Review 126: Despicable Me 2

Despicable Me 2 is an amazing sequel, it improves on the first film and is bigger, badder and funnier-just how we like our sequels

Gru is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to help deal with a powerful new super criminal.

The plot is great, it takes the characters we met in the first movie and takes them on a brand new adventure and has some fun with them all the while introducing us to new characters, a new villain, new twists and expanding the story arcs of the characters we already know.

So what is it then that makes this sequel so appealing?

Firstly, The story and characters: We already know Gru and his three girls because they were introduced to us in the first film. So it really great to see them again in this rollercoaster ride of a sequel.

Secondly, the supporting cast: Despicable Me 2 introduces us to some really hilarious and compelling new characters e.g. Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig, who also voiced the woman who runs the orphanage were Margo, Edith and Agnes originally came from in the first film) an Anti-Villain League agent.

Thirdly, the way the plot unravels: The story really builds very cleverly and suspensefully to the final revelation. Hints, clues, brief glimpses of the antagonists are shown throughout the film and then when the film reveals who's who everything makes sense.

Though the Despicable Me films are not very deep, this sequel does touch on heart-warming themes such as coming-of-age and absent mothers. How do they come into the film you may ask?

Coming-of-age: Margo is now seeing boys and we see Gru's difficulty in accepting that.

Absent Mothers: Agnes needs to perform a poem for Mothers Day but her hearts not in it because they have been bought up by Gru who's a single parent.

Returning directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud's animation direction is sharp, the animation is marvellous, the production design is extraordinary, the character design is memorable and creative, the score by Heitor Pereira and Pharrell Williams is fantastic, the action scenes are exciting, the suspense is killing, the locations are are stunning, the jokes and humor and tremendous and the sound effects are terrific.

The voice cast once again is fabulous, Carell, Cosgrove, Gaier and Fisher are just terrific and they way they go through this coming of age thing is just mesmerising. Kristen Wiig is just hilarious fun as Lucy Wilde and I definatly think she has excellent comic timing. Steve Coogan is terrifc in his supporting role as Sila Ramsbottom, head of the Anti-Villain League, Benjamin Bratt is an insane villain and the rest of the cast is wonderful.

Despicable Me 2 is solid sequel and I look forward to the Minion spin-off coming out next year, 4.5/5.

The Anonymous Critic.

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