Per wiki policy, Spoilers Off applies here and all spoilers are unmarked. You Have Been Warned.
Visual proof that Captain Underpants is the polar opposite of Mr. Krupp.
Like all great comedies, the movie has as much heart as it does humor.
The Movie
- Everything about the song "A Friend Like You"
by Andy Grammer. It completely captures the heart and soul of George and Harold's inseparable friendship, and will resonate with anyone who shares a strong camaraderie with their own best friend.Like the Sun and the Moon
All the best things come in twos
What would I do
Without a friend like you- An instrumental of the song can be heard playing in the background during the first scene featuring George and Harold's treehouse.
- It's not just that scene. If you listen close enough, you can hear instrumental versions playing throughout the movie as their Leitmotif!
- Heck, just George and Harold's friendship in general. The fact that George goes as far as to hypnotize Principal Krupp, all for attempting to separate them in school and "annihilate their friendship" just shows the lengths these two will go for each other.
- Also, the two as kindergarteners.
- Any time these two are seen working on their comics together and sharing ideas:George: Mr. Hutchins, I gotta to say. Your drawings get better with every issue.
Harold: Because your words inspire greatness, Mr. Beard. - How unabashedly touchy-feely their friendship is as well (hugging each other when they're scared, their handshakes, "hand-on-shoulders-for-comfort", hand holding, etc.). As several people have pointed out, the film doesn't shy away from showing it doesn't have to be a Double Standard for guy friends to express how much they care about each other as such in a platonic way.
- George comforting Harold after Krupp tore up their "Origin Issue" comic.George: It's okay, we've got more ideas.
- The scene where they enter and show off the treehouse, with special mention to how George helps Harold pull down the ladder.
- Whenever Harold is emotionally distressed in some way, George is quick to appease his friend's worries and calm him down. This especially stands out during some of the scenes where the dread of being separated is the cause of the distress, since George is also very clearly affected by it as well, but he keeps ahold of his composure to keep Harold grounded.
- During the Invention Convention (which is basically an extended torture session for the students because of how unbelievably boring it is), George can be seen with his head in Harold's lap, with Harold patting his head.
- A small one, but there's a brief few frames of George looking quite upset seeing Harold recoil after Poopypants yells at him for saying "laughter is the best medicine".
- Then when Professor Poopypants sends George to the principal's office along with Harold after George made a joke about "Professor P's" name, George immediately protests why Harold has to be punished too when he didn't do anything. While they do just about everything together, if only one of them is responsible for something that warrants getting in trouble for, they won't stand for the other taking the fall as well if they had no part in it.
- Their reunion after being separated.
- The two working together to scale the Turbo Toilet 2000.
- Another minor one, but after the Turbo Toilet 2000 is defeated and the boys are freed from its respective hands, George makes his way over to Harold, wanting to celebrate their victory when Harold mentions he might've bruised a rib. Just look at George's terrified expression at the prospect his best friend might be injured then the relief when Harold reveals he's okay!
- Harold saving George from a shrink blast.
- Their affirmation to remain best friends no matter what, even if they're put in separate classes, at the end.
- Good GOD, the dynamic between Captain Underpants, George and Harold.
- Just look at the page image! That's him congratulating and thanking the two for their "spot on" cataloging of his heroic exploits!Captain: Chums! Thank you for chronicling my surprisingly grounded biography! The truth is a slippery thing… and you nailed it! (proudly ruffles the two's hair)
- The fact that Captain Underpants IMMEDIATELY deems the two his sidekicks and affectionately refers to them as such throughout the film, in addition to calling them "chums" or "guys". He's also very impressed with their comics, treehouse "headquarters" and various memorabilia "relics" from his adventures.
- The fact that unlike in the books, George and Harold seem to genuinely enjoy having Captain Underpants around, and don't see him as too big of a nuisance.
- When George and Harold tell him they want to bring back fun to the school, Captain Underpants orders a CARNIVAL for the students to enjoy to help the boys' "free the children" cause.
- Just look at the page image! That's him congratulating and thanking the two for their "spot on" cataloging of his heroic exploits!
- Captain Underpants himself as a character also qualifies.Captain Underpants: (gasp) Look at the cute little turtle!
- Captain Underpants as a baby in George and Harold's Origin Issue comic"Tra la la la la la!"
- Every other thing he does is adorable, but special mention goes to him cuddling the Tattle Turtle and him playing the musical instruments he finds in the music classroom, particularly the triangle, with all the joy of a kid in a candy store.Captain Underpants: It dings!
- While the scene ultimately ends in a Tear Jerker, seeing Captain Underpants be so engaging with the other students and their fun at the carnival really cements how dedicated he is to assisting George and Harold's "bring back fun" cause.
