Despicable Me 2, 2013.
Directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud.
Featuring the voice talents of Steve Carell, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Steve Coogan, Ken Jeong, and Miranda Cosgrove.
SYNOPSIS:
Reformed evil mastermind Gru is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to take down a terrorising villain.
Were people screaming out for a sequel to 2010’s Despicable Me? True the minions were entertaining and it was pleasantly heart-warming, but a sequel wasn’t really necessary. This time round – in a twisted Terminator 2 kind of way – Gru has gone from super villain to doting father and hero. This time he’s out to catch a new super villain with the help of hapless Anti-Villain League (AVL) agent Lucy Wilde (Wiig). What ensues is 98 minutes of frothy fun that whilst enjoyable is ultimately forgettable.
The most popular element of the Despicable Me was the minions, with their own language, individual personalities and slapstick animation. They return again in the sequel and are seemingly pushed to the forefront at every available opportunity. For the first half of the film the joke works well, but after an hour or so the joke is stretch a bit thin. Still they are cute and the kids will adore them the second time around. Giving each minion a personality is a stroke of genius and helps the joke run for as long as it can. The only issue is that the franchise and merchandise element of the film will scream out to any adult viewers. Unlike the classics from Pixar, there are only a few jokes that will engage the adults – one that does stand out in my mind is when the youngest child Agnes tells Gru she knows what makes him a boy – the look on Gru’s face is priceless.
If you didn’t like the minions in the first film then the sequel should be avoided. With their own film in the pipeline, Despicable Me 2 feels at times like a set up for their own mini adventure. Although we’ve had machines take centre stage in an animation (Wall-E was superb and expertly executed with minimal sound), the idea of the minions as the main focus of a film seems a bit too much of a stretch.
Back to the vocal elements of Despicable Me 2; Steve Carell is on fine form once again as the loveable Gru. He’s a safe pair of hands and seems to thoroughly enjoy playing the unconventional hero. The best addition is the character of Lucy Wilde, voiced expertly by Kristen Wiig. She’s fun and injects some much needed charisma and a humour into the film. Lucy and Gru bounce off each other well and it’s one of the highlights of the film. The pairing of Carell and Wiig is a success; let’s hope that they can carry this on when they reunite for Anchorman: The Legend Continues later this year.
The rest of the vocal talent on display includes Benjamin Bratt as brash Mexican Eduardo. Whilst Bratt does his best, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would have been like if Al Pacino hadn’t left the project? Eduardo’s two dimensional character might have had a bit more life then Bratt’s limp offering. Steven Coogan provides good support as Silas Rambotton – the uptight English director of the AVL. Although stereotypical he offers a few laughs and adds a bit more weight to the film. The three girls are adorable and there are a few family moments that remind us of the heart melting elements of the first film.
But the main issue with Despicable Me 2 is that it lacks the heart of the first one. The plot doesn’t try to do anything different and it feels like we’re going over the original from a different angle. The reason Disney Pixar films work so well is that they balance humour and emotion perfectly. Think of the beginning of Up or the sadness of Toy Story juxtaposed with great comedic lines. Despicable Me 2 doesn’t have the edge that makes a truly memorable animation. Instead we get a film that is entertaining, but you’ll forget it as soon as you leave the cinema.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Originally published June 26, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
