Despicable Me 2 Review

As always, I have problems naming these damn articles, so you’re going to have to settle for “Despicable Me 2 Review”

One awesome thing about babysitting is that I get paid to do fun stuff sometimes. I babysit on a regular basis, and a couple weeks ago I was basically paid to take the children to see Monsters University (it was my second viewing).  And like most Pixar movies, the movie was even greater on a second viewing, and I was able to pick up on details I missed the first time around, as well as being able to admire the design and animation and less on story (Since I knew what was going to happen).

A week later, I was asked to take the kids to the movies again, this time to see Despicable Me 2. I’ll be honest, I did not have plans to see this film in my free time with my own money. But if it was free, then heck yeah, I’ll see it.

Now, I have seen the first Despicable Me. It was fun, it was cute, it was kind of forgettable. To be honest. And I was also not at all surprised when I heard there was a sequel. Since the vast majority of animated films as of late are given sequels. Hell, How to Train Your Dragon has a TV show and has been commissioned like a bazillion sequels.  That’s just the way things are now.

I was stoaked (originally) about a sequel, because Al Pacino himself was actually going to be in the film! And I was all aboard for that, until my happiness was crushed when Pacino left the cast due to “creative differences”

I was robbed a pacino

Anywho, all interest in the film was drained after he left. But if I’m being paid I’ll see it.

My biggest worry about this sequel is that they’d go overboard with the minions. All merchandise you see is for the minions, oh and guess what, the whole fricken marketing campaign for this film revolved around the minions.

Ugggggggggggh

I know, people like the minions. I think they’re alright, but they are just so overused and get annoying really fast. I’m happy to report that the minions weren’t as bad as I anticipated. They were integral to the stories plot, but there weren’t (too) many unnecessary scenes of them being goofy. So there’s that.

I’ll continue with more good news. This movie was a riot. I was CRACKING up. But what else can you expect from a film headlined by Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig. The film had a nice balance between dialogue and visual humor. I think the most funny party about the film is Steve Carell’s character (Gru) and his being an overprotective father now to the three adopted girls. So if you want to spend a good part of a hour and half laughing, then this movie is for you.

Also a little note to say that the set design of this film is fabulous. The designers really had a ball creating this contemporary world, but with a crazy twist. The Mall, Anti-Villians league headquarters, the Gru’s lair are so crazy and fun to look at. They went all out on that, very creative.

The movie is incredibly predictable, but at least I can laugh at Steve Carell being an idiot in animated form.

Now, the bad news. If you want to see a film with a plot that holds integrity and actually makes god damn sense in the first place, then skip this one. I don’t want to go into any spoilers. But basically we are told and SHOWN that the villain and his plan is physically indestructible. There is no way to defeat him using brawn. But all of that is forgotten later on in the film, when the villain is destroyed in the most convenient and simple matter. It wasn’t an “underdog” thing, it was just, well lazy. Lazy writing. See the film and you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

Oh, and there was a terrible fart joke. And I hate those.

I think maybe part of the reason I’m so unhappy with this film is that I saw it a week after Monsters University, which was a fucking clever and brilliant. Like Despicable Me 2, Monsters U is hilarious. But guess what, on top of that it had clever writing, a fantastic story, and a “I didn’t see that coming at all” ending that kept the viewer on their toes and wasn’t condescending at all. Despicable Me 2 wasn’t any of those things. I know, I know. It’s incredibly biased and unfair of me to compare the two. But I never said that I was a fair and unbiased reviewer. And I don’t intend to start being that. I just write how I feel.

Am I glad I saw Despicable Me 2? I am. It was funny, I laughed, I enjoyed it. But it wasn’t story wise it wasn’t fulfilling at all, and I won’t rush back to see it.

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Oh and PS. They’re making making a spin off starring exclusively the Minions. It’s slated to be released next year. You can imagine that I won’t be in line for that film.