Despicable Me Review: Never Has Villainy Been So Fun

Far too often in this jaded world, it’s easy to forget that villains have hearts too. They have goals and aspirations. Did you think it was easy being evil? Well, if you did, the new film Despicable Me will set you straight once and for all. It has a horribly enjoyable cast and is diabolical fun to watch.

Despicable Me stars Steve Carell as the villainous Gru. Gru has aspirations of being the world’s greatest villain EVER, but unfortunately for him his greatest feats are small-time hi-jinks in the eyes of the evil community. Just as Gru makes plans to raise his stock and reclaim his position, a new villain has emerged to steal the limelight. So, what do you do when you’re no longer the greatest villain on earth? Well, the answer’s simple. You go to the moon… and then you steal it. Gru’s going to steal the moon.

Surrounded with his army of minions, Gru plans to leave the world rapturous in his hands but first he has must stand against new villain Vector, evil nay-sayers, and three little orphans who just might offer him the one thing he never had: love. Can Gru reclaim #1? Will he reach the moon? Can he accept the gift these three children offer, or will he ever be despicable?

Despicable Me is an enjoyable film with strong characters and a great storyline.

The greatest aspect of this movie are the amazing characters. I have to say I really love these characters. All of the characters were genuine, with depth and motivation. First, there’s Gru, the diabolical anti-hero who just may find he has a heart. Then there’s Vector (Jason Segel), the wacky evil up-and-comer who is determined to knock Gru back into obscurity. Finally there’s the three orphan kids, Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Elsie Fisher), Gru reluctantly plays father to. Of course there are a host of other characters who feed into the storyline, and each of them brings more to the story. From Gru’s mother to the bank manager, these additions are smart and used very well.

All of these characters are enchanting and I found the voice-overs to be really great. It happens that sometimes in animation there is discrepancy between voice and character; this is not the case for Despicable Me. All of the performances seem very natural. Along with Steve Carrell, other stars include Julie Andrews as Gru’s mother, Russell Brand as Gru’s assistant Dr. Neferio, Jason Segel as nemesis Vector. The film also stars, Chris Renaud, Philip Bolden, Danny McBride, Miranda Cosgrove, Kristen Wiig, Dana Gaier, and Elsie Fisher.

This film has a strong heart. Watching the relationships develop between the characters is quite enjoyable. Gru’s progression is very believable. Each character has their own struggle and watching this play out is very rewarding.

Despicable Me is a cute film that is great for all ages. Take the kids, they’ll love it and you’ll enjoy yourself too.

Photo by Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment – © 2010 Universal Studios.