h2g2 - 'Despicable Me 2' - the Film - Edited Entry 0 Conversations Despicable Me 2 is a CGI animated film by Illumination Entertainment in association with digital effects company Mac Guff. It was released in 2013 and is the sequel to the 2010 film Despicable Me. Like the earlier film, it was directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud and was made in France . It was a collaborative production between the USA and Europe and features music by Pharrell Williams and Heitor Pereira. It was released in 3D as well as 2D format. Made at a cost of $79 million, Despicable Me 2 earned over $900 million in cinemas, gaining it a place among the most successful animations of all time as well as in the list of sequels that were even more popular than the original films 1 . It also received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature and it was second only to Disney's Frozen at the Box Office in that year in the USA. Its success ensured the franchise continued - several short films were made for DVD releases, and the movie Minions appeared in cinemas in 2015.

The film brought success for Pharrell Williams too, as his song 'Happy' was released as a single and received an Oscar nomination 2 as well as reaching Number 1 in the charts around the world. Following on from the events of Despicable Me, this film sees suburban villain Gru retired from the life of villainy so that he can be a full time father to his girls - his laboratory that used to develop evil schemes has been converted into a factory for making jams and jellies . Things are going well, but Mother's Day is approaching so the girls are sad. And does Gru miss the thrill of crime? Characters Gru had some success in his previous career as a villain, so he lives in the suburbs in a comfortable (albeit dark and spooky) house and has a big (insect-like) car plus a secret laboratory and a team of Minions devoted to helping him with his work. He adopted three orphan girls and is now their father, but is not able to be the mother they never had. Lucy Wild is an agent for the Anti-Villain League.

She has been tasked with getting insider knowledge from Gru in order to fight the villain who has developed an evil growth serum that turns anyone sprayed with it into an almost-invincible monster. A good match for Gru, as her heat ray is equal to his freeze ray, after a difficult start they begin to like one another. Compared to the events in the earlier film, the girls are growing up. The eldest, Margo, is still studious but is becoming interested in boys, much to Gru's consternation and awakening his protective father instincts. Middle child Edith is developing her ninja skills, following in the footsteps of her grandmother, but still likes the colour pink . The youngest, Agnes, is aware that, even though Gru is a good parent to her, she still misses having a mother, and she is struggling to find inspiration for her school's Mother's Day presentation. Dr Nefario is an evil version of inventor Q from the James Bond films . The fart gun he invented by mistake in the first film, rather than the dart gun that he had actually been instructed to invent 3 , is an asset to Gru, but still Dr Nefario feels his talents are not being best used.

The Minions are all clones from a genetic experiment, although some mutation occurred. They are all small domes with two arms and two legs, and they are all yellow. Some have two eyes, and some have just one eye, but they all wear goggles. Some are taller or wider than others and they have varying amounts of hair on their heads, ranging from nothing to several short strands. However, Gru and the girls have noticed that they are disappearing, one by one. Cast Steve Carell, known for films such as Evan Almighty, and the US version of Ricky Gervais' sitcom The Office, plays Gru with a European accent that sounds like a blend of Spanish and Russian with a dash of other languages to make him speak like a composite Bond villain. Kristen Wiig plays Lucy as a down-to-earth young woman with a fun attitude, making her sound as adorable as the Minions find her. Kristen had a cameo in Despicable Me as the manager of the children's home who was initially charmed by Gru's Spanish but then became frosty when she realised he called her a donkey.

Before Despicable Me, Kristen had various small roles in films and TV shows, but played several characters in the comedy series Saturday Night Live and provided a voice in the animated film How to Train Your Dragon. Margo is played by Miranda Cosgrove, who appeared in the film School of Rock when she was 10 and provided voices for animated characters in the Scooby Doo and Lilo and Stitch TV series before being chosen for the role in Despicable Me. The part of Edith was the first role for Dana Gaier. Elsie Fisher had had a small role in an episode of a TV series before taking the part of Agnes when she was seven years old - her cute laugh when she was tickled was an asset for the part. Dr Nefario is played by British comedian and actor Russell Brand, who previously appeared in St Trinian's films. Comedian Steve Coogan is best known for his role as Alan Partridge, who started life as a news reporter from the comedy TV series The Day Today, and since his cameo as Silas Ramsbottom the head of the Anti-Villain League, he has starred in films Alan Partridge and Philomena.

The main villain is played by Benjamin Bratt, who previously provided a voice for the animated film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Benjamin has also taken roles in films such as Miss Congeniality and TV series including Homicide: Life on the Street and The Andromeda Strain. There is also a cameo by Ken Jeong as a hair salon owner - he had previously taken various parts in films and TV shows, including a small part as a talk show host in Despicable Me, and went on to provide a voice in the TV series spinoff of the animated film Kung Fu Panda amongst several other roles. Most of the Minions are voiced by director Pierre Coffin, although Chris Renaud also plays some of the roles, so the Minions speak in a squeaky way with a French accent, and have their own dialect incorporating occasional recognisable English words. Themes An important theme is that the film was made to be shown in 3D. This influences the look of the film - for example, Gru has a long pointy nose, and the Anti-Villain League HQ has walkways across steep drops, that would look particularly good through 3D glasses.

