Summary:
Despicable Me 2 is visually vibrant and colorfully animated. The movie introduces a slew of new characters that perfectly match the crazy world of Despicable Me. Of the new cast, Kristen Wiig brings an infectious personality to the rambunctious Lucy Wilde that provides a wonderful counterpart to Gru. The minions carry a lot of the film’s humor and are able to retain and surpass the slapstick humor that made them iconic characters from the first film. Unfortunately Despicable Me 2 doesn’t feel as focused as the first film and it suffers for it. It feels as though the movie can’t decide which story it wants to tell which creates an aimless feel to the film. Negatives aside, Despicable Me 2 still manages to come out as an incredibly fun movie filled with tons of great laughs and heartwarming characters that make the ride worth it.
Despicable Me 2 has been out for a few weeks and I finally got the chance to catch up and see it this weekend! I’ve been looking forward to this movie for quite a while and I was beginning to fear that I might not find the time to make a showing. I didn’t get the chance to see the original in theaters and it was a mistake I did not want to make again. Despicable Me caught me off guard and I was quickly hooked with Gru, his adorable daughters, and of course the lovable minions. I was pleased to find that Despicable Me 2 is still as entertaining as the first, even if it doesn’t quite reach the same impact as the original.
Despicable Me 2 picks up with Gru adjusting to the family man lifestyle and providing for his new adoptive daughters. However, when an Arctic laboratory is stolen the Anti-Villain league recruits Gru to help them with his villainous insights. Reluctantly Gru is partnered with an AVL agent Lucy Wilde, and the two must work together to investigate this mysterious incident.
There’s a lot to love with Despicable Me 2 and it’s nice to see that the film manages to retain all of it’s fun and cute charm from the original film. Visually the film is vibrant and colorfully animated. Stylistically it’s endearing and features a lot of visually impressive scenes, especially some of the exterior shots toward the end of the film. We are introduced to a slew of new characters this time around, all of which perfectly match the creative and lively world of Despicable Me. It’s a shame that some characters don’t get the proper development they deserve but it is nice to see the established universe expand even more. My personal favorite of the new bunch is Lucy Wilde. Lucy, voiced by Kristen Wiig, is rambunctious and an eagerly dutiful Ant-Villain League agent. Her cheery persona is extremely infectious and the dynamic she shares with the often too serious Gru is wonderful on screen. It’s hard not to smile when watching the two interact and it’s all thanks to the wonderful animation and of course the voice talents of Kristen Wiig.
Although the daughters share less screen time than the previous film it’s nice to see the adorable trio return. The distinct personalities of Margo, Edith, and Agnes are hilarious and their interactions with Gru continue to cause laughs, especially now that Gru is settling into a protective father figure for the girls. Gru also retains the same qualities that made him the lovable oaf from before and it’s really nice to see him in a less despicable attitude for a change. His paternal instincts are heartwarming and are perfectly paired with his clumsy antics. This unique family is the heart of the film, which is heavily accented by the backdrop of the hilariously crazy minions.
My biggest fear going into this film was that Despicable Me 2 was going to abuse and milk the minions for all they were worth. The crazy and hilarious yellow monsters have quickly become iconic characters, even to the point that they have spawned their own spin off film. I was apprehensive but fortunately it was all for naught. Not only does Despicable Me 2 utilize the minions in proper fashion but it is able to retain and surpass the quirky humor from the first film. It’s nice to see that the minions are able to carry a lot of the film’s humor without feeling like they’re beating a dead horse. Instead their crazy slapstick comedy creates some of the film’s biggest laughs.
My complaints with the film are minor. Despicable Me 2 doesn’t feel as focused as the first film and it all comes down to the film trying to weave in too many plots, none of which fully connect. Of the various different plot lines I was most disappointed with the almost tacked on feel of the Anti-Villain league as well as the mysterious culprit behind the stolen Arctic Laboratory. It’s hard not to go into spoiler territory with this one but it all boils down to the fact that I never really felt like there was a satisfying antagonist developed on screen. All the threats that the protagonists face feel like minor inconvenience and are done away with just as quickly as they appear on screen. Even the Anti-Villain League feels somewhat useless, aside from Lucy, and most likely could be done away with without severely impacting the film. There’s no worthwhile struggle, or any meaningful character changes. Instead we are given instances that feel like transparent means from point A to point B, which is somewhat of a let down especially given that some of these scenarios can be incredibly silly, even for an animated movie aimed at younger audiences. Overall it feels as though Despicable Me 2 has a problem deciding, which story it wants to tell here, and unfortunately it gives the film an almost aimless feel to it.
Negatives aside, Despicable Me 2 still manages to come out as an incredibly fun movie filled with tons of great laughs. It may not reach quite the same mark that the first one reached, but there’s still plenty to enjoy here, especially if you can’t get enough of the quirky minions. It’s a clever and colorful romp through ridiculous scenarios with heartwarming characters that make the ride worth it.
Despicable Me 2 is visually vibrant and colorfully animated. The movie introduces a slew of new characters that perfectly match the crazy world of Despicable Me. Of the new cast, Kristen Wiig brings an infectious personality to the rambunctious Lucy Wilde that provides a wonderful counterpart to Gru. The minions carry a lot of the film’s humor and are able to retain and surpass the slapstick humor that made them iconic characters from the first film. Unfortunately Despicable Me 2 doesn’t feel as focused as the first film and it suffers for it. It feels as though the movie can’t decide which story it wants to tell which creates an aimless feel to the film. Negatives aside, Despicable Me 2 still manages to come out as an incredibly fun movie filled with tons of great laughs and heartwarming characters that make the ride worth it.
Interested in writing reviews or news posts for Thinking Cinematic? Contact me at ThinkCinematicReviews@gmail.com! You can also send your guest reviews there too!
Connect with me at:
Twitter: @Treyrs20o9
Twitter: @Think_Cinematic
Email: ThinkCinematicReviews@Gmail.com
Thinking Cinematic 