Despicable Me 2

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.