It also influences the scenes that are included - for example there is an underwater journey, and the end credits feature the Minions auditioning for the Minions movie, unfurling party blowers towards the audience and blowing bubbles. Humour of various kinds is also important in the film, so that there is something for everyone to enjoy, from basic toilet humour arising from the Fart Gun, to comedy that would be appreciated more by adults than children, such as Gru using a device at the front of his belt to detect whether the evil growth serum is hidden inside any of various objects in a hair salon. There is cartoon violence - Gru gets shot at once or twice, but escapes with nothing worse than darts sticking in his skin like needles, and the Minions are robust when subjected to extreme conditions. The film displays fascinating attention to detail - for example the girls' hair is impressively animated, the facial expressions clearly indicate the characters' thoughts and feelings, and the light and shadows are very realistic thanks to the efforts of a team dedicated to their creation.

The backgrounds are rich in detail, too - the villain's lair is designed in Inca style in contrast to the steampunk style of Gru's home, or the minimalist style of Lucy's workplace. As with the first film, a key theme is that the story is not a classic tale of good versus evil. Ex-villain Gru is pitted against other villains, and even Anti-Villain League agent Lucy has a villainous streak - her treatment of Gru's irritating blind date is fairly vicious, but Gru is relieved to be released from the company of a woman he had nothing in common with and gets to know Lucy better as a result. The main theme of the plot is parents and children, and also about being different but still wanting to be loved. The girls love Gru and like the fact that he is not the same as other dads, but they still wonder what it would be like to have a mother. Margo is studious and sensible, but enjoys the sensation of falling in love. Gru was bullied at school, as if he even touched a girl the other children would say he had given her 'Grooties', so he feels as though he will never be loved.

When he falls in love and finds someone who loves him too it makes him very Happy 4 . Home Release Despicable Me 2 was released on 3D Blu-Ray and DVD in 2014, including short films behind the scenes plus an audio commentary by the directors. Other releases packaged the film together with the first film, and a special edition included both films and a pair of Minion goggles for added fun. 1 Despicable Me cost $69 million and earned around £500 million. 2 'Let It Go' from Frozen took the prize. 3 Although the gun was equally as effective at knocking out the test subject. 4 So Pharrell Williams sings his song. Russell Brand | Biography and Filmography | 1975 Biography An amalgam of debauched rock star, comic agitator and unconventional intellectual, Russell Brand rocketed to stardom after a particularly chaotic and self-destructive early career. In the grip of an addiction to hard drugs throughout his late-teens and early-twenties, Brand mined his harrowing and frequently embarrassing experiences for a stand-up routine that soon earned him both accolades and television appearances.

His employers, however, found his bizarre antics less than humorous at times, leading to Brand being fired more than once from programs like "Dance Floor Chart" (MTV UK). Eventually, Brand cleaned up and excelled in his various U.K. television, stage and radio efforts, but it was his turn as the decadent, self-absorbed rock star, Aldous Snow in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (2008) that brought him to the attention of audiences in the U.S. Seemingly overnight, Brand was everywhere - headlining stand-up specials for Comedy Central, welcomed hosting award shows and now headlining as star of "Get Him to the Greek" (2010). In addition to high-profile work as the star of films like the animated family-feature "Hop" (2011) and the comedy remake "Arthur" (2011), a short-lived marriage to pop superstar Katy Perry and periodic dust-ups with paparazzi kept the actor-comedian in the press. Variously described as outrageous, irritating and undeniably talented, Brand used every perception to his advantage in his climb to the top of the international comedy world.

Russell Brand - IMDb IMDb Actor | Producer | Writer Russell Brand was born on June 4, 1975, in Grays, Essex, England, the son of Barbara Elizabeth (Nichols) and Ronald Henry Brand, a photographer. An only child, his parents divorced when he was only six months old, and he was subsequently raised by his mother. Enduring a difficult childhood that saw him living with relatives while his mother was ... See full bio » Born: a list of 34 people created 06 Sep 2011 a list of 22 people created 01 Oct 2011 a list of 49 people created 20 Jul 2012 a list of 29 people created 03 Aug 2015 a list of 22 people created 4 months ago Do you have a demo reel? Add it to your IMDbPage How much of Russell Brand's work have you seen? User Polls 5 wins & 12 nominations. See more awards » Known For Hop E.B.

(voice) / Production Assistant (2011) 2007 Cold Blood (TV Mini-Series) Ally Parkins Sam the Jazz Club Owner 2005 Blessed (TV Series) 2002 White Teeth (TV Mini-Series) Merlin 1994 The Bill (TV Series) Billy Case 2006 Russell Brand: Live (Video documentary) (written by) Russell Brand's Got Issues (TV Series) (written by - 1 episode, 2006) (writer - 1 episode, 2006) - The Russell Brand (2004) ...

(written by) 2002 Re: Brand (TV Series documentary) (creator) Hide 2012 Rock of Ages (performer: "Sister Christian / Just Like Paradise / Nothin' But a Good Time", "I Can't Fight This Feeling", "We Built This City / We're Not Gonna Take It!", "Don't Stop Believin'", "Juke Box Hero / I Love Rock n Roll") 2011/I Arthur (performer: "I've Been Horribly Emasculated") / (writer: "I've Been Horribly Emasculated") 2010 Get Him to the Greek ("African Child (Trapped In Me)", "Gang Of Lust", "Just Say Yes", "Inside Of You", "The Clap", "Yeah Yeah Oi Oi", "Going Up", "Little Bird", "Bangers, Beans & Mash", "Furry Walls") / (performer: "Supertight" - as Aldous Snow) / (writer: "Supertight") 2008 Forgetting Sarah Marshall (writer: "We've Got to Do Something") 2004 Comedy Lab (TV Series) (performer

 - 1 episode) - The Russell Brand (2004) ...

