Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

"50% hero. 100% cotton."

2017 1h 29m EN

😐

6.3

MID

🍅

87%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

6.2

IMDB

★6.3TMDB · 1,395🍅87%Rotten Tomatoes●69Metacritic★6.2IMDB · 35,075

FamilyComedyAnimationScience Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Based on the bestselling book series, this outrageous comedy tells the story of George and Harold, two overly imaginative pranksters who hypnotize their principal into thinking he’s an enthusiastic, yet dimwitted, superhero named Captain Underpants.

“50% hero. 100% cotton.”

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Cast

Kevin Hart
George (voice)
Thomas Middleditch
Harold (voice)
Ed Helms
Captain Underpants / Mr. Krupp (voice)
Nick Kroll
Professor Poopypants (voice)
Jordan Peele
Melvin (voice)
Kristen Schaal
Edith (voice)
DeeDee Rescher
Ms. Ribble (voice)
Brian Posehn
Mr. Rected (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: David Soren
Writers: Hamish Grieve, Nicholas Stoller, Ian Abando
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

89 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 3.3× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 9 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Captain Underpants Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Theodore Shapiro. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Matthew Landon shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Kevin Hart and Thomas Middleditch and Ed Helms carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "50% hero. 100% cotton.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

David Soren directs. Theodore Shapiro scores. Matthew Landon cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

189 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Made its money back 3.3× over at the box office.
3Released 9 years ago.
4Part of the "Captain Underpants Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Original score by Theodore Shapiro. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Matthew Landon shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Kevin Hart and Thomas Middleditch and Ed Helms carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "50% hero. 100% cotton.".
9IMDB entry: tt2091256 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 14 themes, including "friendship", "based on novel or book", "superhero", "underwear".
11Released under 15 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Original score: Theodore Shapiro
Editing: Matthew Landon
Production design: Nate Wragg
VFX supervisor: David Dulac
Sound: Michael Babcock
Runtime: 89 min · 1h 29m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $38,000,000
Box office: $125,427,681
Return: 330% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes: 87% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 69/100
IMDB rating: 6.2/10 · 35,075 votes
MPAA: PG

Awards

3 wins & 15 nominations total

Part of

Captain Underpants Collection

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie is a 2017 American computer-animated superhero comedy film based on Dav Pilkey's children's novel series of the same name. It stars the voices of Kevin Hart, Ed Helms, Thomas Middleditch and Nick Kroll. The plot follows two imaginative elementary school pranksters named George Beard and Harold Hutchins who hypnotize their cold-hearted principal, Mr. Krupp, into thinking he is Captain Underpants, a superhero who fights crime while wearing only underwear and a cape, thinking he has superpowers. This was followed in 2019 by a short film entitled The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants Hack-a-Ween. In the sequel, when Melvin tries to cancel Halloween, clever best friends Harold and George create their own spooky holiday. In 2020, an interactive episode called Captain Underpants Epic Choice-o-Rama was released on Netflix. The episode involves Harold and George stopping Mr. Krupp from blowing up their beloved treehouse.

Also by

David Soren

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Gimly2017-10-07
★ 3/10
I get why a Captain Underpants movie was made. The climate is pretty much as ripe for superhero parody as it's ever going to be, Captain Underpants has enjoyed moderate achievement in terms of being a household name, I even remember more or less enjoying the books as a kid. But Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie is pretty bad. Not in any unexpected ways, it's reasonable to expect a certain level of humour from a film whose titular hero has "Underpants" in the name, but in my honest opinion, The "First" Epic Movie, should probably be the last one too. Final rating:★½: - Boring/disappointing. Avoid where possible.
Reno2017-10-22
★ 7/10
A new superhero has born. Based on the children's comic book. It might look silly for a film, but all the animations are. From the director of 'Turbo', it tells the story of two best friends and their little secret. The secret of keeping their school principal under their command, after a mysterious power gave them an opportunity to enjoy the life as they wanted. But when a mad scientist started wreck the school and the city, they have to come up with something to stop him. The remaining story is full of fun action-adventure. The concept of the superhero was funny. But sure kids would love it. At least would make them wear underwear. I still watched it knowing it is for children, and I liked it. But I watched mainly for Kevin Hart. Because his fantastic voice-over in 'Secret Life of Pets' saved the film, and so here. Little short film, the story too was very simple, though the animation was good. I don't know there will be a sequel, but it should be, or else I would like to see a television series like most of the feature films in the recent time transformed into. 7/10
tmdb980948092025-04-07
★ 10/10
Alright, buckle up, because I just saw Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, and… wow. Just wow. Seriously, this movie is like a giant, hilarious, super-powered wedgie of awesomeness! From the very beginning, you're thrown into the crazy world of George and Harold, two best friends who love pranks, comics, and causing a little bit of (harmless!) chaos. Their friendship is so real and funny, you instantly want to be their buddy. They're creative, they're goofy, and they're just trying to have fun. The animation style is absolutely perfect. It's like the movie jumped right out of a flipbook, with all these cool, hand-drawn elements that make it feel super unique. It's bright, it's energetic, and it's just plain fun to watch. Every scene pops with color and silly details that keep you laughing and engaged. And the humor? Oh my goodness, the humor! This movie is packed with jokes that hit on so many levels. There's slapstick, there's wordplay, there's visual gags – it's a non-stop laugh riot. I was literally crying with laughter at some points. And it’s not just silly jokes; it’s clever and smart humor that kids and adults will both appreciate. The story itself is surprisingly engaging. It’s about friendship, creativity, and the power of imagination. George and Harold’s love for their comics really shines through, and you can’t help but root for them. Even when things get totally bonkers, the movie never loses sight of the importance of being true to yourself and sticking together with your friends. The characters are all fantastic. From the teachers to the villains, everyone is memorable and hilarious. The voice acting is top-notch, bringing so much personality to each character. You can tell the actors had a blast making this movie. The pacing is perfect. There’s never a dull moment, and the movie keeps you hooked from start to finish. It's a whirlwind of crazy adventures, hilarious moments, and genuinely heartwarming scenes. Honestly, I can’t think of a single thing I didn’t like about this movie. It’s a pure joy to watch, and it left me with a huge smile on my face. It’s the kind of movie you can watch over and over again and still find new things to laugh at. If you love cartoons, if you love to laugh, or if you just want to have a good time, you absolutely have to see Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. It's a 10/10 masterpiece of pure, unadulterated fun. Go see it! You won’t regret it!