Despicable Me

2 stars

A flawed Super Villain gets more than he bargained for when he adopts three young girls.

Rating: PG
Stars: Steve Carell, Julie Andrews, Miranda Cosgrove, Jason Segel, Russell Brand

What’s the story?
When the great pyramid is stolen by young Super Villain, Vector (Segel), a middle- aged Super Villain, Gru (Carell), decides he will outdo his new-found nemesis by stealing the moon, a feat easily accomplished by a powerful shrink ray that Vector possesses. After many failed endeavors to steal it, Gru discovers that Vector’s fortress is only seemingly impenetrable ~ Vector grants access to a trio of orphan girls who sells him cookies. Desperate, he adopts them with the intention of smuggling robot cookies into the fortress to steal the shrink ray, unaware that he will get much more than he bargained for in becoming their caregiver.

Why see it?
As well as being a choice piece of absurdity, Despicable Me is visually spectacular. It can also be seen in 3-D, which almost unfailingly improves any film.

Who should skip it? Problems?
Despicable Me may be better dubbed Predictable Me. Indeed, it is so predictable that anyone who so much as sees the trailer will be able to say exactly how it will end, with a success rate of 98 per cent. Admittedly though, it does not pretend to be anything it is not; it almost blatantly pokes fun at itself. Regardless, if you are tired of the whole “love for new-found family changes bitter individual’s life” formula, do not bother with Despicable Me.

All in all:
Despicably predictable and stereotypical, but enjoyable nonetheless.