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Movie review: Minions galore, but 'Despicable Me 2' is only slightly evil
Someone is snatching Felonious Gru’s adorable yellow Minions and no one knows who or why.
Admittedly, since there’s so darned many of them, it takes Gru and his crew some time to notice. But this is the overarching plot plant and mystery that is established early on, informing the twist of this movie.
“Despicable Me 2” is the much-anticipated adventure comedy sequel to the first installment that came out in 2010. Produced by Illumination Entertainment and directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud (same guys as the first movie), this sequel finds Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) in the throes of domestic, fatherly bliss tending to his three adopted girls: Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Elsie Fisher). He’s also gotten into the bottled jellies venture, using his minions to manufacture various flavors of the stuff, albeit majority of them are firmly in the taste of horrid.
Felonious Gru (Steve Carell) is a devoted foster father to Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Elsie Fisher)
It is against this fairly non-felonious situation that Anti-Villain League (AVL) agent Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig) pays Gru a visit one day and, since Gru of course refuses her invitation, forces her to kidnap him and two of his Minions in the process. Boy, that lipstick taser does come in handy; or, as Lucy puts it: “Lipstick taser!”
Lucy takes them to AVL's HQ where Gru meets Silas Ramsbottom, the league's director. He explains that someone has stolen a mutating chemical compound called PX-41, which has the ability to transform living things into indestructible killing machines. Gru is asked to assist them in their efforts to track down the missing mutagen and its perpetrator – having tracked down many of the suspects hiding as tenants and store owners at a local mall.
It’s a cruel inside joke in animation circles to “cash your paycheck at Dreamworks and invest in Pixar.” The same could be said for fairly newbie outfit Illumination Entertainment, even if they do have major studio distribution and backing by Universal Pictures.
While the first movie’s interest was how someone as angry and villainous as Gru could be turned to love three orphans, “Despicable Me 2” has no such juicy conflict going for it at the start. Result? This movie is only slightly evil. Quasi, if you come right down to it.
Lucy takes them to AVL's HQ where Gru meets Silas Ramsbottom, the league's director. He explains that someone has stolen a mutating chemical compound called PX-41, which has the ability to transform living things into indestructible killing machines. Gru is asked to assist them in their efforts to track down the missing mutagen and its perpetrator – having tracked down many of the suspects hiding as tenants and store owners at a local mall.
It’s a cruel inside joke in animation circles to “cash your paycheck at Dreamworks and invest in Pixar.” The same could be said for fairly newbie outfit Illumination Entertainment, even if they do have major studio distribution and backing by Universal Pictures.
While the first movie’s interest was how someone as angry and villainous as Gru could be turned to love three orphans, “Despicable Me 2” has no such juicy conflict going for it at the start. Result? This movie is only slightly evil. Quasi, if you come right down to it.
Felonious Gru and Dr Nefario (Russell Brand) among the Minions
“Despicable 2” is the perfect example of an animated movie in love with its own visuals and too much fat on the plot’s gristle. Nearly all of the scenes take too long to establish themselves and serve up their expository point; especially the one where Gru and Lucy begin their investigation of the mall’s tenants.
El Macho (Benjamin Bratt), for example, is potentially a great and very interesting villain. I mean, he’s the epitome of hairy-chested masculinity and he’s embodied evil in a luchador mask. What’s not to love? Too bad he really doesn’t become a formidable enemy until much much later, after a series of frustratingly false leads and dead ends.
Sad to say that the supporting cast outshines the main characters here. Dr. Nefario (admirably voiced by Russell Brand) and the patois-talking Minions (especially Kevin, Dave, and Stuart – all voiced by the director Pierre Coffin) are the best things in this movie because I cared more about what would happen to them when it’s finally hinted at who’s been kidnapping them and for what purpose. And if you loved these yellow, rotund creatures, their slapstick antics, and their undecipherable language (though I did hear them clearly say “Gelato!” when an ice cream truck rolled by) from the first movie like many of us did, then you will also love the much-hyped, evil purple Minions.
Interesting how the yellows and the purples interact; like jocks mixed with nerds.
You’ve probably seen the half a dozen teasers featuring these purple Minions so there’s no spoiler there, but even this twist – of how the purples are made – is too long and too late in coming. The first 20 minutes already had the few kids in the audience with me bored and standing up on their chairs, or pestering mom and dad.
