[Editor’s Note: “Despicable Me” dominated the weekend box office, taking in over $60 million.]
By Patricia Ducey. Gru’s archvillain mojo is beginning to fade – even his mom (Julie Andrews) calls to needle him when another, better, villain steals the Great Pyramid of Egypt. Even Gru’s usual evil misdeeds, like scaring his suburban neighbors, aren’t as much fun as they used to be. Somehow he has to concoct an even bigger heist to take back his title, so to speak – and gain his mother’s love?
In its first release, Universal’s family unit Illumination scores a solid hit with Despicable Me (directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud). Full of wit and heart and remarkably free of left-leaning messages (no cynicism, environmentalism or US bashing here), Despicable is actually quite lovable. (I quickly forgave the one stereotype of people from Alabama in an early scene, when they skewered Keith Olbermann in the next.) At 95 minutes, it’s just right for kids.
Gru (ably voiced by Steve Carell) decides to steal the Moon, using a Shrink Ray gun, but he needs venture capital to get the project, literally, off the ground. Aided by Dr. Nefario, in a hilarious turn by Russell Brand – and hundreds of tiny yellow, perhaps robot, minions (Grunions?) – he hatches a plan. Gru rallies his minions a la Steve Jobs, in a very funny scene only the adults will get.
At the “Bank of Evil (formerly Lehman Brothers),” though, loan officer Mr. Perkins is not impressed. Perkins dismisses Gru with a curt: “We’re going with somebody younger.” Later we learn that Perkins is actually funding his son Victor, now ‘Vector,’ as top villain after his triumphant swiping of the Pyramid.
If Gru can’t build a Shrink Ray, he will steal a Shrink Ray. After all, he is a villain. Gru decides to adopt three orphan girls who have managed to gain access to Vector’s lair by selling Vector his favorite cookies. But the best laid plans sometime go awry, and Gru finds himself falling for the delightful little girls instead.
SPOILER: Love does redeem Gru.
He becomes a father; he can’t help it. The girls themselves – not Superkids or wiseacres – in their innocence and spunk, are simply irresistible. It’s rewarding being a father. We clearly know that Gru has gained much more than he has lost.
The production team is of global reach: the French company Mac Guff produced the engaging animation, while the rest of the team remained in Los Angeles. The minions, the wacky space ships, and Gru’s Addams-familyish home all sparkle. I did not see the 3-D version, but I would recommend it – especially for the roller coaster scene. The physical humor and comic timing are inspired – Looney Tunes, Wiley E. Coyote, and the Keystone Cops rolled into one – and the pratfalls tickled the funny bones of kids and adults alike.
The multiplex was divided pretty evenly between the waning Pheromonic Convergence of Eclipse, and the younger kids who clearly were eager to take over with their movie. At the first appearance of a little yellow minion, the kids let out a whoop of excitement. I soon was giggling and cheering along with them.
As Govindini asks in her review of Eclipse, why don’t we find these themes played out by humans any more? My take is that it’s innocence itself the studios distrust, and so innocence is relegated to animation and alien movies. I guess once someone “grows up,” in Hollywood-think, they should grow out of optimism and family into despair, ennui, and the false humility of self-loathing (Avatar). The MSM reviews, for instance, sneer that Bella in Eclipse is “still chaste,” as if the teen girls who love these books and movies are just immature and repressed, not innocent, and that sex and love are just bodily functions. Illumination’s rendering of innocence, in its first offering here, is pitch perfect, and the humor is infectious. The minions are not trying to be funny, the girls are not trying to be cute – and so they are. The family “message” grows out of humanity and character and is ultimately life affirming.
So show the love: grab the kids and go see Despicable Me. Fair warning, though: they will chatter like minions and giggle all the way home, and then demand a bedtime story about kittens. And that’s enough to melt the heart of anyone, even a studio exec.
Posted on July 12th, 2010 at 10:10am.
Great review Patricia. I enjoy your enjoyment of the film. You make me want to go and see the film, even I don’t usually watch anything animated.
It was fun–I was surprised!
So many films have an ulterior agenda nowadays that I figured this one would too. I’m glad to hear it didn’t, and that the kids enjoyed it so much (must have been something to be in the theater with them!).
And I’m shocked they make fun of Keith Olbermann! How was that allowed to happen?
Yes, they children seemed to know the movie already. Second timers?
Just saw the movie this weekend, was an amazing animation
Yes, the animation was great.
not being part of the pixar cult, it’s good to seem them get competition. the more the merrier here.
Exactly.
Interesting. While the American film makers are making their films to sell in Europe and China, the French (Taken, Despicable Me) seem to be catching on that the American movie makers have left the American market wide open for more traditional fare.
Patricia – a charming and well-written review. I’m enjoying your pieces for LFM.
It’s also interesting (see my comment about “Farewell”) that the French are now making movies with these life-affirming themes. I also second what K says above. The French seem to have realized that there’s a market here for more traditional fare. When will the Americans figure this out?
Thank you, and come back soon!