3 Short Paragraphs: Despicable Me 2

2013, Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud (Despicable Me) -- cinema

OK, this is a sequel to a movie I rather enjoyed. But I will be the first to admit that there is no reason to have a sequel beyond enjoying more minions. And, seriously, those minions could have an entire movie... actually, no they couldn't. And that is the problem with most sequels, in that they take so many enjoyable things about the first movie and just run hog wild with them, but at a lacking of depth on the rest of the movie. If the first was about a cartoon villain flipping his personality and adopting three cute orphan girls then at least this follows a logical progression in seeing how the bad guy now adjusts to living as a single dad, no longer super villain. And, add in more minion scenes.

It is not a bad movie, just a not particularly great one. And that is all I can really muster up to think about it. So, let's see what real critics had to say and react to it. Pete Travers from Rolling Stone just seems to be happy he has another DVD coming to sedate his kids with. Bruce Diones from New Yorker was charmed by the one-liners and visual gags. Even Stephanie Merry from Washington Post starts off by mentioning the minions are back. But almost everyone does a lackadaisical retread of the plot without offering much opinion. I think all these family folks are just with Travers on the whole DVD thing.

As for the minions, they do win. "Bo-tay-TOE" is another nonsense word added to my long vocabulary of nonsense. And who wouldn't want a multitude of 3 foot yellow ... creatures to do your every bidding? I am not sure what they were made of, or made from, but they are pliable and adaptable, taking to the situation as needed. They can be baby sitters, housekeepers, entertainment and taste testers. This time they are tampered with and go all Hulk (there was a purple Hulk in some version, right?) and Gru has to rescue them. He's no longer a villain so they are not disposable minions like the rest of the super villain world uses.  Yay family man Gru! Yay entrepreneur Gru! I wonder if the minions have a benefit plan? And yes, I have a soft spot for Dave but Carl is cool too.