Despicable Me – Review
Here’s a delightful little animated film. I looked and looked for the DreamWorks or Pixar logo on the film, but nope, someone else is actually making and can make just as good animated films as those two powerhouse studios, and the real winners are us, the audience. Despicable Me aims for the funny bone and hits it nearly every time, thanks to a clever script that has a few jokes that could be viewed as being a tad mean-spirited, but hey, what’s not to like about an animated film that jab at orphans, bad parenting, and poop? Don’t fret, it’s all very safe, so your kids won’t be tainted, as I’m sure they’ll love the Minions so much, Universal will be doing a short film for the Gru-ray disc.
For all of the jokes, the poop humors, and the Minion antics, Despicable Me actually has an emotional chord within all of the eye-popping 3D. It might be minor, and not as profound as we’ve seen from DreamWorks’ How to Train Your Dragon and Pixar’s Toy Story 3. The film has a somewhat original idea of two super villains battling it out for top villainy and a bank loan for future villainy. Gru (Steve Carell) thinks by adopting three orphaned little girls, that he could use them to trick Vector (an somewhat wasted Jason Segel) and get his shrink ray. All goes according to Gru’s devilish plan, until he develops his father connection to the three girls.
Despicable Me is quite enjoyable from start to finish. The emotional third act doesn’t hit a home run, but it’s a solid double with runners in scoring position, but still, it’s the clever visual jokes, the Minions, and some humor that’s safely inappropriate that makes the film a hoot. Oh, and the funky Mission: Impossible score from Hans Zimmer and Pharrell from N.E.R.D. adds a considerable amount of charm to film. It’s a welcomed breezy time, possibly a nice diversion from the more emotional animated films as of late. In fact, it nicely reminds us of a bygone time when Road Runner would violently out wit Wiley E. Coyote. Like I said, Despicable Me is a charmer, and it doesn’t mind being a little devious to do so.
Rating: 
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- Despicable Me Blu-ray/DVD announced | KillerFilm - [...] DVD, and 3-D Blu-ray on December 14. The film was generally praised by critics (read our review here), and earned ...
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I liked this much more than I thought I would. The humor was fine for the most part. But why did Steve Carell need to speak like a Russian? Nothing else in the movie suggested he was Russian. Carrell has a perfectly annoying voice as is. I was bugged by his ersatz Russian accent the entire film.
And while I’m on the subject, here’s a question I have after seeing this film and the previews for the animated “Megamind.” Why is the bald guy now always the vilian? Did we tire of Nazis or what?
Brad Reiter Reply:
July 12th, 2010 at 10:07 am
Seriously man. Us skin crowns need to stick together! We aren’t that bad, lol.
Steve Reply:
July 12th, 2010 at 10:16 am
Exactly, Brad. Who’s more likeable than us?
Brad Reiter Reply:
July 12th, 2010 at 11:13 am
My dad, who is also bald, says, “God made the perfect heads. The others he put hair on.” That just about sums us up, lol.
I thought this movie was pretty great but was disappointed that it wasn’t in 3D here in Omaha.
Steve Reply:
July 12th, 2010 at 10:15 am
Christina, I saw the movie at Twin Creek in Bellevue and they had 3D glasses there, so I’m wondering what gives. I just finished watching “House of Wax” with Vincent Price on TV, so I had to imagine the 3D so I was in good practice imagining the 3D.
What hurt was a few things: 1-there’s too many 3D films out there competing for limited screens. Not all the theaters are equiped to show that many at one time. Most theaters just have one Digital 3D screen. 2-You have Last Airbender sucking up the 3D screens for no reason. Despicable Me’s carnival sequence would have been spectacular in 3D. 3-Theaters should have switched the screenings to this since it was new and 3D in Last Airbender was horrible (almost non-existent) or properly had times known for a rotation of the films in 3D.
@Steve: Sadly, those older 3D films might never come back to DVD/Blu in 3D with RealD 3D taking over. Such fun!
Steve Reply:
July 12th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
Good insight there, Jon, per 3D. That “House of Wax” would have been pretty good in 3D.