Not so Despicable at all

Rating: 7/10 (2 July 2013)

In a perfect world or in movie-world there is a clear line between good and bad, hero and villain. Well, lives isn't that black and white, nor are the movies now for that matter. Why can't we have a bad guy who is good as well? Movies have already dabbled in the anti-hero, so I think it is time for the lovable villain, or at least one who has a heart. I am not talking about having the next James Bond villain want to take Mr. Bond for ice cream instead of killing him. What I want is someone like Gru (Steve Carell), a bad guy who discovers his heart, but still has that evil streak in him.
In 2010's "Despicable Me" we were introduced to Gru as he tried to take over the world, only to have his life taken over by three little girls. These girls Agnes (Elsie Fisher), Margo (Miranda Crosgrove) and Edith (Dana Gaier) malted Gru's heart and made him not want to be so evil. In fact Gru is out of the 'Evil' business now and he no longer has his minions preparing for world domination, instead he has them making jam. Super villains are still out there, and one of them has stolen a formula that could cause the world problems if they are not found soon. So how do you catch a super villain you ask? You use an ex super villain to track them down. The Anti Villain League recruits Gru and teams him with Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig). Together they must find the mystery villain and save the world from whatever evil plan he has in store for us all.
It seems that most animated movies now are just franchises waiting to happen. Even the mighty Pixar has started to return to the well more often. Why does it seem every animated movie has a sequel now? Well it is pretty simple. Dollar signs. Unlike most sequels though, animated movie's quality can stay relatively the same. Maybe it is because they keep it simple, they don't try to outdo the first film, and they just make a good movie. In the case of "Despicable Me 2" they don't let you down, they bring the same laughs as the first film. Stephen Carell is great as Gru, but the minions once again steal the show. Who don't love a little yellow guy who always seems to want to do well by his boss, but always seems to cause trouble. It's like watching those old Saturday morning cartoons, waiting to see what the minions will get themselves into. The other thing about this film is the 3D looks good, especially as you watch the credits sequence. I look forward to animated movie sequels, because the filmmakers who make them know what they are. These movies are suppose to be fun, something the whole family can enjoy, and with "Despicable Me 2" they did what they were suppose to do, make a fun movie.
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