Physics in the World of "Megamind" Outline

Introduction

• Animated feature film: "Megamind"
• Although the world of "Megamind" often follows our laws of physics, there are many instances in which those laws are broken.

Body

• Cushioning (Slow in, slow out, and overshoot)
• When Megamind rolls chair back toward Roxanne, there is no slow out.
• Metro Man throws baby into stroller, and there is no overshoot.
• Hal flies into street lamp pole, but the pole doesn’t budge.
• When Hal catches Metro Tower after it tips over, he barely moves.
• Hal and Metro Man seem to have no problem suddenly changing direction while flying, but Hal couldn’t stop in time to prevent himself from being grabbed by “Metro Man”
• Arcs
• Hal flicks Mayor, but he should not have travelled upward.
• Metro Tower shouldn’t have skidded since it landed with a more downward force.
• When Hal tosses Roxanne over a building, she first travels vertically, but not horizontally, but when she gets to the top, she goes over the building.
• After Hal throws Megamind and the car door, Megamind’s trajectory doesn’t match up with the direction he was thrown in.
• Inertia
• When Metro Man tosses the pink baby back to its mom, the baby should not have travelled forward because Metro Man’s hand was under it rather than behind it.
• When Hal throws the car door, Megamind should have been shaken off.
• Centrifugal force: When Hal gets the flower cart for Roxanne and spins it, the flower vases shouldn’t have stayed in cart.
• Unexpected Resilience
• Metro Man juggles three babies, and the babies’ spines/necks should have broken
• Megamind’s giant robot suit breaks concrete while walking, but doesn’t break building when he jumps on it.
• With the amount of force needed to knock over Megamind’s giant robot suit, Hal should have destroyed the floor of his apartment when lunging at him.
• Megamind swats Hal with his giant robot suit, and Hal skids into the ground.
• Hal bends the copper cage like malleable metal, but then breaks it like stone.
• Metro Man’s face moves when Megamind touches it, but doesn’t move when Roxanne throws things at him. Likewise, Hal's face shatters metal, and his skin doesn't move.

Conclusion

• The laws of physics are broken many times throughout the film
• Breaking these laws creates more entertainment for the viewer.