'Despicable Me' Review
Despicable Me follows the exploits of vile villain Gru, who vows to steal the moon so he can be the greatest villain that ever lived. There's just one caveat, the adoption of three young orphan girls becomes embroiled in his scheme and he soon discovers his heart of gold. Despicable Me wasn't particularly groundbreaking for the animation genre, but it's a charming animated feature that has a nice dosage of sentimental satire.
Despicable Me was co-directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud with a script penned by Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio, and Sergio Pablos. The screenwriting team properly parody villainy and parenthood while the duo's direction helps to maintain an emotional element and sense of humor. One thing that I feel has become a source of contention for this franchise are the minions but quite frankly, the minions are a stroke of creative genius.
For starters, they fit into the narrative naturally considering most baddies have their own crew of cronies. Then there's the fact they appeal to children based on appearance alone and are semi-effective immature comedic relief. Even when they're annoying, it's easy to see why they're around because it's simply the ideal marketing ploy. The animation in Despicable Me isn't particularly pretty and looks rather substandard, but that's usually the case for Illumination Entertainment animated efforts.
Elsewhere, Despicable Me bolsters a fun soundtrack and an impressive comedic voice cast. Steve Carell doesn't just provide a goofy, over-the-top demeanor to Gru, but instills an underlying humanity to the vulnerable villain. The film really hits this home with Gru's backstory and the inclusion of Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Elsie Fisher as subsequent adorable adoptees Margo, Edith, and Agnes. Each of the girl's really bring a sense of realism to the project, as I have three sisters and am constantly reminded of them every-time I watch Despicable Me. The respective portrayals feel incredibly authentic because I've witnessed those traits in my own siblings from time-to-time and the screenplay captures the family dynamic and childlike wonder beautifully.
Meanwhile, Jason Segel plays the obnoxiously dweebish Vector, an ideal foil to Gru as a nerdy millennial Bond villain in contrast to Gru's evil antiquated ways. Vector's name in-of-itself is symbolic because a vector is a quantity with both magnitude and direction. He's a powerful force aware of his orientation. Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, directors Renaud and Coffin, and Jermaine Clement lend their voices to fill the supporting ensemble of eccentric characters encompassing the aged Dr. Nefario, Gru's apathetic mother, foreboding financier Mr. Perkins, gruesome girls orphanage head Miss Hattie, and a whole host of minions respectively.
While Despicable Me doesn't quite reach the heights of other triumphant animated features, it sustains a sense of fun and heart well throughout its ninety minute runtime. Despicable Me is an entertaining animated enterprise worth exploring for the laughs and tenderhearted message at its core.
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