You're Despicable if you miss this one!

Rating: 8/10 (31 January 2011)

A delightful surprise which was better than expected and an excellent family film. It's often a fine line to tread when trying to keep both adults & children entertained, and this movie successfully crosses the tight rope.
Plenty of jokes for the adults, "I said DART gun.... why do you have to be so.... old" but filled with plenty for the kids: great visual effects, comical yellow henchmen, believable children, an amusement park and more.
Some of the action is a little over-the-top, as is quite common in this genre, but there were frequent breaks from the noise with a nice mix of softer, quiet scenes too. Voice-acting is excellent, with Steve Carell proving his versatility yet again. Another vocal bonus is the non-English bubbly language of Gru's little minions.
Definitely in the upper echelon for family films, although not as deeply resonant or finely tuned as Pixar's best.