@evanbrown5306
Another hint of Hal's cowardice is that when MegaMind comes to see Hal before the transformation he says " Is is a Robbery? 'cause the lady across the hall has better stuff than me!'" the moment he thought he was in danger willing to throw someone else under the bus to save himself.
@KnightoftheKing4
Titan was a great surprise villain and a great foil for Megamind. Megamind himself is a showing for how anyone can be a hero while Hal is a reminder that anyone can be a villain. Very rare to have a movie show both of those ideas and do them this well.
@nseven1117
as the old saying goes: "power doesn't corrupt, it reveals"
@Xen_IV
Just because you mention it, I like the fact that Metro-man is horrible at music, cause I enjoyed the thought of Metro-man reopening a personal aspect in his life and its struggles. Because you can see him playing a ukulele in the school at the beginning, so I’d think he enjoys that as a hobby of his as a kid, which probably means he dropped the hobby once he got older and/or started working as a hero. And after a tiring life that’s probably full of hollow victories, to things served to him on a silver platter because he’s superhuman, he found enjoyment in learning how to play guitar—whether it’s relearning or something new to him. He likes how challenging it is because it gives him a sense of purpose and normalcy, and once he perfects it, he’ll finally feel what true victory feels like.
@ShinyAvalon
I can feel a little sorry for Hal - he's clearly faced bullying before - but it did not give him empathy for others who suffered like him, only made him envy and want to emulate the bullies. He's what some call a "victim-perp," the target of cruelty who becomes cruel himself.
@majopino558
I once saw a theory on internet that said that Metro Man chose to be a musician because it was the only thing he wasn't good at, he was aware that he was bad at music but that motivated him to pursue it because it was a chance to do something that could challenge him and give him authentic growth. This only demonstrates that even people like Metro Man who had everything to be great chose to grow while Hal who had the same chances because of the superpowers he gained, chose to do nothing and stood in the same status quo he had been his whole life in.
@CJRealHoops1
Tighten's key personality-defining scene is when Megamind is training him, and Megamind creates a training scenario with a Megamind mannequin. Tighten first clumsily clanks around, suggesting he doesn't have the self-control to properly contain his god-like gifts, but then brutally and wrathfully melts the face of the Megamind mannequin. This 2nd part is important because it demonstrates what Metro Man could've done at any moment in the years of their rivalry, but did not. This is because Metro Man (who represents an amalgamation of all superhero tropes, but mostly Superman) understood that just because you have the POWER to do something does not mean you have the RIGHT to do something. Tighten never understood that; he believed powers alone gave him the right of getting the girl, getting respect and adulation, and getting whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. Tighten's story is a beautiful parable that shows that power alone does not make the hero.
@TheWanderer1000000
Tighten is what happens when you give powers to a spineless coward who has homicidal tendencies.
@shakulnural5413
I personally empathized for Hal. I was where he was: an unmotivated, out of shape, waste of potential, obsessive creep. But i grew a spine, started working out, got a good job, have really good friends that I socialize with at least once a week. Watching Hal go through the stages he did was like looking in a mirror. I'm glad superpowers aren't real, I would have done the same thing as he did when I was in that same mindset. But i have acquired that missing willingness to change and be a better person mentally and physically.
@summermelody7942
One thing that’s clever about this character is that his name after getting his powers was supposed to be Titan, but Hal thought that Megamind didn’t say “Titan” but rather “Tighten” and uses the latter for himself when he becomes a threat to the city Titan is the hero, but Tighten is the villain
@GrifoStelle
5:03 yellow roses are supposed to represent friendship. Fun detail
@IsaiahWayne2104
Tighten "There is no tooth fairy. There is no Easter Bunny. And there is no Queen of England." 2022:
@kristiscannell8392
“Oh you’re a villain alright… just not a super one. Whats the difference? Presentation!!!!!!!” -megamind
@Twig0622
>“I know everything about you, Roxanne” > pulls out large flower booth >”I didn’t know which flower you liked so I got you all of them”
@Perid0tStar
This was a great video-- I'd like to add that another obstacle to the idea of Hal having any redeemability is his lack of self-awareness or empathy, putting everyone in so much risk and danger. I could maybe kind of get the sense that his choice to play games in his apartment could be seen as an attempt to return to the only life he knew how to lead as a means of self-soothing, but the way he stole that stuff and it was just sitting there as though he was bored with it showed that it was kind of like he took it like a trophy to show that he could get away with it. The only way he'd have had an off-ramp is if he'd chosen to lead a simpler lifestyle like Metro Man until he wrapped his head around it all, put a lot of self-reflection in and done the mental work, and done no harm in the meantime. I'm trying to work together a villain that has a reason to focus on a particular person for her own reasons after another project of hers fails. I'm learning that making a villain is surprisingly challenging because they have to start relatively normal and then find a seemingly 'natural' progression to God knows where by thinking/doing stuff that runs so counter to what any average person would consider, but without becoming Snydly Whiplash and oversimplified. These video essays really are very helpful to analyze these characters and situations and add context.
@alexinfinite7142
Mega mind is a staggeringly good film. Years later we keep finding more reasons to love it
@bryceknowles1380
Hal’s the type of guy who believes that the world should owe him when he’s done nothing to deserve it. Look at Roxanne, Hal is in love with her, but she wants there relationship should just be professional. Hal thinks that if he was like Metro Man than Roxy would go out with him.
@deanherring3622
“He is no normal moron, he is the combined force of the most brilliant minds in the world to make the worlds biggest moron” -Glados I know this isn’t wholly Hal’s case but I will take any excuse to make a Portal reference.
@bruja2351
I like the distinction that Hal doesn’t actually like Roxane, he likes with the idea of her. Because that feels like a good way to discern the incel that he is, from an awkward guy who’s just unlucky in dating (proper definition or not, Incel as a slang term feels more like an entitled attitude towards dating/romantic interests rather than simply a virgin guy). because no one who actually likes someone would act like this. If you like someone you can be bummed sure, but you should want them to be happy. (It’s more nuanced from this and I’m no expert, but you shouldn’t be angry at them for it, basically) All and all, cool analysis. I thought it was nice. 👍🏽
@Kiaanisthebest