Despicable Me 2

Three years ago, Despicable Me launched Illumination Entertainment and announced Universal Studios as a viable player in the animation game (only Disney/Pixar and DreamWorks used to show up to these box-office battles). The film wasn't even the only supervillain animation to hit the theaters that year, but it did one-up its rival Megamind both in critical acclaim and commercial success. Now, the original film's creative team returns with Despicable Me 2, continuing the adventures of former supervillain-cum-adopted father Gru, his precocious daughters Margo, Edith, and Agnes, and his little, yellow, nonsense-spouting minions. Following closely on the first film's heels (this film gratifyingly puts a premium on continuity), the now-retired Gru is settling into his new paternal role, and while the spikier parts of his personality remain, he's reshaped himself into an adoring father and potential purveyor of jams (and jellies). When an evil plot threatens the globe, however, Gru finds himself pulled back into the supervillain game by the Anti-Villain League, who've recruited him to be the hero, an ersatz spy who knows how the mystery bad guy thinks. One earnest and delightfully overbearing partner introduction later, the pair (Gru and newbie AVL agent Lucy Wilde, played by Kristen Wiig) are undercover as bakers in a strip mall where the bad guy's scheme is likely to go down. Despite the world being threatened, the stakes feel surprisingly low in the film; the archness of the plot never feels as real or immediate as the character interactions, which are enjoyable all the way through. Here, Gru realizes his loneliness, his neophyte partner realizes her true calling, and his daughters come to grips with new realizations and wishes. The characters take center stage, rarely letting the transparently-raised stakes of the plot machinations get in the way of sitcom-like character arcs such as the eldest daughter dating (and Gru's dogged insistence on undermining it) or little Agnes wanting a new mother. But that's sort of the magic of these films; despite the plot beats being the stuff of basic sitcoms, the setting and characters manage to still make the film a winning combination. Steve Carell dusts off the strange Eastern European accent he originated for Gru, and manages to be both an amusing character and his own straight man. Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Elsie Fisher embody adorableness as the girls. But it's Wiig who steals the show as Agent Wilde, a professional woman who is also goofy and personable. Wiig and Carell have fantastic chemistry, even with just their voices in play. The minions, those little yellow blobs in overalls that accompany all of the film's publicity, are back and hilarious as ever, despite their laser-like focus on slapstick and complete lack of intelligible dialogue. The Despicable films seem to be two separate animation genres welded together: the first is a heartfelt, Pixarian meditation on the nature of family, but the second is the part with the minions, which embody the anarchic spirit of the Looney Tunes more successfully than any of their predecessors. It's a strange melange that shouldn't work, but dammit, it does, and the resulting films wound up being both moving and guffaw-inducing. The other aspect of the Despicable films that bowls me over is the virtual cinematography; truly, alongside the best of Pixar's output (like Wall-E), these are some of the most beautiful animated films ever made. The use of color, depth, and art are stunning, from Gru's Charles Addams-inspired design to the beautiful play of light, shadow, and color. This sequel follows the high standards of the first, and the result is a feast for the eyes. The bottom line is that like the first film, this one is a trifle, but a very enjoyable one. It's little more than a victory lap for Carell and company, but when there are characters you can enjoy this much, what's wrong with spending another couple of hours with them?

Much as I did quite enjoy this, I think it ought really to have been called “Adorable Me” as “Gru” really hasn’t much despicable going on throughout. Indeed, when he is recruited by “Anti-Villain League” to become poacher-cum-gamekeeper, he is the epitome of the family man with the three kids, his army of giggling Minions and even an hint of romance on the horizon with agent “Lucy”. He hasn’t lost all of his knack, though, and is swiftly on the trail of “El Macho”. Arnie? Well no, more a sort of purveyor of enchiladas with his own special sauces - but has he an even more secret weapon that could turn the ever-loyal Minions not just against "Gru", but purple too? With battle lines drawn and lead agent “Ramsbottom” (or “Sheepsbutt”) confident that “Gru” couldn’t find some sand in the desert, he now has to prove he still has what it takes to save the day, the weans, the Minions and maybe even get the gal, too. I think “Gru” is my favourite of all of the animated characters to emerge from the CGI animated universe. He exudes a degree of cheery menace that I really enjoy, and even though I wish they'd have written something more along the lines of “Darth Vader” than “John Boy Walton” for him here, I still enjoy the facial expressions and Steve Carell’s voice talents. Staying on the audio front, the sniggering from the Minions is also fun, peppered as it is with the occasionally recognisable word amidst the gibberish. They are undoubtedly the saviours of this film, and probably the entire franchise, as their mischief - quite often entirely superfluous to the plot, and for more adult eyes only, raises most of the smiles here. It’s not quite as sharp and witty as the first film, but as sequels go the French comic and artistic influences help to keep it distinctive.