Minions call the shots

I have been counting down the days until the release of Despicable Me 2, so it comes as no surprise that I had to get to the theatre early and find a good seat furthest away from the rows of excited, noisy children.

Predictably, however, it was me screaming like a child, laughing hysterically at the punch-lines and gawking over the minions. The movie is just as despicable and fun … but honestly, it’s quite hard to compete with the original as it was the first time we were introduced to the super villain Gru and his assistants as they stole the moon and adopted three delightful moppets.

The minions, as usual, provide the best scenes and excellent mayhem, and there is the addition of a sweet romance, an exciting new villain and some pretty cool 007 gadgets.

If anything, the cute babbling minions needed more screen time. Although the scenes involving them were some of the best (regardless of them having their own language no one understands) the audience needed more of their chaotic yellowy goodness.

A lot has changed for the lovable villain, Gru (Carell), since 2010. He has now settled into suburban life and has been domesticated by the three adorable girls, Agnes (Elsie Fisher), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Margo (Miranda Cosgrove). While his neighbour tries to set him up with all the females she knows, he is more interested in keeping the girls happy and working on his laboratory being transformed into a jam-making factory.

However, when Lucy (Kristen Wiig), an agent with the Anti-Villain League, shows up at Gru’s house asking for his help, she manages to catch his eye.

She zaps him with her ‘laser lipstick’ and takes him through an underwater maze to the League’s headquarters where snooty Silas Ramsbottom (Steve Coogan) asks for his help in stopping a master criminal who is responsible for stealing a dangerous mutating chemical compound that could destroy the world.

Initially, Gru refuses and insists he’s retired but after some consideration, he’s soon back in the game … except this time he’s a spy.

With Lucy as his partner in anti-crime, they start a cupcake business at a local shopping mall where the villain is said to be working in disguise. However, Gru is not as skilful as he used to be and finds himself getting distracted easily by his responsibilities as a father and his new feelings for Lucy.

The rest of the movie plays out at a good pace and you can probably guess what happens next. This time around there isn’t a creative storyline to work with, or an emotional core … but the excitement and energy is at the same level as its predecessor.

Moreover, it’s not the storyline that made the movie work, it’s the characters we fell in love with in the first movie that are back and are developing even further this time around. They provide enough humour to make the film an enjoyable experience for both adults and children.

Carell shows off his genius for comedy by delivering lines with mirth and malice. He is just as joyous and brings the character to life with his manly charm. This time around the addition of a childhood backdrop for Gru added a personal touch, showing his journey from boy to man and why he has never found the love of his life. Carell once again proves that he is the perfect match for Gru with his Hungarian accent and lovely vocal mannerisms.

The three girls provide touching and comedic elements to the movie. With Margo now coming of age where she is interested in the opposite sex, the addition of new character Antonio (Moises Arias) allowed for racial stereotypes providing funny scenes, especially with Gru disliking their relationship.

Agnes, on the other hand, had more of an emotional role in the film by provided parenting challenges for Gru as she was looking for a maternal role in her life, whilst poor Edith had absolutely no role in the film other than being the tomboyish weirdo.

As a fan of Kristen Wiig, I believe she did a great job at voicing Lucy. Her comedic timing and vocal quirks make the relationship between her and Gru enjoyable to watch.

Other voice additions in the sequel include Coogan as Ramsbottom, Ken Jeong as a wig storeowner, Floyd Eagle-san and Bratt as the macho Mexican restaurant owner Eduardo Perez. Their vocal skills allowed their respective animated alter-egos to come to life.

Overall, the film may not be as good as the original but is just as enjoyable with 98 minutes of humour and heart. Although, I believe the minions needed more screen time, the little yellow critters have proved so popular that they are to get their own movie next year. I can’t wait!

* Showing in Cineco, Saar, Seef II, Seef I, Al Jazeera