Despicable Me (2010)

<<

Gearing Up

>>

There's a decent-sized list of animated movies out there now that lend themselves to the "cheering up" process. They're films we can watch that move us in that certain way that forces a smile onto our faces, no matter how we're feeling. 'Despicable Me' was really the first time I came to actually think about it as a sort of "category," although many of my favourite films could always do it ('Ghostbusters' never fails me). But when I saw this in theatres, despite the fact that I was in my late twenties, it had that effect on me.

As time has gone by, and the franchise has gone a bit sequel-crazy, squeezing every last dime out of those Minions, I've come to realize that people are very split about this universe by now. Most of that is blamed on the Minions, but I have to admit that for myself, although I have no Minion merch, I do still love the little guys. I get that people find them annoying, but for me, it all reflects the fond memories I have of this first chapter, which none of the series' sequels have quite lived up to yet.

We meet Felonious Gru (Steve Carell), a proud super villain, who devises a plan to steal the Moon with the help of his assistant, Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand) and his army of Minions. Their motivation comes from a rival villain named Vector (Jason Segel) manages to steal the Great Pyramid of Giza, and hoping to outdo him as the better villain. In order to obtain the Moon, Gru will need a shrink ray, which actually exists in a nearby research facility. Of course, however, Vector beats him to it, and the plan turns to stealing it from his impossible-to-infiltrate base.

Enter three orphan girls; big sister, Margo (Miranda Cosgrove); tomboy middle sister, Edith (Dana Gaier); and adorable little sister, Agnes (Elsie Fisher). Gru notices them going door-to-door, selling cookies to raise some money for their orphanage, and eventually ends up adopting them and using them in order to carry out his evil plans. However, as the film continues, Gru ends up bonding with these girls, and learning that there are more important things in the world than villainy.

While the all-around plot might not sound incredibly exciting, the film still has a whole lot going for it. At the time, the Minions were these weird little "I-dunno-whats," and I still remember trying to wrap my head around what they were supposed to be. Eventually I just accepted them as a bit of very random comedy relief, adding to the overall cuteness of the film with their gibberish and antics. Personally speaking, these little guys still work for me, but again, I do understand where people come from who have had more than their fill.

While the Minions are fun (especially when they were something never-before-seen), what really makes the movie for me is the contrasting relationship Gru ends up having with the girls, especially Agnes, who is actually the most adorable thing in this movie, even as an almost stereotypical little girl. She's the essence of pure innocence, and definitely has the best line in the movie, in my humble opinion ("He's so fluffy I'm gonna die!") Between her and the Minions, I feel like it's pretty easy to find your smile, watching this.

On top of how innocent, fun and cute the movie is, I further have to give big credit to the voice acting, namely from Carell, Segel and Brand, whose voices you can hardly recognize. The contrast of Gru's character helps make the film a bit less sugary than I'm making it out to be as well, having some of the funniest almost dark moments in the movie. I think I'll always keep this first chapter close to me heart for my own reasons, but it probably won't ever be matched in quality as far as any sequels are concerned. This was truly unique for its time, and in my humble opinion, still very much worth the watch, if only to brighten one's day.

5/5

---