Despicable Me

[StevePulaski]

Gru reading his adopted child Agnes a bedtime story in Despicable Me.

Rating: 2/4 stars.

A.O. Scott, journalist of The New York Times, said "while there's nothing to hate, there's not much to remember" about Despicable Me and he's 100% correct. While Best Buy does have a special app for Smartphones and iPhones for this (will state what it does and is at the end) called "Best Buy Movie Mode" which is something I can pretty soon seeing all movies have at one point, this film is still just a poor copy of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Surely Universal Pictures did a great job animating it and it really looks like the equivalent to a much more recent (and better) film, Toy Story 3. But still, it has the ability for animation, but it doesnt have the fun and morals that are packed in a Pixar film.

To sum it up, after a pyramid is stolen in Egypt, we are introduced to Gru (Steve Carell) who is the second best super-villain in the world, right behind Vector (Jason Segel), who stole the pyramid. To fight back, Gru then develops a plan to shrink the moon which he believes will make him the best super-villain. After Vector steals his shrink ray which was to make Gru able to shrink the moon to pocket size, he adopts three girls; Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith, and Agnes to sell cookies to Vector for Gru to be able to take his shrink ray back and continue with his plans. Gru is also armed with thousands of yellow one and two eyed minions. They are the cutest and best thing by far about the movie. Though their English is below average and some words you can understand, but most you cannot, which is where the app comes in.


The cute Minions make up the entire film.

Best Buy Movie Mode was created so when you "enter Movie Mode" on your phone when directed by the screen itself, your phone will sync the movie and when the credits come your phone will vibrate (no confusion since the app disables your ringer) and it will subtitle what the little yellow fellows are saying. Its kind of cool, and since I was the only one in the entire theater laughing at the screen when everyone just watched trying to understand them, I felt like I knew more than they did (when I did).

Still, it would make more sense if the app buzzed and dubbed what the Minions were saying throughout the movie rather than just at the end. But it was just as equally impressive. I was worried about starting it to early because I thought if I started it during the previews, the phone (which is a Motorola Droid) would think its the beginning and start dubbing when the credits weren't there yet. But the phone syncs it with the film which is almost amazing. Ahh, technology.

But the movie itself, wasnt great. Below good, mediocre is the word. The film is a first degree knockoff of The Grinch and next to nothing is memorable. Ill remember the app (which isnt in the movie, so it doesnt count) and Ill remember the Minions. But the Minions are like the penguins in Madagascar. Their the best part, they deserve their own film, instead you are boring us with a back story and basically shielding the good parts away. At least Madagascar still holds up with jokes and doesnt let the secondary characters put on a one (or one thousand) man show.

Many kids will love this, but when compared to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia 2000, Pinocchio, and most recently Toy Story 3. The film flat out sucks. Take Toy Story 3. The art in that is not only the animation, but the fun the film has. It takes your imagination on a whole new route reintroducing characters that have grown like us. A.O. Scott says its like "art and junk". Which it rightfully is. Besides the great voice work (mainly from Carell and Cosgrove) and good animation, the film is just despicably fair.

With Voice Talents of: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Elsie Fisher. Directed by: Pierre Coffin.