Written by Guillermo Troncoso.
After the success of Despicable Me a sequel was inevitable. This time around we meet up with Gru (Steve Carell) as he tries to raise Agnes, Edith and Margo as best he can. He is no longer developing evil plans for world domination, but is instead working with his minions on perfecting a new line of jellies and jams. Gru is thrown back into action when he is recruited by the AVL (Anti-Villain League) to go undercover and assist Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig) in finding the villain responsible for developing a substance that turns people into unstoppable purple killing machines.
Despicable Me’s success was based on the undeniable level of sweetness it incorporated into the humor. Gru’s internal battle between good and evil was wonderfully realized and his transformation from villain to father was the key to the character’s appeal. Now that it is clear that he is no longer evil, the story goes towards finding him a love-interest. The girls need a mother, don’t they?
The focus of Despicable Me 2 is more on Gru’s reluctant search for love than it is on the good vs. evil plot. Unfortunately, this imbalance works against the film’s pacing. The film sags towards the middle as the story stops moving forward. Yes, we know Gru is reluctant to date. Yes, there’s a bad guys somewhere. Could we develop at least one of these plots a little quicker? Thankfully, the jokes and set-pieces continue to roll out at a fast enough pace so that you don’t notice it too much.
Gru’s minions take on a higher level of importance this time round. The filmmakers must have noticed their crowd-pleasing appeal from the first film and they’ve ensured that these little yellow beings have plenty to do. They provide most of the laughs and will prove a distraction for the kiddies that tire of the film’s slightly soapy elements.
In terms of voice-acting, Steve Carell once again does a great job. He voices Gru in a great Central-European accent that is both quirky and original. Kristen Wiig brings plenty of charisma and energy to her character of Lucy Wilde, and Benjamin Bratt enhances his Latin appeal for the entertaining character of Eduardo.
The animation is as expected, brilliant. The colorful energy on display will have audiences, especially children, hypnotized and the 3D simply enhances each sequence. Like the first film, the minions once again show off the 3D technology throughout the end credits.
Overall, Despicable Me 2 is a fun animated film that the kids will definitely enjoy. The film may sag towards the middle, but there is enough going on to entertain most adults as well.
THE REEL SCORE: 7/10.
– G.T.
