Starring: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove
Director: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Rating: 2.5/5
It was back in 2010 that we were introduced to Gru and the Minions for the first time; and it was a movie that went on to be one of the biggest films of the year.
This summer they are back as Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud are back in the director’s chair to try and repeat that success.
Now that the ever-entrepreneurial Gru has left behind a life of super crime to raise Margo (Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes Elsie Fisher, Gru, Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand) and the Minions have some free time on their hands.
But just as he starts to adjust to his role as a suburban family man, an ultra-secret organization dedicated to fighting evil around the globe comes knocking.
Now, it's up to Gru and his new partner, Lucy Wilde (Wiig), to discover who is responsible for a spectacular crime and bring him to justice.
I have to admit that I wasn’t a huge fan of the first film as I thought it just lacked that magic that elevates a good animation film to a great animation film; three years later and the sequel suffers from the same problem.
It is great to see a sequel not follow the same path as the first film as well see Gru go from super-villain to super-dad. He is a very different character to the one that we saw first time around and that is quite refreshing.
The Minions do have a certain charm to them and they do have a bigger part to play in the film than first time around; however they are a little overused and some of their scenes can get a little tiresome.
There is no doubt that youngsters will love the film, the story, the characters and everything in between but there is little to hold the attention of an adult audience.
The plot is a little jumbled and the potential relationship between Gru and Lucy Wilde is a bit of a distraction and is a plot line that is all too familiar.
There is no doubt that the movie looks fantastic and the animators have been more adventurous as they have gone bigger and bolder second time around.
Despicable Me 2 is just missing that spark and that element of magic - something that we see so often with Pixar movies - that really elevates the film.
Sadly Despicable Me 2 is just a little flat as it tells a well worn story and really is missing some substantial laughs; kids and fans of the first film will enjoy it but there is not too much for anyone else.
Despicable Me 2 is out now
Tagged in Despicable Me