Gru and his oddball Minions are back and still up to their same old wacked-out shenanigans. Pure shenanigans, I tell ya. It’s a welcomed return as “Despicable Me 2” captures much of the fun and heart of the 2010 original, making it a sequel worth the ticket price.
In fact, my enjoyment of this film was so great that I feel like a bit of a hypocrite. Just a couple weeks ago I was squirting urine and moaning about how uninspired the PIXAR sequels/prequels have been as I stood perched high atop my soapbox and now I am telling you how another visit to the “Despicable Me” universe made me giddy. I feel I should clarify that I’m opposed to pointless sequels that pale next to the source material. Simple example: “Toy Story 3” built on the previous stories and delivered an emotional and funny chapter for Woody and Buzz while “Cars 2” simply told another story with Mater stumbling around and missed any emotional or nuanced elements. “Monsters University” is a “Monsters Inc.” prequel that removes the original’s heart (baby Boo) and replaces it with a “Revenge of the Nerds” inspired plotline. Pointless.
“Despicable Me 2” matches the first film’s humor and even gives us more slapstick craziness by piling on the Minions. They are everywhere in this go around and they are hysterical. Their warped brand cartoon violence is reminiscent of Warner Bros. animation shorts that used to feature slaps to the face and bonks on the head. It’s a sensibility that has been dulled down in our entertainment after a couple of decades of Political Correctness and I for one have missed this sort of humor.
This time around Gru (Steve Carell) isn’t really all that despicable. The bald baddie has become a full time father to the three little lovelies from the first film and is no longer a practicing super-villain. He now focuses his diabolical genius on throwing the perfect princess birthday party for Agnes (Elise Kate Fisher) and making disgusting tasting jellies and jams in his secret lair.
Gru is recruited by the AVL (the Anti-Villain League) to help them catch a new mega-villain who has stolen a sinister serum that turns cute, cuddly animals into blood thirsty monsters. Gru is reluctant at first but he is further enticed by the idea of working with Lucy (Kristen Wiig), another AVL agent. After some snooping at the local mall, the duo quickly decide that this may be the work of El Macho, a very masculine villain that was thought to be dead after he rode a shark covered in explosives into a volcano. As Gru searches for serum, he might also find another missing piece of his heart.
It’s sappy stuff but this franchise has become about a lonely man who finds people in this world to share his life with. The first film brought him three adorable orphans and this one focuses on his love life. The next film wouldn’t surprise me if he finds out he has a long lost brother or some such whatever.
This is another family-friendly flick from Illumination Entertainment that was animated from their French-based animation department. I haven’t been a big fan of any of their other films (“The Lorax” disappointed and “Hop” was horrible) but they have a true winner here with the “Despicable Me” franchise. The animation is spectacular and they are very gifted at using 3D technology to immerse you into the movie. PAY THE SURCHARGE AND SEE THIS IN 3D. It is imperative. Illumination will follow this up with a Minion spinoff film currently called (not surprisingly) “Minions” that is due to come out Dec. 19, 2014. I’ll be there although this may backfire. Sometimes sidekicks are best in small doses.
The voice cast is stellar and reads like a Comedy All-Star Roster: Carell is charming while Wiig returns from the original as a different character (she was the mean lady who ran the orphanage in the first film). Steve Coogan joins the cast but is underused while Russell Brand reprises his Dr. Nafario. Both of the film’s directors, Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, voice the majority of the babble spewing Minions.
The film does have some crude elements that may be inappropriate for very young children. There are a number of fart jokes and Gru spends one scene waving his groin at everything on set. You know your kids though and if you were fine with the first one, this will not offend or corrupt.
It’s still early in the year and the competition has been weak but “Despicable Me 2” is currently the best animated film of the year. Of course, I still have yet to see that one about that really fast snail. My gut feeling is that this will still be at the top of the list after that one comes out. Just a guess though.