(performer: "Karma Chameleon") Hide 2011 Unite for Japan (Short) (special thanks) Hide 2014-2016 Russell Brand the Trews (TV Series documentary) Himself 2016 Celebrity Style Story (TV Series) Himself 2015 Red Nose Day (TV Special) Himself 2013-2014 Question Time (TV Series) Himself 2014 Our Colonial Hangover (TV Movie documentary) Himself 2010-2014 Live! with Kelly (TV Series) Himself - Guest / Himself - Guest Host 2010-2014 Rachael Ray (TV Series) Himself - Guest 2014 CBS This Morning (TV Series) Himself - Guest 2008-2014 Entertainment Tonight (TV Series) Himself 2009-2014 The View (TV Series) Himself - Guest 2013 The Last Leg (TV Series) Himself - Guest 2008-2013 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

(TV Series) Himself - Guest / Himself - Guest (segment "Mean Tweets") - Episode #11.95 (2013) ... Himself - Guest (segment "Mean Tweets") (uncredited) 2009-2013 Chelsea Lately (TV Series) Himself - Guest 2007-2013 Loose Women (TV Series) Himself 2012 The Project (TV Series) Himself 2012 Rove LA (TV Series) Himself 2011-2012 Janela Indiscreta (TV Series) Himself 2012 Metaphysical Milkshake (TV Series) Himself - Guest 2011-2012 Piers Morgan Tonight (TV Series) Himself - Guest 2012 IC Places Hollywood (TV Series) Himself 2012 A Moment With (TV Series) Himself 2011 Icon News (TV Series) Himself - Red Carpet Appearance 2011 The Rosie Show (TV Series) Himself - Guest 2011 The One Show (TV Series) Himself - Guest - Episode #6.74 (2011) ...

Himself - Guest 2011 Daybreak (TV Series) 2009-2011 The 7PM Project (TV Series) Himself 2010-2011 Made in Hollywood (TV Series) Himself 2011 Piper's QUICK Picks (TV Series) Himself - Guest 2011 Big Time Rush (TV Series) Himself 2011 Saturday Night Live (TV Series) Himself - Host / Various 2010 The World of Despicable Me (Video documentary short) Himself 2010 Larry King Live (TV Series) Himself - Guest 2010 Paul O'Grady Live (TV Series) Himself - Guest 2010 Alex Zane's GuestList (TV Series) Himself 2010 Fabrice Fabrice Interviews (TV Series short) Himself 2010 National Movie Awards (TV Special) Himself 2010 Sport Relief 2010 (TV Special) Himself 2009 Russell Brand: Scandalous (Video documentary) Himself 2009 TMZ on TV (TV Series) Himself 2007-2009 Russell Brand's Ponder

land (TV Series) Himself 2009 The Movie Loft (TV Series) Himself 2009 Rove Live (TV Series) Himself 2008 Britney: For the Record (TV Movie documentary) Himself (uncredited) 2008 Channel 4 News (TV Series) Himself 2008 BBC Electric Proms (TV Series) Himself - Spectator 2008 Spike Guys Choice (TV Movie) Himself 2008 Total Request Live (TV Series) Himself 2008 Entertainers with Byron Allen (TV Series documentary) Himself 2008 New Heroes of Comedy (TV Series documentary) Himself 2007 Greatest Ever 80s Movies (TV Movie documentary) Himself 2007 Kenny Everett: Licence to Laugh (TV Movie documentary) Himself 2007 Stephen Fry: 50 Not Out (TV Movie documentary) Himself 2007 Live Earth (TV Special documentary) Himself 2007 Brit Awards 2007 (TV Special) Himself - Host 2006 Russell Brand: Live (Video documentary) Himself 2006 Movie Rush (TV Series documentary) Himself 

2006 Annually Retentive (TV Series) Himself 2006 1 Leicester Square (TV Series) Himself - Host 2006 100 Greatest Funny Moments (TV Movie documentary) Himself 2006 ShockWaves NME Awards (TV Special) Himself - Host 2006 Richard & Judy (TV Series) Himself - Guest 2004 Kings of Comedy (TV Series) Presenter 2004 Comedy Lab (TV Series) Himself 2002 Re: Brand (TV Series documentary) Himself 2015 The Drunken Peasants (TV Series) Himself 2015 Entertainment Tonight (TV Series) Himself 2014 SNL Shorts (TV Movie) Various (uncredited) 2013 Greatest Stand Up Comedians (TV Movie documentary) Himself - 36th Place 2013 Chelsea Lately (TV Series) William in 'Paradise' - Episode #7.132 (2013) ...

William in 'Paradise' 2012 Eliana (TV Series) 2011 American Idol (TV Series) Himself 2010 Almost Famous III (TV Movie documentary) Shane 2007 100 Greatest Stand-Ups (TV Special documentary) Himself Hosted a BBC radio show: The Russell Brand Show See more » Publicity Listings: 2 Print Biographies | 3 Interviews | 16 Articles | 1 Pictorial | 1 Magazine Cover Photo | See more » Official Sites: Did You Know? Personal Quote: [on Nigel Farage ] This man is not a cartoon character, he ain't Del Boy ( Only Fools and Horses.... (1981)), he ain't Arthur Daley ( Minder (1979)), he is a Pound Shop Enoch Powell and we gotta watch him. See more » Trivia: On his Radio 2 show on 18 October 2008, he and Jonathan Ross left obscene messages on the answerphone of Andrew Sachs , concerning the fact that Brand had slept with Sachs' granddaughter Georgina Baillie .

