Voices
of: Steve Carell Kristen Wiig Trey Parker
Miranda Cosgrove Dana Gaier Nev Scharrel Russell Brand Steve Coogan Julie Andrews
The special effects, humor, and sheer
imagination of the Despicable Me
series continue to be refreshing and delightful for children. There were many chuckles from children
(and adults, by the way) in the
screening I attended, as well as sighs during the tender moments. Like its predecessors, 3 is mostly entertaining (as it’s meant
to be) with colorful animation and special effects, some adventure, and
fanciful transports (e.g., a golden car/boat/plane, and a Minion-devised airbus
outfitted mostly with bathroom fixtures).
This rendition follows Gru (Carell), his wife
Lucy (Wiig), and their three daughters, Margo (Cosgrove), Edith (Gaier), and
Agnes (Sharrel), as they go to visit the heretofore unknown twin of Gru, Dru
(Carell). It turns out that the
twins’ parents got a divorce when they were just babes, with the mother
(Andrews) keeping Gru and the father taking Dru to another city. After the father dies, the now grown up
Dru invites Gru to visit him in Freedonia, where he has a prosperous pig and
cheese farm, Gru is beside himself with expectations. This constitutes one of the main themes of the
story—anticipating something that may be different from what you expect,
requiring some kind of adaptation on your part. This happens not only to Gru in getting to know his twin,
but also to Agnes (Scharrel) when she goes into the forest in search of a
unicorn.
The new character in 3 is Balthazar Bratt, a former child star who, in retaliation for
Hollywood’s rejection of him has become a bad boy. He revels in boasting nowadays, “I’ve been a bad boy!” as he
is out for his revenge on Hollywood for cancelling his show, as well as for Gru
and Lucy, AVL (Anti-Villain League) agents who have come close to capturing him
for stealing the largest diamond in the world. His escape from them results in their dismissal from the
League, leaving Gru in an existential crisis.
It’s at just this time that Dru invites the Gru
family to visit him. What Gru
encounters is a brother who felt he could never please their father. It turns out that the father’s nickname
was “The Bold Terror”, a kind of villain that Gru used to be. But now Gru has a wife and family, he
has been trying to disengage from that side of his past. (It should be said here for those who
know the previous Despicables, the
Minions are none too happy about this.
However, in this rendition they manage to get incarcerated, escape, and,
with their ingenuity, be in a position to aid their hero Gru.)
Dru’s wanting Gru to teach him villainous
skills puts Gru in a bind. But
he’s now in such a funk from being fired that he succumbs to Dru’s pleas. He’s still crafty, though, and the way
he hopes to satisfy both Dru’s desires and his own need for recognition by the
AVL is to get back the diamond from Balthazar.
The well-illustrated theme of Gru adapting to
changing circumstances is reinforced with his newly acquired conscientiousness
in doing what is right and feeling compassion for others less strong. He is developing a more flexible way of
thinking (i.e., seeing that Agnes’ discovery of a goat is just as exciting for
her as finding a unicorn) and seems more grounded in living a life of honor.
I found this update to be entertaining in its
story, animation, and special effects, and the music (Heitor Pereira and
Pharrell Williams) enjoyable. It
doesn’t have really strong messages for children, but sometimes, pure
entertainment is all that’s wanted.
It’s not much different from its predecessors, but that is not likely to
bother those who love these films.
Despicable
Me 3 should do well at the box office; it was applauded
by the audience at last evening’s screening.
