Entertaining but ultimately unsatisfying

Rating: 6/10 (6 July 2013)

Despicable Me 2
**1/2 (out of 4)
98 mins / U
Cast: (voices) Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, Ken Jeong, Steve Coogan, Elsie Kate Fisher, Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud, Moises Arias
Directors: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Plot: Gru is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to stop a new evil super-villain from taking over the world.
JJ's Verdict: Although it is definitely flawed throughout, Despicable Me 2 gives audiences exactly what they wanted; more minions.
The film no longer shows us the original Gru: an evil villainous criminal trying to steal famous objects, but a somewhat dull and loving father trying to please his three children. Both versions of Gru want you to empathise with him but only the original makes you care about him due to his total vulnerability. In Despicable Me 2, he seems almost faultless (apart from when it comes to women) which is something I dislike about this one in comparison to the original 2010 film. Gru is recruited by an irritating Agent from the Anti-Villain League who gets him to search a local Shopping Mall for a new super-villain who has developed a potion which, when entered into a living species, turns them into purple killing machines. From here Agent Wild and he try to discover who the baddie is.
The most annoying thing about this film is that the moment you see the villain, you know it is him, and although the entire film keeps telling you it isn't him, it is so obvious it is. Every character seems to be completely stupid and without any logic at all. Gru is supposed to monitor the mall from a cupcake shop but there are no scenes expanding on the shop and it seems a waste to include what could be a great place for the minions to create mayhem. In the mall, there are forgettable supporting characters who aren't expanded on at all. I know it is a children's film but, considering its length, they really could have done something with all the under-developed characters the film leaves you with.
The saviours in the film actually are the characters that are expanded on. Benjamin Bratt voices a fun villain whom I will leave unnamed and Kristen Wiig's Agent Wild, although starts off annoying, grows on you as the film passes and develops a cute relationship with Gru. The minions are back and better than ever with jelly growing and hilarious dream sequences. The little noises they make fail to grow old and keep you entertained throughout. Adults will feel unsatisfied with all the potential but the kids will love it. Stay tuned for a wonderful 3-D set of post-credit mayhem which gives us a nice hint to a Minions movie in 2014, which follows Kevin the Minion before he meets Gru.