This programme was later broadcast, provoking widespread complaint from the public and politicians such as Gordon Brown . Brand later resigned from the BBC and Ross was suspended without pay for ... See more » Trademark: Catchphrase: "The Swines!" See more » Nickname: Despicable Me 2 - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia I Live my life to the Fullest!!! coz you know you only get one !!! Despicable Me 2 Release date July 5, 2013 (India) Duration Director Pierre Coffin Chris Renaud Release date June 5, 2013 (2013-06-05) (Australia) July 3, 2013 (2013-07-03) (United States) Writer Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio Directors Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud Cast Steve Carell (Gru (voice)), Kristen Wiig (Lucy (voice)), Benjamin Bratt (Eduardo/ El Macho (voice)), Miranda Cosgrove (Margo (voice)), Russell Brand (Dr.

Nefario (voice)), Ken Jeong (Floyd (voice)) Characters Gru (Steve Carell), Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig), Dr Nefario (Russell Brand), Stuart the Minion (Pierre Coffin), Bob the Minion (Pierre Coffin) Similar movies Despicable Me, Competition, Cro Minion, Despicable Me Presents: Minion Madness, Despicable Me 3 Tagline Back 2 Work Despicable me 2 official teaser trailer 2013 hd movie Sponsored Links Now that Gru (Steve Carell) has forsaken a life of crime to raise Margo, Agnes and Edith, hes trying to figure out how to provide for his new family. As he struggles with his responsibilities as a father, the Anti-Villain League an organization dedicated to fighting evil comes calling. The AVL sends Gru on a mission to capture the perpetrator of a spectacular heist, for who would be better than the worlds greatest ex-villain to capture the individual who seeks to usurp his power. Despicable Me 2 is a 2013 American 3D computer-animated comedy film and the sequel to the 2010 animated film Despicable Me.

Produced by Illumination Entertainment for Universal Pictures, and animated by Illumination Mac Guff, the film is directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, and written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. Steve Carell, Russell Brand and Miranda Cosgrove reprise their roles as Gru, Dr. Nefario and Margo, respectively. Kristen Wiig, who played Miss Hattie in the first film, voices agent Lucy Wilde, while Ken Jeong, who played the Talk Show Host, voices Floyd Eagle-san. New cast members include Benjamin Bratt as Eduardo "El Macho" Perez and Steve Coogan as Silas Ramsbottom, head of the Anti-Villain League (AVL). The film premiered on June 5, 2013 in Australia, and was theatrically released in the United States on July 3, 2013. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, and was nominated for Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and for Academy Award for Best Original Song (for "Happy"), losing both to Disneys Frozen.

Grossing over $970 million worldwide against its budget of $76 million, the film became the second-highest-grossing animated film of 2013 and the third-highest-grossing film of 2013. It is also the most profitable film in the 101-year history of Universal Studios. A prequel/spin-off film, Minions, focusing on the little yellow henchmen before they met Gru, was released on July 10, 2015. A third film, Despicable Me 3, is scheduled to be released on June 30, 2017. Sponsored Links Gru is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to help deal with a powerful new super criminal. Despicable me 2 official trailer 3 2013 steve carell animated movie hd Plot A mysterious vehicle using a huge magnet steals a highly potent mutagen known as PX-41 from a secret laboratory in the Arctic Circle.

The Anti-Villain League (AVL) tries to recruit former supervillain, Gru, to find who stole the mutagen, but Gru refuses, claiming he is a legitimate businessman now as well as the father of Margo, Edith, and Agnes. Dr. Nefario, Grus friend and assistant, has decided to leave him for new employment, claiming he "missed being evil." Gru reluctantly partners with undercover AVL agent, Lucy Wilde, and they search a local mall, the Paradise Shopping Mall, disguised as bakery employees. Mexican restaurant owner, Eduardo Perez, is suspected by Gru of being "El Macho", a legendary supervillain who supposedly died after skysurfing a shark into the center of an active volcano. Gru and Lucy break into Eduardos restaurant at night, but find nothing to prove that he is the culprit. Meanwhile, Agnes expresses her wish to have a mother someday and believes that Gru will fall in love with Lucy, but despite her excitement, Gru tells her that his relationship with Lucy is strictly professional.

Gru and Lucy investigate wig merchant Floyd Eagle-san, but Gru is still suspicious of Eduardo after seeing Eduardos two-timing son, Antonio, going out with Margo, and inviting everyone to his Cinco de Mayo party. Afterwards, Gru is set up on a horrible dinner date with a rude woman named Shannon, who notices Grus wig and threatens to humiliate him, but Lucy rescues him by shooting Shannon with a tranquilizer dart. They take Shannon home, and afterwards, Gru realizes that Agnes was right, as he has fallen in love with Lucy. The next day, the AVL arrests Floyd Eagle-san due to an almost-empty mutagen jar being found in his shop, and the investigation is closed. Lucy is reassigned to Australia, but before leaving, gives Gru her lipstick Taser to remind him of her. This leaves Gru heartbroken because he loves her, but he cannot find the courage to ask her out on a date. Instead, he brings the girls to the Cinco de Mayo party and finds proof that Eduardo is El Macho.

