Despicable Me: In a happy suburban neighbourhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbours, hidden deep beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by an army of tireless, little yellow minions, we discover Gru (Steve Carell), planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon (Yes, the moon!) to prove to his Mum (Julie Andrews) that he is better than the other super-villains, especially the new kid on the block, Vector (Jason Segal). Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze guns and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential dad. One of the world’s greatest super-villains has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes in the box office hit Despicable Me.Despicable Me 2: Get ready for more minion madness! This hilarious animated adventure sees the return of Gru (Steve Carell) who is retiring from the life of a super villain. However he is unwillingly recruited by the Anti-Villain league to help deal with a powerful new super criminal. Supported by the girls, the hilarious minions … and a host of new and outrageously funny characters.
R**D
Highly intellectual insights into the criminal mind
Or not.We have the same conversation coming up to Christmas eve. We've got the wine, we have the snacks, we have the fireplace, the time, and the will to just relax for change. We don't want too much schmalz, we don't want to think too hard (there are plenty of other days in the year we have to do that) and we just want some lighthearted fun. I like serious and thoughtful films probably a lot more than the next guy, but c'mon, it's Christmas Eve! Lighten up!So we wonder about Maverick, Tintin, Galaxy Quest, or some sci-fi blockbuster, perhaps the Toy Story franchise, hmm, maybe one of the early Shrek movies, maybe Ratatouille? Maybe Flushed Away?... - but next year we'll have this on the list too.They're odd movies in that the lead character holds the whole thing together but the audience is really just hanging on for a minions moment because, let's face facts, a good laugh is what we're all here for; so when the balloon goes whizzing past the minions as they lower Gru to the ground, well, Gru isn't the only one falling about. The juvenile bottom/butt/fart gags should poke through anybody's stiff upper lip reserve unless they've had a humour bypass; so they're inane, so what? We can always watch Schindler's Lift (sic) some other time, or maybe never. Let your guard down and relax!The plots are daft and exaggerated and even Ratatouille looks solid and grown up in comparison, but they are just fun and they do that well, and the minions just cap it all with that odd sense of absurdity - just how does a criminal mastermind function with an army of small yellow henchmen who are "pre-school" at best?! These films are absurd, juvenile, and amazingly entertaining, no ifs, and only a few butts.Serious films are for serious moods. This is a good one for the other side of life.If laughter is indeed the best medicine, then the Surgeon General surely recommends this film, and - with fewer qualifications - so do I.
T**S
vid
fab movies at a great price
E**T
My guaranteed laugh film -afternoon
I love it. I'm totally biased in this review, I'll admit it. I just love these films.I wasn't sure when I bought them and had heard mixed things about them - but I really really enjoyed them. I laughed out loud and giggled a lot.There are the Ahhhwww cutsie moments (especially from Agnes) and the cute funny bits from the minions and the heart-tug of the theme of family and love. Mostly they are simply amusing and a great escapism for an afternoon or evening. These reliably cheer me up no matter how sad or meh or irritable I am feeling (even when I have PMS).There are some fab bonus features (especially the one's involving the minions, of course!)I was surprised that I liked the sequel as much as I did. I usually brace myself for any film with a 2 at the end of the title because so often they are inferior, if not downright naff.But no, not this one. I stood corrected. It was a different sort of plot and theme in some ways - but it entertained and amused me just as much as the first film. I think I giggled as much.
P**E
Great dvds
Kids loved them :)
M**I
Ok
Ok
D**K
Daft Title -- Superb Film
I refused to let my children watch this when it came out at the cinema because I don't like films that glorify evil and honour anti-heroes, and the title led me to believe this is what the film was like.Well, I was only partly right.The film is about a variety of fairly despicable evil villains who are trying to outdo each other, but one of them grows into a loving father-figure by the end. I won't dwell too much on whether the ultimate message is still that some evil villains are less evil than others, but on the fact that three little orphan girls are able to melt the cold heart of a Slavic-accented mad scientist, and give us more than a few giggles in the process.Look out for Julie Andrews who provides the voice to the mad scientist's hyper-critical mother.
L**1
Just Utterly Fabulous - but...
We really get a lot of pleasure watching these films - they have much deeper layers than you might think, but are so funny that they lift the spirits every time.We have watched them several times since buying the box set in January, but still shout with laughter at times. They really are crafted on fantastic writing which keeps up the pace, and wonderful animations. Thank you Team Despicable Me - can't wait for films 3 and hopefully 4!But... PLEASE can you translate for an English lass - what are Agnes' 'boo boos' - as per her Mother's Day speech?
E**1
I love despicable Me..
I think this cute, funny and perfect for all age groups, a bit like a panto some of the innuendo goes over the head of little ones. We had a family evening and it is nice to put on a film that we all enjoyed - even our teenagers joined us..so a good film which allowed us all to come together what more could you want from a film. I could tell you about the film but, I will not it will spoil it, all I will say it is a film to chill to, not amazingly intellectual but fun.
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