Funny, witty and touching animation

Rating: 7/10 (30 June 2013)

Despicable me is, of course, a children's film so the bad guy (who's the good guy) isn't actually that bad at all. The bad guy, who is the bad guy isn't really that bad either, so that's good (for children). There's little in this that children would find really scary and compared to the horribly sad portions of The Rescuers - for example - where Penny and her teddy were completely alone, the orphans (all three) in this were feisty, self reliant and rather well adjusted. It still had tender moments but didn't have the darkness of Disney.
Gru voiced by Steve Carell was very well drawn, and performed. He had a whimsy about him, which made me think of Austin Powers, and his minions - the little yellow creatures that were the stand out stars of the film - are just so cute, each with his (or her) own personality. Jason Segal as the nemesis villain Vector was very funny and I thought he was voiced by Chris D'Elia such was the vocal range, so was impressed with Segal. Very funny. Like Disney and Pixar, the film is for children but there is plenty for adults and I didn't once think "oh this is a naff children's film" but rather was immersed and entertained for the duration, captivated in fact.
With the combination of the minions' antics and the little orphan girl Agnes and how adorable she was, and the silly plot to steal the moon, the crazy gadgets and immediate one-liners I loved every minute. It's not meant to be taken seriously and those critics who are saying how it defies the laws of physics and point out the "goofs" are just far too sad. It's a cartoon, and a very good one at that and I think Illumination have Pixar in their sights in terms of quality and skill. Its a fun film for all the family, with a lot of heart.