Gru discovers that he and his partner, Nefario, have captured and mutated a large number of Grus Minions using the PX-41, turning them into insane, savage purple-furred monsters, with El Macho planning to send rockets full of mutated Minions to major cities and achieve world domination. El Macho proposes that he and Gru team up, but Gru avoids answering and leaves. On her flight to Australia, Lucy realizes she has also fallen in love with Gru and jumps out of the plane, but after hang gliding down to the party, she is captured by El Macho after Pollito, his pet chicken, retrieves her AVL ID badge from her purse. Fortunately, Nefario informs Gru, and to rescue Lucy, Gru visits El Macho along with two Minions covered in purple paint, pretending he was captured by them. Fighting alongside his daughters and Nefario, Gru and his team spray all of the mutated Minions with jelly containing a powerful antidote that Dr. Nefario made, whereupon they revert to their friendly yellow state. El Macho then takes the mutagen himself, but Gru and Dr.

Nefario overcome him using Lucys lipstick Taser and a fart gun. Gru sees Lucy strapped to a TNT-loaded shark rocket and starts to untie her, but Pollito launches the rocket, sending the rocket flying towards the same volcano where El Macho previously faked his death. Lucy accepts Grus invitation for a date, and the pair dive into the ocean seconds before the rocket enters the volcano. 147 dates later, Gru and Lucy are married and Margo, Edith, and Agnes finally have a mother. The Minions close with a rendition of "I Swear" and "Y.M.C.A" as the whole family celebrates. Cast Steve Carell as Gru, a former villain turned father. Kristen Wiig as Lucy Wilde, an Anti-Villain League agent and Grus love interest/new partner. Wiig also voiced Miss Hattie in the first film. Benjamin Bratt as Eduardo "El Macho" Perez, the owner of Salsa & Salsa, a Mexican restaurant in the Paradise Mall, and the mastermind behind the theft of the PX-41 serium. Al Pacino was originally cast in the role, but left the film due to creative differences.

Miranda Cosgrove as Margo, the oldest of the three girls and the most overprotective of the trio. Elsie Fisher as Agnes, the youngest child of the three girls, who is obsessed with unicorns Dana Gaier as Edith, the middle and tomboy of the three girls Russell Brand as Dr. Nefario, Grus elderly, hearing impaired gadget man Ken Jeong as Floyd Eagle-san, the owner of Eagle Hair Club, a wig store in the Paradise Mall. Jeong also voiced Talk Show Host in the previous film. Steve Coogan as Silas Ramsbottom, the head of the Anti-Villain League Moises Arias as Antonio Perez, Margos love interest and Eduardos son Nasim Pedrad as Jillian, Grus irritating matchmaking neighbor Kristen Schaal as Shannon, Jillians superficial friend Pierre Coffin as Kevin the Minion, Bob the Minion, Stuart the Minion, Additional Minions, and Evil Minions. According to Coffin, he lent his voice to 899 Minions.

Chris Renaud as Additional Minions, Evil Minions, and Italian waiter Vanessa Bayer as Flight Attendant Production Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination Entertainment, said in July 2010 that a sequel was in the works. Release was tentatively scheduled for July 3, 2013. Miranda Cosgrove stated on her official Facebook and Twitter page on October 14, 2011 that she had recorded her first lines, while Meledandri confirmed in February 2012 that they had started working on the film. Casting In February 2012, it was reported that Al Pacino had joined the cast to voice the villain, Eduardo. In April 2012, it was confirmed that Steve Carell, Russell Brand, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier and Elsie Fisher were returning to reprise their roles. Kristen Wiig, who voiced Miss Hattie in the original film, voices Lucy Wilde, an agent of the Anti-Villain League (AVL) who recruits Gru to track and take down a tough, Mexican villain named El Macho.

Steve Coogan joined the cast as Silas Ramsbottom, the head of the Anti-Villain League. On May 3, 2013, just a month before the films premiere, it was announced that Al Pacino had left the film over creative differences about how his character should come to life. At the time of his departure, Pacinos character had been already fully voiced and animated. Chris Renaud, co-director of the film, commented on Pacinos departure: "So we dont want an unhappy actor, and we want something that is well-realized on all sides. If you dont see eye to eye, sometimes its easier to (part company) and move on from there." Benjamin Bratt, who had already been considered before Pacino, stepped in to voice Eduardo. Chris Meledandri, producer of the film, admitted that he was not "aware of any of the major animated films of the last 15 years that has brought an actor in at such a late stage". Due to the finished animation, Bratt had to match his timing exactly to the characters mouth movement.

Initially, during his five-day recording, he tried to imitate Pacinos voice, but found it impossible, saying "no one can out-Al Pacino Al Pacino". He ended up only using Pacino as an inspiration, and resolved to go with his own interpretation of the character. His work was commended by Variety, saying: "Youd never guess he wasnt the filmmakers first choice." Release Despicable Me 2 premiered on June 5, 2013 at Event Cinemas in Bondi Junction, New South Wales, Australia. Steve Carell and Miranda Cosgrove were present at the red carpet premiere. In France, it premiered on June 12, 2013 as part of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival. The American premiere was held at Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles on June 22, 2013; Steve Carell, Miranda Cosgrove, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Ken Jeong, Elsie Fisher, Dana Gaier, Nasim Pedrad and composer Pharrell Williams were present at the "yellow carpet" premiere. The film was theatrically released in the United States on July 3, 2013.

