Could they step it up above the first? Yes, yes they could. And they did.

Rating: 9/10 (12 August 2013)

There was so much anticipation for this movie! And I can gladly say all that waiting was not in the slightest for naught. The producers obviously realized they had struck a very sweet spot with the minions and they capitalized on that. There was plenty more minion madness and they played a much bigger role in the film than the first. But, it never got to be annoying. All the voice actors, once again, perform terrifically. My only quibble would be that the story turned into a lover rescue mission at the end. There has not been an animated comedy in recent times that does not contain some serious scenes for a considerable portion of the run time. I was hoping Despicable Me 2 would be the first to not do so, but it was not, sadly. However, it's not so bad if that's the worst aspect. It lived up to and exceeded many of my expectations. There are many laughs to be had for people of every age (and some for only the grown ups). It was definitely worth my time and I will be watching it again in the future. Watched 07/02/2013, written 08/12/2013.