Whether you prefer the zingy Zootropolis, emotional Inside Out or progressive Moana, high benchmarks of smarts have lately been hit in the junior movie market. Captain Underpants gleefully flaunts a determination to lower those standards, though it's not without its own canny streak. Stuffed so full of juvenile antics it's a wonder the elastic holds, DreamWorks' good-natured adaptation of Dav Pilkey's novels targets the part of kids' brains which seems predisposed to enjoy a good fart gag: and, sweetly, it finds much to like there.

Pocket-sized pranksters George (voiced by Kevin Hart) and Harold (Thomas Middleditch) resemble a proto Beavis and Butt-Head, made redeemable by the imaginative potential they channel into creating irreverent comic-books about gaff-prone superhero Captain Underpants. Director David Soren (Turbo) and scriptwriter Nicholas Stoller (Storks, Bad Neighbours 2 – good training) ignore George and Harold's parents, assuming the duo's viewpoints throughout. Their bromance is viewed in loved-up candy colours, their school-life under Grinch-y principal Mr Krupp (Ed Helms) in prisoner-of-war movie greys. Until the pals transform Krupp into their klutzy Captain using a cereal box hypno-ring, making school a sillier place to be.

If the story is strictly one-ply thin, the pre-tween perspective is upheld with infectious exuberance. The Captain's clash with Nick Kroll's super-villain Professor Poopypants and his school swot assistant Melvin (Jordan Peele) involves a veritable surge of no-brow gags, taking in pee, poo and weaponised robo-toilets. Any temptation to gussy up proceedings with in-jokes for accompanying adults is resisted. This is a film that sides with the kids, right down to its sly jabs at uncaring, cash-starved school systems and loose message about the value of laughing at yourself; and, of course, at the mere existence of a planet called Uranus.

General release from Mon 24 Jul.