It’s time for a Reel-ality check!
There has been a lot of excitement about the release of
Despicable Me 2, it rocked the box office opening weekend, but I found it sorely lacking the
depth of its predecessor.
I took in this movie with my 9 year old minion, I mean...
cousin, Eric. We saw the movie in 3-D,
an unnecessary addition which added nothing to the quality of the film. While the movie had me laughing at consistent
intervals, due mostly to the antics of the minions and my cousin’s enjoyment,
the plot, while good in theory, was hollow and predictable. Predictability is tolerable and even
acceptable if there is quality content to support it and the minions, while
hard-working, can’t carry the load alone. With Steve Carrell back as the voice
of Gru, an ex-villain turned good-guy, you would think there would be catchy
new phrases like the famous “Lightbulb!” and “Knocked over!” from the first
movie, yet nothing really stuck out.
Also, the budding relationship that is meant to develop between Gru and
his new anti-villain partner, Lucy (Kristin Wiig), is unconvincing. There is no chemistry, the pair is just
awkward. While the union is
foreshadowed, the build up is a letdown.
Okay, so Despicable Me 2 really wasn’t terrible, it was
entertaining, it showed the fierce loyalty of family, and had a fairytale
ending, it just didn’t live up to the greatness of the original, which is a
tough act to follow.
