Stars: Steve Carell, Russell Brand, Jason Segel, Mirando Cosgrove
Director: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Release Date: December 14, 2010
MPAA Rating: PG
What would one need in order to become the most famous criminal in the entire world? A team of henchmen? Yes. An evil plot? Yes. An evil scientist sidekick? Yeah, it probably couldn't hurt. How about three adorable little orphan girls who practice ballet and love stories about kittens? It is not very likely, but, it is very necessary for the film, Despicable Me.
Despicable Me is about a villain named Gru (Steve Carell) whose villainy comes into question when a new villain, Vector (Jason Segal), steals a pyramid. His plan is to regain his felonious title by shrinking and then stealing the moon. Aided in his quest is an elderly scientist, Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand), a lot of little yellow minions that look like Twinkies and three little orphan girls.
In order for his plan to go into action, he must first get a loan from the Bank Of Evil. The bank manager, Mr. Perkins (Will Arnett) is not impressed with Gru's previous attempts of evil and before he will grant the money, Gru must acquire a shrink ray. So while stealing the shrink ray from an overseas testing facility, he is foiled by Vector, who snatches the shrink ray from him and then shrinks Gru's air ship.
Gru must get this device back but finds it impossible to get into Vector's compound, until he notices that three little orphan girls selling cookies are allowed in. A devious smile crosses his face. He soon poses as a dentist and goes to Miss Hattie's Home for Girls to request to be the foster father of the three girls. Margo, Edith and Agnes are so excited to be adopted but are little disappointed that Gru is going to be their new elected father. His home is not quite ready for kids either. There is a ferocious dog, Kyle that even Gru seems to be frightened of, deadly weapons on the wall and dangerous furniture.
While the girls try to figure out how they are going to manage in their new home, Dr Nefario has created robots disguised as cookies. The plan is to have the girls infiltrate Vector's compound with the robot cookies that will steal back the shrink ray. The girls however have no intention of delivering cookies until they first go to their ballet class. Gru submits to their wishes and Agnes gives him a ticket to their recital of Swan Lake. She makes him pinky promise that he will go. After the class, the girls are then willing to deliver the cookies but unaware that they are robots cookies. The robot cookies are successful in retrieving the shrink ray and Gru is in a terrific mood.
On the way home, they stop at an amusement park. Agnes spots a space ship shooting game that could win her a giant fluffy unicorn. Agnes loves unicorns! She tries the first time and is unsuccessful and says that she must have had her eyes closed. She tries a second time and this time wins. The carnival worker, (Jack McBrayer) disagrees. So Gru decides to have a turn, he pulls out a blaster and "knocks over" the space ship. Agnes is so happy; she shakes her new unicorn and growls, "It's so fluffy!"
Dr. Nefario reminds Gru that they must get back to work and needs to contact the bank manager immediately about the loan. Mr. Perkins, who also happens to be Vector's father, still denies Gru's request for funding due to previous lack of success. With no money to build a spaceship, he begins to break the news to the minions that they will not be able to steal the moon. Agnes approaches her new father and offers her piggy bank to help fund his mission. All the minions start pulling out cash to donate and the project is back on.
Dr. Nefario feels that Gru is becoming too attached to the girls and is not focusing enough on the plan. He calls Miss Hattie (Kristen Wiig) to let her know that Gru wants to return them. He seems reluctant to send them away but his scheme must prevail. So he takes off in his spaceship and Dr. Nefario stays behind in the lab and is doing some calculations. Suddenly the air ship that Vector used the shrink ray on returns to its original size!
Will Gru be successful in stealing the moon? Will the moon return from its shrunken size just like the air ship? Will Gru make the dance recital that he pinky promised he would make, that just so happens to be the same day as the moon snatching? Will he want to get the girls back? Has Vector given up trying to out-do Gru's attempt to be the most famous villain? You'll have to watch to find out.
Universal Cartoon Studios haven't had a lot of success with their box office animated films. However, I think they hit gold with the film Despicable Me. I don't think that after watching a film I was ever so eager to want to go out and buy a plush unicorn. I held off, but apparently I shouldn't have because they are now impossible to find. A great cast of actors lent their voices to Despicable Me and it is a worthwhile film to own. Even the shorts that are on the Blu-ray are cute.
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