Despicable Me 2

Three years ago, Despicable Me launched Illumination Entertainment and announced Universal Studios as a viable player in the animation game (only Disney/Pixar and DreamWorks used to show up to these box-office battles). The film wasn't even the only supervillain animation to hit the theaters that year, but it did one-up its rival Megamind both in critical acclaim and commercial success. Now, the original film's creative team returns with Despicable Me 2, continuing the adventures of former supervillain-cum-adopted father Gru, his precocious daughters Margo, Edith, and Agnes, and his little, yellow, nonsense-spouting minions. Following closely on the first film's heels (this film gratifyingly puts a premium on continuity), the now-retired Gru is settling into his new paternal role, and while the spikier parts of his personality remain, he's reshaped himself into an adoring father and potential purveyor of jams (and jellies). When an evil plot threatens the globe, however, Gru finds himself pulled back into the supervillain game by the Anti-Villain League, who've recruited him to be the hero, an ersatz spy who knows how the mystery bad guy thinks. One earnest and delightfully over

Really good movie, laughed a lot

Much as I did quite enjoy this, I think it ought really to have been called “Adorable Me” as “Gru” really hasn’t much despicable going on throughout. Indeed, when he is recruited by “Anti-Villain League” to become poacher-cum-gamekeeper, he is the epitome of the family man with the three kids, his army of giggling Minions and even an hint of romance on the horizon with agent “Lucy”. He hasn’t lost all of his knack, though, and is swiftly on the trail of “El Macho”. Arnie? Well no, more a sort of purveyor of enchiladas with his own special sauces - but has he an even more secret weapon that could turn the ever-loyal Minions not just against "Gru", but purple too? With battle lines drawn and lead agent “Ramsbottom” (or “Sheepsbutt”) confident that “Gru” couldn’t find some sand in the desert, he now has to prove he still has what it takes to save the day, the weans, the Minions and maybe even get the gal, too. I think “Gru” is my favourite of all of the animated characters to emerge from the CGI animated universe. He exudes a degree of cheery menace that I really enjoy, and even though I wish they'd have written something more along the lines of “Darth Vader” than “John Boy Walton” fo