MOVIE REVIEW: Despicable Me 2
When I first heard that Despicable Me was getting a sequel I was pretty sceptical. The first film seemed relatively self-contained and I had no idea what the sequel could add upon from its predecessor. After seeing Despicable Me 2 the answer seems to be more minions. Ermm….Yay?
Plot wise the movie is pretty bare bones. Retired super villain Gru gets recruited by Lily Wilde to help the Anti-Villain League stop a super animal serum from going to enemy hands. It’s never played up as dramatic or important it just gives the characters something to do so jokes can be told and minions can be cute.
The focus on comedy is a double edged sword. Most of the jokes hit the right notes and the Minions are adorably hilarious, but the lack of any real drama means we don’t get emotionally invested in Gru, Lilly or the daughters. That’s a shame since the family aspect of the original was a high point and showed that the film had heart, now the heart is gone and is replaced by farts and chickens.
The voice acting is still strong though, Steve Carell does a fine job as Gru even if his material isn’t always great. Kristen Wig is also funny as Agent Wilde even if her character is a bit over the top; the same can be said about Benjamin Bratt’s Eduardo Perez. The others are just okay, Ken Jeong feels wasted voicing a minor character given his starring roles in Community and The Hangover while Miranda Cosgrove isn’t given enough time to make Margo standout from her other two siblings.
At the end of the day Despicable Me 2 is a pretty run of the mill sequel. It is very funny and the minions steal the show, but the lack of heart and a proper story cut it short of being a must see. If you liked the first film or have kids who did then you probably already reserved tickets to DM 2.
Special thanks to Solar Entertainment for the advance premiere and McDonald’s for the free Chicken Nuggets and Toy.
