Not so "DESICABLE"

Rating: 8/10 (4 August 2010)

DESPICABLE ME (2010) *** (Voices of : Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Elsie Fisher, Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud, Jemaine Clement, Jack McBrayer, Danny McBride, Mindy Kaling, Rob Huebel, Ken Jeong) Amusing and inventive animated fare with Carell voicing Gru, a villain with a lot of ambition but not always delivering on the execution who finds himself the unlikely foster parent to a trio of orphans who eventually melt his heart despite his ongoing feud with fellow villain Vector (Segel) who makes Dr. Evil look like a piker. Reminiscent in its design echoing the hey day of Rass-Bankin the overall look is fresh and very Charles Addams-ey (hell Gru looks like a dead-ringer for Uncle Fester) and the blend of humor and heart-tugging is pulled off nicely by its directors Coffin & Renaud (who also voice the circus peanut shaped 'minions' in Gru's arsenal of nefarity. **Spring for the extra surcharge in 3-D; the roller-coaster sequence is fairly queasy)