It was digitally re-mastered into IMAX 3D format and released in select international IMAX theatres. This film was also shown in the 4DX format, featuring tilting seats, water sprays, strobe lightning, aroma, wind, pops, and ticklers, in selected countries. Cinepolis opened its first 4DX room at the Centro Comercial Limonar Premier mall in Cali, Colombia, with the release of the film. As with the first film, which did not have a theatrical release in China, the films distributor Universal Pictures had troubles releasing the sequel. When it was reported in July 2013 that the film had been denied a theatrical release in China, then the second largest film market in the world, some analysts attributed this to the protection of locally produced animation. There were also rumors that the films release was banned in China because the films minions too much resembled former Chinese president Jiang Zemin. Chinas Film Bureau was "furious" about the negative comments, stating that the film was not submitted for censorship approval. In fact, there was reportedly a "commercial conflict" between Universal and Edko Films, the films local distributor, over which titles are to be imported.

Edko had decided that the film "would not do well in China and decided against using one of the precious quota slots for the film." In December 2013, a few weeks after the Universal Pictures announcement that it would open a Beijing office, it was reported that Despicable Me 2 would be theatrically released in China on January 10, 2014. Marketing A blimp dressed to appear as a Minion, named "Despicablimp," toured the United States from March 2013 in a six-month tour to promote the films release. As one of the largest airships in the world, measuring 165 feet (50 m) in length, 55 feet (17 m) in height, and weighing 8,000 pounds (3.6 t), it crossed the country three times during its 20,000 miles (32,000 km)-long tour, visiting hundreds of events, including the films premiere in Hollywood.

The blimp, an American Blimp Corporation A-150 model, could be tracked in real-time via GPS at the Despicablimp Command Center website, which allowed fans to post photos of sightings, and compete for various prizes, including for a ride in the blimp. A free mobile action video game inspired by the Despicable Me franchise, titled Despicable Me: Minion Rush, was released on June 13, 2013. The game, developed by Gameloft, was adapted for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. Played as one of the Minions, it allows customization of the character, who must perform various tasks, including defeating Vector and a new villain created for the game, to earn the title of Minion of the Year. The game was downloaded more than 100 million times in the first three months after its release, and won a BAFTAs British Academy Childrens Award in the category BAFTAs Kids Vote. For the films release, Roblox, a massively multiplayer online game, released two virtual items, a Minion and goggles.

Six books were released for the film: The Junior Novel, The Anti-Villain League Handbook, Undercover Super Spies, Attack of the Evil Minions!, Make a Minion, and Meet the Minions. Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment partnered with more than 100 licensing and promotional partners in a deal valued at an unprecedented $250 million. One of the partners was McDonalds, which included in its Happy Meals various Minion toys, some of them unique to a specific country. To take advantage of banana-loving Minions, Chiquita Brands International ran various sweepstakes, and a Minion, voiced by Pierre Coffin, performed the song "Chiquita Banana" in the film. Thinkway Toys released various toys and figures, and Hasbro made special Monopoly and Operation games. Custom 3D glasses, modelled after the Minions goggles, were released exclusively at Best Buy and Look3D, the producer of the glasses, for use in RealD 3D theatres and with passive 3D home theatre systems.

Home media Despicable Me 2 was released in Digital HD on November 26, 2013, and on DVD and Blu-ray on December 10, 2013. The DVD and Blu-ray combo pack features three "mini movies" titled Puppy, Panic in the Mailroom, and Training Wheels. A Walmart exclusive Blu-ray/DVD combo pack included two limited edition Minion toys. In its first week of home entertainment release, 4.5 million physical and digital units had been sold, earning $80 million and breaking several records. The film had the highest first-week sales for a digital title ever and became the best selling animated Blu-ray title in its first week, surpassing its predecessor, which previously held the record. Despicable Me 2 was the best selling Blu-ray of 2013 with 4,689,747 sold for a total of $93,734,824 in sales. It was also the second best selling DVD for the year 2013 with 4,566,911 sold for sales totaling $77,250,269.

As of January 2015, Despicable Me 2 has sold 6,998,018 DVDs and 5,560,038 Blu-ray discs totalling $112,572,748 and $114,061,866 respectively totalling $226,634,614 in North America. Soundtrack Despicable Me 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album for the film, released on June 18, 2013 through Back Lot Music. The original music was composed by Heitor Pereira and Pharrell Williams. The album was promoted by the highly successful single "Happy" performed by Williams. Track listing All music composed by Heitor Pereira, except where noted. Critical response Despicable Me 2 received generally positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 74% approval rating with an average rating of 6.7/10 based on 170 reviews. The websites consensus reads, "Despicable Me 2 offers plenty of eye-popping visual inventiveness and a number of big laughs.".

Another review aggregator, Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating from mainstream critics, gave the film a score of 62 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The film earned an "A" from audiences polled by CinemaScore, on an A+ to F scale. Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying "Steve Carells Slavic inflections as Gru do the trick, as before.