- In an interview, Ed Helms states that Krupp "has a kernel of goodness" inside him somewhere that comes out when he becomes Captain Underpants, and that voicing as Captain Underpants was one of the most enjoyable roles he's ever played.
- Captain Underpants as a baby in George and Harold's Origin Issue comic
- George and Harold reopening the music and arts classroom for all the school kids after Mr. Krupp revealed he shut down the art program earlier in the movie. Their collective joy is just beautiful to behold.
- George and Harold apologizing for making fun of Professor Poopypants' name and make amends for humiliating him with their comic. While he's unfortunately too far gone at this point for it to have any impact (and the scene that follows certainly doesn't help), the two still take accountability and acknowledge what they did was wrong, as well as try to make him feel better by coming up with ridiculous names for themselves.
- Captain Underpants rescuing George and Harold after receiving his newly acquired superpowers. Doubles as a Moment of Awesome.
- It should also be mentioned HOW Captain Underpants got his powers. While he was dropped in the toxic-waste school leftovers fuel of the Turbo Toilet 2000, he didn't obtain his powers until he consumed the sludge, which didn't happen immediately. What caused him to do so? Him reacting in shock to hearing George and Harold's cries for help!
- He saves them a second time at the end of the movie from the Talking Toilets.
- Edith the Lunch Lady's crush on Krupp/Captain Underpants. Krupp is initially oblivious to her advances, but his feelings are clearly mutual, and it's beautiful when he finally acts on them. As Captain Underpants, he outright FLIRTS with her, and her reaction is absolutely precious!Edith: Ooh. Flirt alert!
- Heck, the scene alone where Captain flirts with Edith is adorable.Edith: Did you like my tuna casserole?
Captain Underpants: I cannot lie; I don't recall having your tuna casserole.
Edith: (dejected) What? Oh...
Captain Underpants: But if your casserole is as striking as your one blue eye...
Edith: (blushes) Oh! I didn't think you noticed... (shyly pushes her hair out of her face)
Captain Underpants: Oh, my... two blue eyes... - George and Harold helping the two get together on a date via "the prank for good". Coming from the boys, this is a really sweet gesture.
- Heck, the scene alone where Captain flirts with Edith is adorable.
- The scene where Mr. Krupp excitedly shares news of his date set up by George and Harold. He just seems so happy, and of all people, he tells George and Harold. Even better, he then returns their comics that he confiscated earlier. And if that wasn't enough, he then reveals that he actually read their comics, and tells them that he thinks that the comics were Actually Pretty Funny! And this is coming from the same man who ripped up one of said comics in his introduction scene!
- In this adaptation, George and Harold are pranksters not just for the heck of it, but for the sake of returning joy and laughter to their fellow students who have had the happiness and imagination stomped out of them by Mr. Krupp. They rig Melvin's Turbo Toilet 2000 to shoot toilet paper rolls into the crowd during the Invention Convention, reopen the art program and open a carnival with the help of Captain Underpants, use their comic books to make everyone laugh (admittedly at the expense of Professor Poopypants), and eventually, they even manage to make Mr. Krupp happy by setting him up on a date with Edith. Not a Prank Date like they did for Mr. Krupp and Ms. Ribble in the books, a real date. No doubt Jerome Horwitz Elementary School will be a much brighter place in the future, all thanks to them.
- Krupp is practically squeeing when he reads "Edith's" note, then skips off down the hall humming to himself.
- Harold's love of dolphins.
- The movie credits end on a picture of George and Harold, arm in arm.
- When Mr. Krupp reveals that Mr. Fyde isn't with them anymore, a girl misinterprets this as he's dead and starts crying. Considering what a horrible school this is, it's surprising that one of the kids would mourn their teacher. It probably helps that Mr. Fyde is the only known teacher and (along with Edith) the only staff member who isn't a jerk to the kids.
- Speaking of which, if you rewatch the montage of pranks that George and Harold have pulled, you’ll notice that compared to the rest of the faculty, the pranks they pulled on Mr. Fyde and Edith were the most harmless.
- This one is easy to miss, but despite Melvin being George and Harold’s Sitcom Arch-Nemesis, he’s seen reading one of their latest comics. It’s a pretty nice gesture coming from someone who’s a Jerkass Stool Pigeon, who normally finds the two immature.
- Despite the fact that he’s shown to be a bit of a Child Hater very early on, it’s implied that Mr. Krupp is actually genuinely nice to Melvin. Sure, this is probably due to the fact that the kid is pretty much The Dragon to him, but still.
- The fact that the "Uranus" joke ended up inadvertently saving the day. Even if you stopped finding it funny, anyone who used to could possibly have a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. That's your childhood sense of humor talking.
