Review #912 - Despicable Me 2 (2013)
THE SCOOP
Director: Pierre Coffin & Chris Renaud
Cast: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Ken Jeong, Russell Brand
Plot: Gru is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to help deal with a powerful new super criminal.
Genre: Animation / Comedy
Awards: Nom. for 2 Oscars - Best Animated Feature, Best Original Song.
Runtime: 98min
Rating: G for rude humor and mild action.
IN RETROSPECT (Spoilers: NO)
The film was reviewed in the 3D
format.
“Are you
really gonna save the world?”
The Minions are back! And in top form, if I may add. Those cute, consistently hilarious motley
bunch of yellowthings continue to draw intense giggles and fierce laughter from
audiences in this sequel to Despicable Me
(2010). I won't be surprised to see a
third film, and possibly a Minion-inspired spinoff feature in the next five
years.
What came as a surprise though
was the astounding popular success of the first feature, its popularity banked
by the endearing yellowthings, rather than the main character Gru, as voiced by
a foreign-accented Steve Carell whom to his credit serves his character well.
Illumination Entertainment knew
what would sell, and shrewdly opted to market the franchise with a giddy
explosion of Minions. In Despicable Me 2, most of the Minions
turn into purple monsters with hair after being injected with a serum developed
by a scheming villain.
In one sequence, they chase after
the protagonists like the frenzied zombies in 28 Days Later (2002) and World
War Z (2013). But look out for how
Gru’s girls take revenge in the most gleefully anti-violent of ways...
ironically by using guns. In this line
of thought, Despicable Me 2 can be
seen as a perfect example of the re-imagination of violence from the
perspective of a child, one that does not reek of savageness.
Very much a standard good versus
evil storyline with elements of a spy-thriller, Despicable Me 2 works best as a comedy for families who appreciate
the healing properties that come from seeing sheer cuteness on the big screen. They will be satisfied – both parents and
kids… a promise fulfilled by the film’s marketing efforts.
Despicable
Me 2
is largely entertaining, but what's most impressive is the filmmakers' ability
to milk as much character development as possible from a host of subplots that
are deftly balanced and contribute un-superfluously to the overall
narrative.
In particular, Gru evolves from
an awkward man with a pointed nose who is occasionally maniacal, to someone who
might possibly find love, and hopefully, some sanity. But of course, everyone is bound to go mental
when the Minions are in the house.
GRADE: B (7.5/10 or 3.5 stars)
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