Despicable Me 2

• Directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud
• June 5, 2013 (Australia) / July 3, 2013 (United States)

Voice Cast

• Gru-Steve Carell
• Lucy Wilde-Kristen Wiig
• Eduardo Pérez / El Macho-Benjamin Bratt
• Margo-Miranda Cosgrove
• Edith-Dana Gaier
• Agnes-Elsie Fisher
• Dr. Nefario-Russell Brand
• Silas Ramsbottom-Steve Coogan
• Floyd Eaglesan-Ken Jeong
• Antonio Pérez (Margo’s first love interest and Eduardo’s son)-Moisés Arias
• Jillian-Nasim Pedrad
• Shannon-Kristen Schaal

Gru has settled into life as a single father of three daughters but is called into action to help the AVL (Anti Villain League) when a dangerous mutating formula is stolen.

I am finally getting around to the Despicable Me films. I enjoy them. They are funny and often just silly fun. This sequel improves upon the concepts introduced in the original. It is funnier and sillier than its predecessor. They now know the type of world they have and run with it.

The music in this movie for some reason reminds me of the old-school James Bond swinging superspy music. I am not sure if that is what they were going for, but it is certainly the feel the music has. I do not recall feeling that watching the first film. Is that what Heitor Pereira and Pharrell Williams were going for in their musical score?

The jokes are a little better as the story embraces more of a super spy than a super villain mentality. Gru, trying to find his way after giving up villainy, is recruited by the AVL (Anti Villain League) to go undercover to find a mutating serum.

Despicable Me 2 contains a few pop culture references some of the younger parents who see this might not get let alone any children they bring along. During the film someone is abducting Gru’s Minions. When we finally see where all the Minions have gone we see a visual reference to the bartender Isaac from The Love Boat. How many from the expected audience would get that? That is really reaching into pop culture.

The Minions are a little more developed here than they were in the last one. Their personalities are more distinct, and their humor is more scatological. Obviously the creative minds understood the impact these side characters made on the public and improved upon them. Not that I am complaining. What they did was funny and brought needed levity to this humorous movie. It also helps that they factor into the plot of the film’s villain. If they did not matter to the story it would not have worked.

Dr. Nefario even gets a little more screen time. He is a little more sweetly crazed than he was last time. And perhaps a little goofier.

Our villain is known as El Macho who is the most macho villain that ever was as his name implies. It was believed he died years ago while riding a shark strapped with explosives into a volcano that exploded. Pretty much a macho way to go. Apparently he faked his own death and is now running a Mexican restaurant called Salsa Salsa in the shopping mall that the AVL suspects the mutating formula has been taken to.

On the surface he really does nothing suspicious. What draws Gru’s attention is that his oldest daughter Margo has become infatuated with El Macho’s son and Gru just is not having any of that. As a father he is unwilling to have his daughter grow up.

Gru does a little bit of growing up himself. Thrown into the cast is Lucy Wilde who is an agent of the AVL. At first I thought she was going to be an unrequited love interest for Gru and one of his Minions but the Minion aspect went nowhere while the Gru aspect was sweetly developed.

The sweet moments are a little sweeter here and a little cuter even if they are exaggerated cute paternal moments. The best though is towards the beginning when Agnes is discussing Gru’s head and he gently kisses her on the head after she’s done and says “Don’t ever get older.” I think just about any parent can identify with that moment.

Despicable Me 2 is a great follow-up to the first film that improves upon ideas introduced in its predecessor. You will laugh. You will get the feels. This is definitely a watch it!