I’m not going to lie – I’m a Disney/Pixar snob. If you read my reviews of recent animated Disney or Pixar movies, they are pretty much flawless. There are other animated movies from other studios that just don’t reach the caliber of a Disney/Pixar animated feature, with few exceptions. One exception is the “Shrek” series. Another exception is the “Despicable Me” series. What is it about the “Despicable Me” films that make them so great?? Is it Gru, the super-villian turned super-dad?? Is it his three adorable adopted daughters, Margo, Edith, and Agnes?? Or is it the minions??
“Despicable Me 2” takes place after the events of “Despicable Me”. Gru (Steve Carell) is no longer a super-villian. He has gone from stealing the moon and various other landmarks (mostly from Vegas) to being a legitimate business man, creating his own line of jellies and jams. His adopted daughters, Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Elsie Kate Fisher) are settled into their home. Everything is going well for the family, until Doctor Nefario (Russell Brand) decides that making jelly is not going to cut it and he needs evil in his life, so he quits working for Gru to pursue a new endeavor.
Soon after, Gru is recruited by the Anti-Villain League (AVL for short). One of their agents, Lucy (Kristen Wiig, who voiced a minor character in “Despicable Me” and is back for the sequel playing a new role), kidnaps Gru and takes him to the AVL’s underground lair. Since he is a former super-villain, the AVL thinks he is ideal to help track down a stolen serum, PX-41, which turns animals and people into super strong killing machines (kind of like in “Captain America”, only eviler). Along with his new partner Lucy, Gru goes undercover at a local mall, where traces of the serum were found. While “working” at their cupcake shop, Gru and Lucy don’t really get along. Gru thinks Lucy is annoying and Lucy is kind of a know-it-all. They encounter a few suspects, fellow store owners at the mall, including Eduardo (Benjamin Bratt), a Mexican food restaurant owner who owns a pretty angry chicken.
Meanwhile, minions are being kidnapped (minion-napped??) at a rapid rate. As always, minion scenes are awesome. Even though they speak their own minion language, you can pretty much tell what’s going on. My only complaint is that I wish they would show subtitles to translate minion-speak. I think that would make it even better. It’s funny to see these creatures working, playing, partying, and even cleaning Gru’s house like a normal person would!!
Mixed in with all of the undercover spy excitement, the girls and Gru’s neighbor are all convinced that he needs to meet a woman. The girls attempt to create an online dating profile for Gru, and his neighbor sets him up on a disastrous date. There is one good thing that comes out of the date though. Missing from the first movie but present in this sequel is an element of romance for perpetually single Gru.
Chock-full of jokes and rousing musical numbers by the minions, “Despicable Me 2” is fun for the whole family. Minions rule!!
