Film Review- "Despicable Me 2"

Despicable Me 2
Directed By Pierre Coffin & Chris Renaud
Starring Steve Carell as Gru, Kristen Wiig as Lucy Wilde, Benjamin Bratt as El Macho

It's hard to make a good sequel. It seems even harder to make an animated sequel. When I first walked into the theater to see the original Despicable Me, my expectations weren't that high. The story seemed thin, and it didn't seem too funny. But then, you guessed it, I was very surprised at what I saw.

Despicable Me has a simple story, but a big heart. It's well written, it's comical, and has a stellar voice cast. At the time it was a rarity of an animated film. From Illumination Entertainment, a new company entering an industry heavily dominated by Pixar and Dreamworks, Despicable Me ended up becoming something of a surprise hit. So what's the sequel like?

Well I entered Despicable Me 2 with lowered expectations, like I did with its predecessor. The original was such a special film, with a story that seemed like it was wrapped up pretty nicely before the credits rolled, how could the sequel prevail? What else is there to tell, and could an audience respond to it?

Yes, it can...on some levels. As a comedy, this sequel is funnier than the original. As an overall film, the original stands tall. This time around, retired super-villain and super-cool dad Gru (Carell) is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to track down a new villain, along with a new, enthusiastic agent named Lucy Wilde (Wiig). Yeah you know what happens between Gru and Lucy right? I mean. Come on now.

Well it seems pretty simple right? Not so much. The filmmakers seem almost confused as to what story they want to tell. Other elements of the plot include Gru dealing with little Agnes's concerns about a lack of a mother figure in her life, while also dealing with Margo's new boyfriend, and then there's Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand) leaving Gru for a new, more evil job. The script's kind of a mess.

It's hard to understand what is moving the plot, and Gru's character forward. Is it his struggle to be a good father? His struggle to date Lucy and fill that void in his life? His struggle to relive or forget his days as a villain? All these are lightly touched on without any real development, and when we reach the ending (We all know what happens with Gru & Lucy right?), it feels forced and unearned, but at the same we as an audience come to expect it so we don't get bothered too much by it.

Clearly the filmmakers knew they struck gold with the Minions, and they dominate the film. They may even get more screen time than Gru. They do still manage to provide plenty of laughs, but they're almost used as a distraction for the flimsy script. Plus, while the Minions take up more screen time, Gru's daughters take up less screen time. They were the heart of the first film, and when we see less of them in this film, the film in turn has less heart.

But what works? Well as I've said, Despicable Me 2 is definitely the funnier of the two films, Minions and all. The voice cast is again great. Kirsten Wiig is perfect as Lucy Wilde. Benjamin Bratt is cool as the villain El Macho, although the character itself isn't that thrilling (Except for one little gag in a flashback).

So, if you're looking for a film with a lot of laughs, then I recommend Despicable Me 2. If you're looking for a sequel that matches the heart and writing of its predecessor, this isn't what you're going to get. As funny and as charming as it can be, the film just doesn't seem to know what story it wants to tell.