In Universal’s newest release, the ex-supervillan Gru and the minions are back for a second time in the hilarious and witty Despicable Me 2. This time Gru, who has settled into family life, is recruited by the Anti Villain League to help discover who has stolen a special mutation formula from a secret lab in Antarctica. If this formula were to make it into the wrong hands, the results could be disastrous. While trying to be a good dad for Margo, Edith, and Agnes Gru has attempted to develop a special line of jellies and jams to go legit. When he is recruited by the AVL he is looking for a taste of the old days. The AVL thinks that Gru can help capture a super villain because he used to be one. With the help of his partner, Lucy Wilde and of course the minions, Gru embarks on a journey to capture the super villain and retrieve the mutation formula. After narrowing the suspects down to one of the owners of a business located in the local mall, Gru and Lucy’s suspicions fall on to the owner of the local Mexican restaurant. While trying to balance work and family life, Gru begins to fear his girls growing up, as Margo becomes interested in boys.
Despicable Me 2 is a sweet and smart movie that little kids and kids at heart will both enjoy. Returning to the director’s chair are Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud who put together a film as creative as the first one. Lushly animated and extremely colorful this movie is candy for the eyes and for the soul. The plot is rich in detail bringing back many of the characters that audiences fell in love with in the first movie and adding some new unforgettable ones. Writers Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul do an excellent job in keeping a script fresh and up to date. There are a few places where there is a lull in the storytelling, but things get right back on track after a little while. Some parts can become confusing with so many things happening at once, but the non-stop comedy makes up for the slow parts. The comedy in this film is spot-on, you will definitely get a good tickling of the funny bone. There is a witty cleverness reminiscent of the first film.
This movie would not be what it is with out the chemistry between two people using just their voices. Steve Carrell as Gru and Kriten Wiig as Lucy Wilde are funny and entertaining as the partners put together to find the super villain and the mutation formula that he/she has stolen. In the beginning it is not love at first sight for these two characters, but only when they learn to work together do they discover what all they can accomplish. And who can write a review with out mentioning those little yellow guys that we all know and love and those are the minions. There is much more minion magic in this sequel and be sure to watch them when they are in the background of a scene, there are always up to something. Despicable Me 2 may not be the best movie out on the market, but it is just good old family fun that everyone will enjoy. Be sure to stick around for the credits for some additional minion fun.