Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

Ember's analysis

Pacing

Brisk

Intensity

Moderate

Complexity

Simple

Violence

Mild

• witty
• irreverent
• goofy
• family movie night
• kids sleepover

What critics said

Critics broadly found the film to be a colorful, affectionate, family-friendly adaptation with source-appropriate humor and strong comic energy, despite some rushed plotting and familiar DreamWorks excesses.

What sets it apart

May contain story progression spoilers

• Flipbook interludes mimic the pages of George and Harold's handmade comics, including the playful possibility of pages being torn.

• The Captain Underpants identity, Professor Poopypants, and repeated underwear-based gags make gross-out comedy central rather than incidental.

• George and Harold use pranks, comics, and hypnosis to resist the depressing school environment and its authoritarian principal.

• Captain Underpants is a clueless, enthusiastic transformation of Principal Krupp, while the plot borrows comic-book villains and escalating powers.

Films like Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, and why

• The LEGO Movie

  Shares irreverent children's humor, animated slapstick, superhero parody, and a friendship-centered school adventure.

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

  Combines colorful animation, comic-book imagination, child protagonists, and playful rebellion against rigid authority.

• The Peanuts Movie

  Features chaotic child friendship, gross-out comedy, school antics, and an affectionate celebration of youthful creativity.

• Megamind

  Uses family-friendly superhero satire, energetic visual gags, and a sincere emotional core beneath the absurd comedy.

Movie Details

Director

David Soren

Release Date

2017-06-01

Runtime

89 min

Rating

6.3 / 10 (1388)

Cast

• Kevin Hart
• Thomas Middleditch
• Ed Helms
• Nick Kroll
• Jordan Peele
• Kristen Schaal
• DeeDee Rescher
• Brian Posehn
• David Soren
• Mel Rodriguez

Where to watch in United States

Rent

Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

Buy

Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.

Common questions

What is Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie about?

Two prank-loving schoolboys turn their grumpy principal into a wildly incompetent superhero and discover that imagination comes with consequences.

What is Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.

Is Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie as mild.

What did critics think of Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie?

Critics broadly found the film to be a colorful, affectionate, family-friendly adaptation with source-appropriate humor and strong comic energy, despite some rushed plotting and familiar DreamWorks excesses.

Which films are like Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie?

Films with a similar feel include The LEGO Movie, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, The Peanuts Movie, and Megamind.

How long is Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie?

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie runs 89 minutes.

Where can I watch Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie?

In United States, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.

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