The baddies are back
Grouchy Gru and his naughty Minions return to save the world
DESPICABLE ME: 2 ★★★
IN 2010, two French animation directors, Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, created an animated film that features a horde of yellow creatures called Minions, who speak in a garbled language. The human character, Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), is a sour, disagreeable man, who lives in a spooky house. He has an adversary, Dr Nefario (Russell Brand), a villain who has stolen the pyramids at Giza. In order to stop Nefario, Gru pulls an even bigger trick as he shrinks the moon and brings it back to Earth.
That is the fantastical part of the story but there is also a sweet subplot. Three cute little orphan girls — Margo, Edith and Agnes — move in with Gru and, as mean and grumpy as he is, he is charmed by them and they change his life.
The film generated a box-office total of $56.3-million, making it the third-biggest opening for an animated film in 2010, behind Toy Story 3 and Shrek Forever After.
Three years later, we have a sequel. Despicable Me: 2 follows on from where the first film ended, but Gru is a changed man. The three girls have turned him into a kind, extravagant, generous dad. Added to the mix, the Minions have moved in.
The once foreboding house is now full of fun, especially when Gru starts creating sweet things.
But something devious is afoot. There are two storylines, both outrageous. Dr Nefario returns and has now created a huge magnet in the sky, so all the metal structures on earth just zip up into the air, creating chaos.
Even worse, Gru’s candies have been dipped in a chemical substance, and when the Minions, greedy little creatures, chomp away on the doctored sweets, they turn purple.
Their hair becomes like a thicket and they are as greedy as piranhas. Gru realises that a dangerous enemy is creating chaos and only he can stop him.
The film moves at a cracking pace and even if the younger kids don’t really follow the energetic stunts, they will have great fun with the minions, especially when they have been turned nasty.
Pharrell Williams has created a great, lively soundtrack, much of it current, but he also hauls in some wonderful hits such as YMCA. Hearing them sung by the Minions adds to the fun.
I enjoyed it, but inevitably these characters are no longer surprising.
Gru and his minions are still lots of fun to watch but in the production notes there is mention of a third film, to be released in 2014. Coffin and Renaud will have to come up with something amazing to bring this series to its end.