Despicable Me 2 (3D)
Film & TV
When you head for the 3D version of the animated Despicable Me 2, you will, of course, pick up a pair of special glasses. They might as well be designed to let you see this movie through the eyes of a child. Sit back and enjoy the effects; just don’t ask too much of the storyline.
The central character and major villain, Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), saw the light in 2010’s Despicable Me, his heart of gold being revealed by exposure to the love of three needy girls. He had initially intended exploiting them to advance a dark scheme but ended up adopting them and embracing parenthood. This follow-up offers a similarly simple plot.
Now apparently content setting up a business for which his many yellow minions are making jam spreads, Gru resists an invitation from the Anti-Villain League to re-enter the world of good-versus-evil, this time on the side of wholesomeness, of course. Suspend your bitter adult skepticism! All those kids sitting around you in the cinema don’t know that our reluctant hero must always reject the first call before committing to the cause. Can Gru save the world — again?
The 3D animation is used very well, without merely resorting to a throw-things-at-the-audience tactic, though that is done, and effectively, during the credits. The mostly visual humour is reasonable, and caters to adults from time to time, too. There is plenty of action — big fight, a shark, some dynamite and a volcano — plus a wedding.
Lazy scripting is a bother, though. For instance, there is that tired device of depicting Australia as the arse-end of the planet, somewhere you send people as punishment for failure or redundancy, or simply to get them a long, long way away. In this case, it is where Gru’s ditzy love interest, Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig), is destined before the story takes a minor turn. The baddie is Mexican, straight out of the current book of casting stereotypes. The children help to save the day.
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It’s all fair enough for its intended audience, though maybe this should be the end of the line for the Despicable Me franchise. But wait … there is a spin-off, Minions, coming next year and, doubtless, many enchanted littlies who will be ready to pester you into taking them to see those wacky yellow critters and their slapstick antics. You might as well.
Despicable Me 2 opens in cinemas today.
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