Wiigs clever hesitations and comic timing help save the day." Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a negative review, saying "The new edition doesnt quite catch that inspired spark." Stephen Whitty of The Star-Ledger gave the film three out four stars, saying "Not only a fun cartoon but – that rare thing – a sequel which actually improves on the original." Elizabeth Weitzman of the New York Daily News gave the film two out of five stars, saying "Armed with masses of minions and an excess of adorability, Despicable Me 2 is guaranteed to charm anyone whos out of school and already bored." Soren Anderson of The Seattle Times gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying "Its fun. Its cheerful. Its lollipop colorful. Best of all, it features lots of minion mischief, which guarantees plenty of laughs. But what it doesnt have is an edge." Peter Howell of the Toronto Star gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying "It feels at times as if Despicable Me 2 actually is The Minions Movie.

Coffin and Renaud and returning screenwriters Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio havent managed to come up with a dastardly plot to rival the shrinking and stealing of the moon from the previous film." Stephen Holden of The New York Times gave the film two and a half stars out of five, saying "It is consistently diverting and so cute youll want to pet it.

Yet it is also weightless and lacks a center." Rafer Guzman of Newsday gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying "Better, or at least sweeter, than the first, with Wiig adding some much-needed romantic charm to the toddler-level humor." Tirdad Derakhshani of The Philadelphia Inquirer gave the film two and a half stars out of five, saying "If youre looking for quality prepackaged, predigested Hollywood family fun this summer, you could do a lot worse than Despicable Me 2." Keith Uhlich of Time Out gave the film three out of five stars, saying "A fleeter film than its predecessor, Despicable Me 2 delights more often than it disappoints." Alonso Duralde of The Wrap gave the film a negative review, saying "The minions are still wacky scene-stealers – and once again, we dont get nearly enough of them – but Gru and his daughters have been blanded down to bad-sitcom level." Claudia Puig of USA Today gave the film two out of four stars, saying "With its predecessor having made a whopping $540 million globally, its no wonder that Universal saw fit to order a sequel.

But its not enough just to trot out legions of minions and cobble together a plot. Audiences deserve more imagination and inventiveness than this wan recycling." Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a C grade, saying "By the end, every child in the audience will want his or her own monster-minion toy. Adults will just regret the way that Despicable Me 2 betrays the original films devotion to bad-guy gaiety." Sara Stewart of the New York Post gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Sure, its not as novel as the first time we were here, but directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud stay true to the clever, slapstick vibe." James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Despicable Me 2 feels like a opportunity to get together with some old friends, hang out, and discover what theyve been up to." Tom Russo of The Boston Globe gave the film a positive review, saying "The scope of the toon espionage-adventure goings-on is surprisingly limited.

But the filmmakers so clearly love working on these characters, their creative joy is infectious." Stephanie Merry of The Washington Post gave the film three out of four stars, saying "The animation is beguiling, particularly when Lucy drives her car into the ocean, transforming it into a submarine that scoots around sharks and fish." Peter Debruge of Variety gave the film a positive review, saying "While not quite as charming or unique as the original, Despicable Me 2 comes awfully close, extending co-directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffins delightfully silly sensibility to a bit larger universe." Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Its a credit that the writing can be so funny in the moment, that it takes time to realize theres no cohesive story, zero dramatic tension and nary a practical lesson for either the characters in the film or the people watching in the theater." James Rocchi of MSN Movies gave the film four out of five stars, saying "Heartfelt and hilarious, smart and silly, action-packed but never violent, Despicable Me 2 is that rare sequel that outshines its beginnings." Colin Covert of the Star Tribune gave the film three out of four stars,

 saying "For an adult, the predictability could turn you blase.

For kids, revisiting these jokes is a howl. Pinkie promise." Mary F. Pols of Time gave the film a positive review, saying "As a sequel it stands level with the first film, and may have the edge on it." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Co-directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin, who do Minion voices expertly, never let up on the laughs. A fart joke in 3-D may not be three times as wacky, but the high spirits of Despicable Me 2 are irresistible fun." A.A. Dowd of The A.V. Club gave the film a C grade, saying "Whats missing—and this was the crucial component of part one—is a little sour to undercut the sweet. Like its protagonist, a bad guy gone boringly good, Despicable Me 2 has no edge. Its fatally nice and insufficiently naughty." Laremy Legel of Film.com gave the film a 6.3 out of 10, saying "Despicable Me 2 is fun, especially near the culmination.

Structural issues aside, its impossible not to like these characters, all of them, rendered with love, always entertaining even when the story around them doesnt make much sense." Box office Despicable Me 2 grossed $368 million in North America, and $602.7 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $970.8 million. Calculating in all expenses, Deadline.com estimated that the film made a profit of $394.5 million. It is currently the twenty-fourth highest-grossing film, the fourth highest-grossing animated film, the third highest-grossing 2013 film (behind Frozen and Iron Man 3), the second highest-grossing 2013 animated film, the highest-grossing Illumination Entertainment film, and the second highest-grossing Universal Studios film (behind Jurassic Park). With a budget of $76 million, the film is the most profitable film in the 101-year history of Universal Studios.

North America Despicable Me 2 is the twenty-sixth highest-grossing film, the fourth highest-grossing 2013 film, the sixth highest-grossing animated film, the seventh highest-grossing 3-D film, and the highest-grossing Illumination Entertainment film. It is the sixth animated film to pass the $300 million mark. The film opened on Wednesday, July 3, 2013 at first place with $35.0 million (including $4.7 million from Tuesday night showings). Its opening-day gross stands as third highest for an animated feature, and the seventh highest among films opening on a Wednesday. The film then dropped 30% to $24.5 million on Thursday, marking the second-largest non-opening Thursday gross. Over the five-day Independence Day weekend (Wednesday-to-Sunday, including Tuesday night showings), the film earned $143.1 million, the highest five-day start for an animated film (ahead of Toy Story 3???s $141.0 million five-day debut). During the traditional three-day opening weekend (Friday-to-Sunday), the film earned $83.5 million.

