Three years ago, an animated film about a villain whose life changes when he adopts three children as part of his evil plan, popped up out of nowhere. Today, the sequel to Despicable Me is all children (and a large number of adults) are talking about and it’s easy to see why. Despicable Me 2 follows on from Gru’s (Steve Carrell) adoption of Agnes (Elsie Fisher), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Margo (Miranda Cosgrove) as he moves away from villainy and into jam making, with a side lesson in parenting. However, the universe has other plans for him and he finds himself in the boot of a car in a recruitment drive for the Anti-Villain League searching for another super-villain. Meanwhile, the minions keep being taken by an unknown minion-napper who reveals a dastardly plan for Gru’s employees.
There’s always a danger with sequels that they won’t live up to their predecessor, but that isn’t an issue for Despicable Me 2. Having realised how much of a hit Gru’s minions were in the first film, the second film gives them their own subplot and features them more prominently, and they don’t disappoint. Clearly gearing up for their own film, Minions (expected December 2014), there’s a danger of them stealing the show, especially given the final scene which should come with a health warning it’s so funny. In fact, the majority of the film is wonderfully funny, in much the same way as the first one, and it’s just the right kind of humour to please children and adults alike. Whilst the minions have their brilliant moments Agnes, Edith and Margot all get their fair share of the funny, as do the remaining and additional characters, making this a nicely rounded film that is certainly on par with the first. All the subplots running around this film could make for a complicated watch, but they’re all done so well that they all merge into one without any issue. Margot’s love story, Gru’s attempts at parenting and the main super-villain story are all melded together, along with the minions and their very funny plot.
If there’s any doubt about the franchise, Despicable Me 2 should put a stop to any of them. Not only does it look great, it’s a film that will slap a smile on your face and keep it there long after the final minion giggle. It’s one of the most fun films to be released this year and is made even better by the fact it can be enjoyed very easily by both adults and children. The characters, both old and new, are excellent and the old ones haven’t lost any of their charm in the translation to the second film. This is a great example of what a family film should be, and of a series that has some serious potential. It’s a great addition to what will hopefully be a very successful series.
Despicable Me 2 is in cinemas 28th June 2013.
Directors: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Stars: Steve Carell, Ken Jeong, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand
Runtime: 98 min
Country: USA
Film Rating: 
