If you're looking for a fun-filled family movie that will delight adults and children alike, look no further than Despicable Me.
Often in films such as this, the best parts are shown in the trailer, leaving audiences disappointed with the final result. However, this is not the case here! Surprisingly, I actually think that the best parts didn't make it to the trailer.
The premise is straightforward and uncomplicated (as all good animations should be), ageing criminal mastermind Gru is down on his luck when he finds out that his young rival Vector has stolen one of the pyramids. Not content with being outdone, he and his cohort Dr Nefario hatch an ingenious plot to steal the moon (that's right, the moon) and regain his place as the worlds most diabolical villain.
Sounds easy enough right? Wrong! In order to steal the moon he has to shrink it ... and to do that, he first needs to steal an experimental shrink ray from the government. Since Gru is a seasoned veteran when it comes to all things despicable, he takes his private plane and a few of his minions for good measure and actually manages to pull off the heist.
Sadly for Gru, his young rival gets wind of his plan and decides that he should be the one to pull it off. He steals the shrink ray from under Gru's feet and locks it away in his practically impenetrable fortress ... which is only impenetrable unless you're a group of orphaned girls selling cookies.
Gru sees the trio granted access to the fortress and realises the only way he can save his scheme is to launch another one. He adopts the girls and tries to trick them into helping him steal back the shrink ray, which proves hilariously difficult since he knows nothing about children. The girls manage to look past Gru's fiendish nature and menacing appearance and see something in him that no one else ever has, a potential father figure.
One of the most fascinating aspects of this film is the juxtaposition between Gru's despicable character and the innocent, caring nature of the girls. The duality of nature and the impeccable balance between responsibility and ambition is well represented.
The animation in this film is nothing short of fantastic and really has its own sense of style and delivery. Add some 3D graphics and what you're left with is a cinematic gem that will make you wince, laugh and maybe even cry (unless you're dead inside).
Steve Carell does a brilliant job on the accent, which sounds like a cross between Borat (from Cultural Learnings for Make Benefit of the Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan fame) and Ren (from Ren and Stimpy fame).
Since any of my friends will attest, I can only voice one accent outside of my own native London drawl (yes, it's Borat), I was howling with laughter during the entire movie ... at one point I think I made even more noise than the screaming child sitting two seats away.
What I really like about the movie is that it manages to seamlessly blend ridiculous comedy and gut renching sincerity, resulting in a timeless classic that is sure to entertain everyone!
Showing in: Cineco, Seef II, Saar Cineplex and Al Jazeera Cineplex
