As an older sister I babysit my siblings a lot in the school holidays and sometimes in an attempt to get us all out of the house I take them to the cinema to watch what it has to offer in the way of a cheesy animation.
After a very intense battle of rock, paper, scissors between my two siblings it was finally decided we should watch Despicable Me 2.
Ex-super-villain-turned-father Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) is approached by the head of the Anti-Villain-League for help after a top-secret laboratory hidden in the Arctic Circle is stolen by a giant flying magnet. The laboratory was developing a serum to turn normal and cutesy creatures into rabid invincible monsters and the AVL fear what this mysterious new super-villain plans to do with it. Gru, along with his bumbling but endearing partner Lucy (voiced by Kristen Wiig) must go undercover to sniff out the criminal mastermind. But with a list of potential suspects, Margo's new 'friend' Eduardo and relationship problems of his own will Gru be able to catch the villain?
This was an incredibly cute film and what I would call a light watch, a very easy plot with not too much concentration needed- perfect for family audiences. The main characters are well developed and even the fringe characters are well formed, such as the self-imposed cupid: Jillian, desperate to set Gru up with a date.
The main characters are hilarious and each bring something individual to the film, demanding the sympathy and attention of the audience. Gru is a strong protagonist with some hilarious one-liners and a sweet relationship with his three adorable adopted girls. Lucy Wilde is hilarious in a kooky but surprisingly strong way for a supporting character for example, in the beginning of the film she abducts Gru from his home using her trusty "Liiiiiiipsitck Taaaazer!" (As my siblings now scream on an average of three times a minute). The minions are very lovable and brought a lot of comedy to the film resulting in a lot of giggles from adults and children alike in the cinema.
A giggle-worthy good versus evil film with a host of fun characters and a sweet message on the importance of family, I would recommend this film as a light watch to family audiences and fans of the first film.
As a family film I would give this film a 4.5 out of 5, so time to crack out the popcorn, no?
