Despicable Me is an animated film that actually focuses on the life of a villain. And while the movie takes focus on how mean and cruel a bad guy can be, it is still entertaining and endearing.
Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) is considered to be the world’s most evil villain and he takes pride in that. He has an army of minions to help him create and steal all kinds of things. Then he gets some competition from a younger, more shifty villain named Vector (voiced by Jason Segel). So Gru plans the biggest heist ever in the world–to steal the Moon. But Vector will do anything he can to stop this from happening and put Gru in retirement forever.
Now the struggle for power between Gru and Vector, the battle between the old and the new, is a part of this animated film but not the whole story. Gru adopts these three sisters named Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Elsie Fisher). He adopts them not to be nice, but to use them so he can get a shrink ray gun from Vector to use on the Moon. But what he did not count on was actually caring for these girls and becoming a real father.
Despicable Me lets the action and 3D come alive when it is necessary. And the 3D actually adds to the movie instead of ruining it. But the story gets heartfelt and emotional when it comes to Gru and the girls. It is incredible to have the main character be this wicked person and make him vulnerable and find his heart. And it’s the little girls that show Gru what it is like to love. They create this different side to him, a side that shows he cares.
The animation looks beautiful and the 3D really makes it pop. Carell does a great job with Gru and having him have some kind of Russian accent only gives the character more to work with. I cannot leave out the rest of the talented actors/comedians that add to the cast like Segel, Russel Brand, Will Arnett, Kristin Wiig, and Julie Andrews.
Despicable Me is no Toy Story 3, but it is a nice surprise. The directors (Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud) created this character that supposedly had no heart and turned him in to a guy with the biggest heart. The war between Gru and Vector is fun and the minions are so unique, funny, and charming. But the relationship between Gru and the three girls make this film sentimental and very satisfying. Plus, the youngest girl, Agnes, is just so dang precious.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association and the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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