being young I could never tell if this was that "Nice guy syndrome". But now I know. It wasn't. I just had bad self-confidence so I thought I was being bad when I wasn't. And I mean yeah I had my Interests in other people, and I did get rejected which I mean hurt but when doesn't it. But I never felt angry over it. Which also felt good because I always expected I'd get angry over it. But. I never did. I just felt "Well. It's they life too so. Why would I get angry over it?"

[@solezeta1314]

I love that when Roxanne gets kidnapped by Megamind and he "threatens" her with his numerous gadgets, she just doesn't give a rat's ass cuz she knows he's bullshitting. But when Hal keeps "rescuing" her and throwing her around, she panics and she screams. Roxanne knows the actual threat when she sees it.

[@valentinlageot4101]

The unpredictable is the most frightening. the one that don't show you his boundaries.

[@puppetpawss]

What also adds to it is that Roxxane also had no idea what Tighten was capable of. With Megamind, she was able to literally predict everything about him, and was aware it was just going to play out exactly the same as always. Megamind scoops her up, keeps her situated in his lair, and all she really has to do is sit and wait until Metroman arrives on the scene to rescue her. In comparison, she has no idea what Hal's actual motives are, nor what he plans to do with her, which makes him so much more terrifying to her, because she has no time to relax or prepare for a worst case scenario, she essentially just has to pray that she makes it out of the situation alive, something she's never had to do with Megamind

[@dusk4974]

Megamind could be a threat, he's too smart to not be. But he's not dangerous. He's a threat without being threatening. Hal is a danger because he has no decorum and respect and consideration. Where as Megamind does it for show and purpose, Hal does it for sheer human greed.

[@evan3305]

Don't give em ideas!

[@dragon_nammi]

Well, not to mention she had just figured out what Megamind's hanging cards spelled: Titan. She knew he was somehow related to Megamind and therefore could not be trusted.

[@mMonazzzLindozz]

I think a point that was left out in this video is that "nice" guys can actually became dangerous when they are in a position of power and feel their "property" is threateaned. At the begining, Roxane dismisses Hal's creepy behaviour because she considers him to be harmless, until he wasn't.

[@grypinh]

"Oh NOW you respect me, because I'm a THREAT." -Syndrome

[@ALotOfCancer]

Yes. Give a nice guy power, give him all the shit he wants. He won’t be a “nice guy” anymore…every time.

[@CaptainHusky2014]

​@@ALotOfCancer That is completely false and unjustifiable of you to say. A lot of people fake being nice to gain something, sure, but there are genuinely good people out there.

[@OliverTCrowe]

@@CaptainHusky2014 That's literally the entire point even in this video: The nice guy versus the good guy. The nice guys are normally not nice and are fake af to get what they want, and will turn on a dime when they don't get it. The good guys are genuinely "good" and are the actual nice ones. Hal was a "nice" guy who showed his true colors when Roxanne outright rejected him. He acted like Roxanne was obligated to him and continually kept suggesting creepy af shit they could do (such as a "party" at his place where it'd be the two of them and a wedding photographer) like she was destined to be his. When she finally rejected him outright after his crazy af flying stunts, what did he do? Decided to become an actual bad guy fully by destroying the city, terrorizing the people, and becoming a genuine unhinged psychopath...especially after Megamind revealed that HE was the one that stole Roxanne's heart because Megamind was under the assumption that he'd adhere to the Hero/Villain showmanship banter and fighting as opposed to going full blazed psychopath. Megamind, despite starting off "bad" was genuinely an actual "good" guy who took an introspective approach when Roxanne rejected him, and what did he do? He turned himself in to the police and didn't throw a tantrum because he knew he went about things all wrong. And then he turned around again and did some good by saving Roxanne as well as Metro City. Yeah, he made mistakes such as throwing his relationship with Roxanne in Hal's face to egg him on, but he learned and grew from those mistakes and those rejections versus Hal completely going the inverse and going explosive crazy.

[@CaptainHusky2014]

@@OliverTCrowe My friend, thank you for enlightening me ^^.

[@user-mi7ny5lg4v]

"There is no queen of England" Aged like fine wine

[@oz_jones]

There hasn't been a queen of England in over 200 years. Lizzie was the queen of Great Britain.

[@live_possesion_5195]

Though it turned out, in fact, that this wasn't the darkest timeline. WE are currently in the darkest timeline. WE have MEGAMIND 2.

[@MayannHanna]

Man, that bouncy house scene, Hal really freaks me out because his reaction to the rejection was violence, he just starts hitting things and getting angry. From that alone I'd think he'd be an abusive partner.

[@laurakiner3942]

Considering he is named after Hal 2000, I am not surprised.

[@FractalPrism.]

when saying "stupid van broke my finger" he externalized his actions onto an inanimate object to shift responsibility away from his failure to woo the girl it shows a marked lack of connection to self and sociopathic tendencies its similar to the moment before when he's ignoring her polite rejections and supplanting "so thats a soft yes for thursday" to avoid reality. hal was always crazy.

[@owloko1349]

The scary part for me was to recognize Hal's behavior in myself, the nice guy syndrome is scary

[@ninjireal]

ngl punching things out of anger seems to be a guy syndrome thing I’ve heard of a lot of holes in drywall, just sayin

[@Cyberwar101]

@@ninjireal people who do this have let themselves become hardwired for aggression. It isn't healthy and leads to abusive relationships.

[@southbeauty1]

I want to add a point to the whole Titan introduces himself to Roxane scene. Hal believed he had to "save" her for her to fall in love with him. His solution for that was to actively endanger her life and catch her, repeatedly. Ignoring the fact that the idea was false, it's not "saving" someone when you put them into those circumstances in the first place. And not just in regards to physical danger.

[@stephaniem1107]

And then when she rejects him he leaves her in a dangerous situation which shows he wasn't actually interested in her wellbeing at all. Totally agree with you!

[@gapsule2326]

Yep and Megamind literally creates the problem of the movie. He created most of the problems including the villain.

[@lukebytes5366]

@@gapsule2326 most of the problems megamind made were by accident, none of hal's were.

[@JezElectro13]

You do NOT want a sequel to Megamind.