Despicable Me
(2010)This animated comedy, from the writers of Horton Hears A Who, follows Gru (Steve Carell), an evil genius masterminding the biggest heist in history: to steal the moon. His wicked ways go unchecked as he plots and schemes from his lair and manages to steal several world landmarks. One day, however, he meets his match in three little orphan girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes, who just want him as their dad.... More
Kiwi comedian Jemaine Clement is one of the many vocal talents, which include Danny McBride, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig and Julie Andrews.Hide
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Directed by Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud, Sergio Pablos
Starring Steve Carell, Miranda Cosgrove, Danny McBride, Will Arnett, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, Julie Andrews, Jemaine Clement, Jason Segel
Written by Ken Daurio, Cinco Paul
Studio Illumination Entertainment
On Demand, DVD & Blu-Ray
Available from 6 providers
Flicks Review
BY Andrew Hedley Flicks Writer
Steve Carell provides the voice of Gru, a super-villain who is neither as ‘super’ nor as ‘villainous’ as he used to be. Looking like a sprightly version of Danny DeVito’s Penguin (from Batman Returns), he spends his days plotting to do something more evil than anyone else. Enter, stage right, three cute little girls, who make it their mission to tame his megalomaniacal ideas and set him on the straight and narrow.... More
This light-hearted caper is brightly coloured and up-tempo, featuring plenty of cool gadgets and baddie-vs-baddie hijinks. It feels more rooted in the present than some other recent animated releases, particularly thanks to the jazzy urban soundtrack, provided in part by N.E.R.D.’s Pharrell Williams.
There’s a street-smart savviness to everything, however, and by cribbing from many other movies, Despicable Me feels more of a spoof than a genuine tale. The hundreds of little yellow minions (some voiced by Jemaine Clement) are fun, but they’re really just different-looking versions of Madagascar’s penguins, or Toy Story’s squeeze toy aliens.
The post-climax finale is an obligatory disco dance-fest, with one of the minions providing DJ duties and Gru cutting loose. As much of the movie that proceeded it, it’s a little uninspired. But just because Despicable Me lacks originality doesn’t mean that it’s not fun. Your kids will have a good time – be prepared for a barrage of Gru quoting in the weeks ahead.Hide
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Despicable Me
BY adamatdramatrain superstar
A lovely movie with a good heart moving story line but Mega Mind leaves it for dead.
BY Heather7 wannabe
Awesome movie the storyline was fantastic and the characters were fun and lovable. I would definitley watch this movie over and over.
The humour is good and pulls out some decent jokes of the time but isn't at the levels of some of the bigger animated movies of the last couple of decades. The plot flow is a tad messy and reminiscent of a scatalogical Tom and Jerry cartoon. But the 3-D certainly gives this flick some extra pep worth the GST-inflated admission, especially courtesy of one stunning rollercoaster ride.
Showing 5 of 21 reviews. See all reviews
The Press Reviews
81%
of critics recommend.
Rotten Tomatoes Score. More reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
The film is funny, energetic, teeth-gnashingly venomous and animated with an eye to exploiting the 3-D process with such sure-fire techniques as a visit to an amusement park. The sad thing, I am forced to report, is that the 3-D process produces a picture more dim than it should be. Full Review
It's not as dazzling as your average Pixar film, but fifDespicable Meltf is a fun, plucky movie, with its not-so-despicable heart in the right place. Guaranteed to entertain a wide range of ages. Full Review
The sort of animation used in Despicable Me perfected by Pixar, and used in dozens of movies over the past few years is a gift to film-makers. It manages to be so realistic at times that you can forget it isn't real. Full Review
Despicable doesn't measure up to Pixar at its best. Nonetheless, it's funny, clever and warmly animated with memorable characters. Full Review
The film throws so much ersatz cleverness and overdone emotion at the audience that we end up more worn out than entertained. Full Review
Despicable Me cannot be faulted for lack of trying. If anything, it tries much too hard, stuffing great gobs of second-rate action, secondhand humor and warmed-over sentiment into every nook and cranny of its relentlessly busy 3-D frames. Full Review
I loved it – and make sure you stay for the credits. Full Review
There's nothing like a little world domination to melt the most dastardly evildoer's heart. Since villains so often steal the show in animation, Despicable Me smartly turns the whole operation over to megalomaniacal rogue Gru. Full Review
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