My Review of Despicable Me 2

 

I was a pretty big fan of the first Despicable Me movie. I thought it was clever and actually pretty funny, and of course I loved the Minions. Since the first film made so much money it was a given that there was going to be a sequel. However, Despicable Me 2 was not nearly as good as the first film. In fact, I can only call Despicable Me 2 mediocre.

In the first film, we were introduced to the super-villain, Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), whose life was changed by the three orphan girls he adopted (Margo, Edith, and Agnes.) The second film begins with a look at how there life is now. Gru is no longer a villain, he's actually a good guy. However, there are still bad guys in the world. Gru is then visited by agent Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig) from the Anti-Villain League. It turns out Lucy and the Anti-Villain League need assistance in stopping a criminal. Gru accepts the offer, and goes undercover with Lucy at the mall to try to find the bad guy.



To be honest, I thought Despicable Me 2 had a dumb story. It was very uninteresting and it never pulled me in. The one thing I did think they did do right with the story was put in MORE Minions, I loved them in the first movie and they were also good in the second film. Although part of Minion greatness was ruined because they decided to put in this VERY STUPID part of the movie where the Minions were turned into purple monsters.Yes, you read that correctly. The script was also very unfunny. I maybe laughed three times at the most. I mean sure there's funny adult humor that kids won't understand, but the first one had me laughing WAY more. Despicable Me 2 just seemed like it was meant for 11 year old's and not anyone older, which made me a little mad.

Along with more Minions, another thing Despicable Me 2 got right was the voice cast. The voice cast included Miranda Cosgrove, Steve Carell, Russell Brand, Benjamin Bratt (replacement of Al Pacino), Ken Jeong, and Kristen Wiig. All of the people in the voice cast fit there roles perfectly and it made the movie at least somewhat enjoyable.

The only other nice thing I have to say about Despicable Me 2 is that the animation was great. It was very colorful and I'm sure kids will probably really love this movie (I still say anyone over 11 will probably not find it very funny.) I saw Despicable Me 2 in 2D so I can't comment on the 3D. I have heard that it's actually pretty good though. 

Despicable Me 2 also runs a little long in some parts, which isn't good because the movie isn't very long. At times it just feels like there searching for this villain for a long time and I will admit, it got me pretty bored.  

Overall, Despicable Me 2 was a mediocre and disappointing sequel to a great animated film. It just seemed like a very typical animated film, it brings nothing new to the table. I can still say there is some enjoyment to be found in Despicable Me 2 via the voice cast and the Minions. However, if you want to see a GREAT family film, go see Monsters University (which I loved.)

Verdict: 3 out of 5