While gigantic robots and men made of steel tear apart the Summer box office, a bunch of animated movies are also in the middle of the foray, all fighting for your hard earned cash and more importantly some peace and quiet when the kids will shut up for 90 minutes. Except the kids won’t shut up and neither will you, because expect you AND them to laugh….alot. Thats the name of the game in the sequel to Despicable Me.
Steve Carrell and Russell Brand return, lending their vocal talents as does Kristen Wiig, who incidentally plays a different character compared to the original. Despicable Me 2 sees our lead character, Gru in quite a different role this time round. He’s left behind his original super villain ways and now he’s been recruited by the Anti- Villain league to help deal with a super powerful bad guy! And all with absolutely hilarious consequences.
Despicable Me 2 is a sight to behold with a bright and vibrant look to the entire movie which is incredibly easy on the eyes, regardless of what dimension you see it in. The digital sets are impressive and there is a genuinely huge level of detail on display, especially when it comes to the minions. The little yellow dudes are back,brimming with attitude and steal every single scene they’re in. They all have an individual personality, which is no mean feat considering the amount of them that frequent the screen at any one time. Watch out for the pole dancing minion! And watch out for the chestbuster scene! Yup, thats an Alien reference!
The kids will love the madcap antics of the movie as well parents and older siblings. Its the nods that are peppered throughout the movie that strike a perfect balance for kids and adults alike. The Alien nod is the obvious one and I won’t say anymore than that, so not to drop any “mini” spoilers. But rest assured, keep your eyes open and you’ll be amazed at what you spot! It’s these visual touches that bring the laughs time and time again. A montage of El Macho, who straps dynamite to his chest while riding a great white shark, strapped onto a rocket headed into an active volcano had tears running down my face! Pure madness and pure brilliance! Its one of the scenes of the year!
The story itself is straight forward and while its not going to tax your brain or the kids brains at that, it’s a little bit clunky and seems a bit all over the place. That said, its easily forgivable!
Overall, Despicable Me 2 is an improvement on the original, has a perfect balance for adults and kids, is downright hilarious and is one of the animated movies of the year.A brilliant family fun fest!
