Despicable Me 2 is enjoyable enough for every age group, so it gets a thumbs up from me.
The film is the sequel to the 2010 animated comedy that featured Steve Carrell, Jason Segel and Russell Brand. I thought it was an alright film with some very funny moments, although the heartwarming stuff was just ranged from cute to meh to me. Yes I know, I am a heartless jerk.
This time around the sequel shifts a little more of its focus on the comedy, which I think is an improvement. In this film, the lovable former villain Gru (voiced by Carrell again) has grown more attached to his role as a father and has retired from his life of crime. Now he spends most of his time not only being a father, but also trying to create a jelly franchise with the help of his scene stealing minions.
One day he is abducted by the Anti-Villain League, headed by Silas Ramsbottom (voiced by Steve Coogan) *cue the minions laughing at his name*. Gru has been selected to help head an operation to search for a villain responsible for stealing a chemical mix that makes animals into savage beasts. He is partnered up with the hyperactive and spunky agent Lucy Wilde (voiced by Kristin Wiig) to track down the villain.
The real highlight of the film is the comedic scenes. I really do get a Classic Looney Tunes vibe from some of them. In particular, Gru reminds me a little of Daffy Duck. There are some nice tender moments involving Gru, his new love interest and his daughters, which thankfully don’t slow the film down and come in at the right moments.
I can’t really think of any major problems I have with the film, except for the lack of Russell Brand’s Dr. Nefario and the fact that Benjamin Bratt was merely OK as the character Eduardo. I heard that originally it was going to be Al Pacino playing the part of Eduardo, which would have been an improvement in my opinion.
But overall, it’s still a rather innocent and harmless film that’s worth a viewing.