This kind of sprawling narrative is not for animated movies exactly because the whole family’s sure to be at the theater.
El Macho (Benjamin Bratt), for example, is potentially a great and very interesting villain. I mean, he’s the epitome of hairy-chested masculinity and he’s embodied evil in a luchador mask. What’s not to love? Too bad he really doesn’t become a formidable enemy until much much later, after a series of frustratingly false leads and dead ends.
Sad to say that the supporting cast outshines the main characters here. Dr. Nefario (admirably voiced by Russell Brand) and the patois-talking Minions (especially Kevin, Dave, and Stuart – all voiced by the director Pierre Coffin) are the best things in this movie because I cared more about what would happen to them when it’s finally hinted at who’s been kidnapping them and for what purpose. And if you loved these yellow, rotund creatures, their slapstick antics, and their undecipherable language (though I did hear them clearly say “Gelato!” when an ice cream truck rolled by) from the first movie like many of us did, then you will also love the much-hyped, evil purple Minions.
Interesting how the yellows and the purples interact; like jocks mixed with nerds.
You’ve probably seen the half a dozen teasers featuring these purple Minions so there’s no spoiler there, but even this twist – of how the purples are made – is too long and too late in coming. The first 20 minutes already had the few kids in the audience with me bored and standing up on their chairs, or pestering mom and dad.
This kind of sprawling narrative is not for animated movies exactly because the whole family’s sure to be at the theater.
Felonious Gru and love interest Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig)
Speaking of half-baked main characters, Gru’s love interest, Lucy, does have her moments but she’s really quite a forgettable character. She may be positioned as the person who swoops in and changes (or tries to) Gru and the girls’ life, but when she’s out of the picture I don’t long for her or wonder if she’s safe. The owner of the mall’s wig store, Floyd Eagle-san (Ken Jeong), impressed me much more than Lucy did. It’s a sign of how bad the character development is.
Oh, the Minion gags are funny too but I want context, I want a connected series of events that are not merely feeble in their transitions.
The comedic scenes are on point and nearly all belly up for laughs (Lucy’s cry of “Lipstick taser!” was inspired, sure) but a string of droll sketches, no matter how good each sketch is, squeezed together like a kid trying to pound square pegs in round holes, do not a narrative make.
We can demand this much from animated movies because, in recent memory, that “other” studio has given us “Toy Story3”, “Up!”, and the recent “Monsters University”, all full of pathos and energy that the kids writhed and squirmed, trying to stay in their seats while holding in their urge to pee because they didn’t want to miss a thing.
Oh, the Minion gags are funny too but I want context, I want a connected series of events that are not merely feeble in their transitions.
The comedic scenes are on point and nearly all belly up for laughs (Lucy’s cry of “Lipstick taser!” was inspired, sure) but a string of droll sketches, no matter how good each sketch is, squeezed together like a kid trying to pound square pegs in round holes, do not a narrative make.
We can demand this much from animated movies because, in recent memory, that “other” studio has given us “Toy Story3”, “Up!”, and the recent “Monsters University”, all full of pathos and energy that the kids writhed and squirmed, trying to stay in their seats while holding in their urge to pee because they didn’t want to miss a thing.
The adorable, patois-talking Minions, including Dave and Kevin, are getting their own spin-off
The thing even ends with a predictable denoument which is really the kind of par for the course comfort pablum that gets thrown around these PG-rated plots. C’mon, at least make it fresh?
It may not live up to the hype of its viral teasers but, boy, will this movie sell a lot of Minions stuffed toys and merchandise. And for all of us lovers of Kevin, Dave, Stuart, et al, the good news is that a spin-off film titled (you guessed it) “Minions” is due for release in December of 2014. Bring your kids. Bring your own bananas. — BM, GMA News
“Despicable Me 2” is currently screening in major Metro Manila theaters.
All photos courtesy of Universal Pictures/Illumination Entertainment.
It may not live up to the hype of its viral teasers but, boy, will this movie sell a lot of Minions stuffed toys and merchandise. And for all of us lovers of Kevin, Dave, Stuart, et al, the good news is that a spin-off film titled (you guessed it) “Minions” is due for release in December of 2014. Bring your kids. Bring your own bananas. — BM, GMA News
“Despicable Me 2” is currently screening in major Metro Manila theaters.
All photos courtesy of Universal Pictures/Illumination Entertainment.
