Not One of My Favorites

Rating: 4/10 (9 July 2010)

This week the heat exceeded 90 degrees until today -- when we've had rain -- so my grandchildren whom I watch during the day have been inside. As a reward for good behavior, on Wednesday we planned that we'd go to the movie theater today to see Despicable Me in 2D.
On the ride home, Brandon, 10, said, "The previews were funny. The movie wasn't." Then Sophia, who's 7, piped up and asked, "Wait. What did we just do?" After Brandon and I looked at each other, I replied, "Saw Despicable Me." To which she replied, "Oh, yeah."
Steve Carell's Mr. Gru voice characterization was memorable and I was looking forward to hearing Russell Brand's comedic delivery. However, there was no character with an English accent, so it wasn't until the credits ran that I discovered he was the voice of an unfunny Dr. Nefario.
Humor? "The Evil Bank (formerly Lehman Brothers)" The roller coaster scene would have been fantastic to have seen in 3D. It was still enjoyable in 2D.
Who laughed? The elderly woman sitting behind us. Rarely anyone else. If it hadn't been 11:00 AM, I would have easily (and gladly) taken a 90-minute nap. As it was, I had to sit quietly waiting for the end. That said, it could have been worse: It could have been a 91-minute movie.