The films three-day opening-weekend gross was the largest among Illumination Entertainment films, the third largest for an Independence Day holiday, the fourth largest among animated films, the seventh largest among films released in July, and the tenth largest among films not released on a Friday. The film remained in the first position at the box office for two consecutive weekends. Other countries Despicable Me 2 is the twenty-seventh highest-grossing film, the third highest-grossing animated film, the second highest-grossing Universal film, and the third highest-grossing 2013 film. It is also only the fourth animated film to have grossed over $600 million. On its first weekend, Despicable Me 2 opened only in Australia with $6.66 million, ahead of Monsters University which opened on the same weekend. The film set an opening-day record in Latvia. In total, it opened at number one in 67 territories, and set opening-weekend records among animated films in Latin America, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Lebanon, as well as opening-weekend records among all films in South Africa and Venezuela.

The film remained in the first position at the box office for two consecutive weekends during July 2013. The films largest openings occurred in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Malta ($22.5 million), China ($15.4 million) and Mexico ($14.9 million). In total earnings, its largest markets were the United Kingdom, Ireland and Malta ($72.2 million), China ($53.0 million) and Mexico ($47.7 million). Prequel A prequel feature film titled Minions, featuring the Minions as the main characters, was released on July 10, 2015. Written by Brian Lynch, it was directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda, and produced by Chris Meledandri and Janet Healey. The film, set in the 1960s, focuses on the Minions before they met Gru, where they compete for the right to become henchmen of an ambitious villain, Scarlet Overkill, voiced by Sandra Bullock. Similar Movies Despicable Me 2 and Despicable Me are part of the same movie series. Steve Carell and Steve Coogan appear in Despicable Me 2 and Minions.

Benjamin Bratt and Kristen Schaal appear in Despicable Me 2 and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2. Ken Jeong appears in Despicable Me 2 and Turbo. Epic (2013). Sequel On January 15, 2014, it was announced that a sequel, titled Despicable Me 3 will be released on June 30, 2017. MOVIE REVIEW: 'Despicable Me' Is Smart, Funny Animated Tale For Whole Family - Breitbart MOVIE REVIEW: 'Despicable Me' Is Smart, Funny Animated Tale For Whole Family by Carl Kozlowski 9 Jul 2010 0 9 Jul, 2010 9 Jul, 2010 SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER I’ll never forget the magic of growing up watching Bugs Bunny, Road Runner and the rest of the “Looney Tunes” pantheon of characters each and every Saturday morning in the ’70s and ’80s.

They all had an anarchic spirit in which wickedly funny and endlessly inventive situations paid off with body-shaking laughter that often made me roll off the couch and hit the floor in a fit of giggles. —– SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER While Pixar has pulled off even greater works of animation over the past 15 years or so with films including the “Toy Story” trilogy and “Finding Nemo,” it often seems that the surprisingly adult sense of humor and flippant use of comic violence (outside of “The Incredibles”) found in the best Road Runner cartoons has fallen out of use amid today’s sea of CGI-animation movies. PC weirdos even successfully managed to have scenes from many of these classics deleted for fear that they would inspire copycat violence among children even though decades of youngsters had already enjoyed them uscathed.

That sadly gaping hole in the entertainment world has now been solved with the release of the wonderfully dark and visually stunning new film,” Despicable Me .” Starring the voice of Steve Carell (who pulls off a surprisingly great Eastern European accent) as a career criminal named Gru who wants to pull off the greatest robbery and ransom situation in the history of the world by attempting to steal the Moon, the film reveals its fresh visual spin from the opening credits forward. The full-bodied visuals help sell the film’s dual plotlines, in which Gru faces competition in evil from his arch-nemesis Vector and finds his nearly-forgotten heart slowly warmed by three young orphan girls he adopts initially for use in his wicked schemes. Combined with impressive voice work by an eclectic group that includes both British bad boy Russell Brand as Gru’s evil mentor Dr. Nefario and Mary Poppins herself – Julie Andrews – as Gru’s never-impressed mother and a sparkling pop score by Pharrell Williams that features songs that recall the best of Stevie Wonder’s 1970s classics, the film’s attention to detail on every level pays off.

This is Universal’s first foray into the modern world of feature-length computer animation, following in the footsteps of not only the aforementioned Pixar films but also Dreamworks’ efforts such as the “Madagascar” films. It’s clearly a lucrative field to play in, but in hiring the writing team of Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul – Mormons who co-wrote the hit adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ “Horton Hears a Who” as well as the upcoming Seuss film “The Lorax,” and who insist on creating family-friendly works – they also landed a film with its heart in the right place. “Despicable Me”‘s off-kilter sense of humor and comic battle royales between Gru and Vector will keep little boys happy, while little girls will be charmed by the film’s three young heroines. That smart sense of balance – in which adults will also be highly entertained, even without towing kids along – is the film’s hallmark on every level and marks it as one of the most fun films of the year so far. Read More Stories About:

Question: Which British actor/comedian is the voice of  Dr Nefario in the 2010 animated film ‘Despicable Me’?
Answer: Russell Brand