'Despicable' fun brightens summer slate
Gru, voiced by Steve Carell, shoots for the moon in villainy. (Universal Pictures)
Despicable Me
Running time: 88 minutes
MPAA rating: PG (rude humor and mild action)
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With an angular lead character that looks like he fell out of a computer somewhere between "The Triplets of Belleville" and "Ratatouille," "Despicable Me" captivates with anti-hero bad-boy naughtiness and determined orphan charm.
It must be a snap for animators to round up A-list talent these days. The biggest stars appear to be lining up for their turn at the microphone. Production after production has delivered, beginning probably with the first "Toy Story" in 1995 when Tom Hanks claimed his place in the animation universe as Woody and Tim Allen blasted off "to infinity and beyond" as Buzz Lightyear.
"Despicable Me," like so many animated yarns hitting screens in 3-D, welcomes Steve Carell to the CG-character club. Of course Carell, who has announced he'll exit "The Office," his highly successful TV sitcom, has breathed vocal life into animated characters before. He was Hammy the hyperactive Squirrel in "Over the Hedge" in 2006, for instance, and the mayor in "Horton Hears a Who!" two years ago.
Gru, the triangular ambitious villain Carell voices in "Despicable Me," however, is the kind of character that can leave a lasting imprint.
As it turns out, Gru, who has very high evil aspirations, merely wants to steal the moon. That's right, in this animated world where a rival villain (the nerdy Vector voiced by Jason Segel of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall") has already made off with one of the Great Pyramids of Egypt, Gru's topper is to grab the moon and demand a princely ransom from Earthlings.
These are the kinds of villainy, I suppose, we can only find in animated fare. Jimmy Stewart offered to lasso the moon for Donna Reed when they were courting in "It's a Wonderful Life" in 1947. Stewart's lovestruck George Bailey was just joshin', though.
Gru is so serious about his task that he has a secret lair under his semi-Gothic house in an otherwise ordinary bedroom community. Every villain needs a lair, of course, and Gru has a good one. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of tiny yellow minions construct whatever the boss needs; sort of an anti-Santa's workshop.
Resident mad scientist Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand, on screen recently in "Get Him to the Greek") is the brains of the operation, and might just be more evil than Gru himself, who's a bit of a mama's (Julie Andrews) boy.
"Despicable Me" works where some elaborate animated fables has failed. Co-screenwriters Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio (both part of the "College Road Trip" writing team) and co-directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin (both with animated short experience) fill the world they've created with gadgets (a shrinkage machine), off-beat adventure and the cutest trio of young orphans you're likely to see on a movie screen -- animated or not -- for years to come.
Let's just say it takes a heap of evil to resist three precocious faces in desperate need of a father figure. Another impressive thing: The directors don't overuse the 3-D effect, which apparently takes major restraint these days.
With a PG-rating, "Despicable Me" serves up family entertainment that'll have the kids on the edge of their seats with a to-the-moon-and-back tale. Parents, meanwhile, can breathe a sigh of non-offensive entertainment relief.
It must be a snap for animators to round up A-list talent these days. The biggest stars appear to be lining up for their turn at the microphone. Production after production has delivered, beginning probably with the first "Toy Story" in 1995 when Tom Hanks claimed his place in the animation universe as Woody and Tim Allen blasted off "to infinity and beyond" as Buzz Lightyear.
"Despicable Me," like so many animated yarns hitting screens in 3-D, welcomes Steve Carell to the CG-character club. Of course Carell, who has announced he'll exit "The Office," his highly successful TV sitcom, has breathed vocal life into animated characters before. He was Hammy the hyperactive Squirrel in "Over the Hedge" in 2006, for instance, and the mayor in "Horton Hears a Who!" two years ago.
Gru, the triangular ambitious villain Carell voices in "Despicable Me," however, is the kind of character that can leave a lasting imprint.
As it turns out, Gru, who has very high evil aspirations, merely wants to steal the moon. That's right, in this animated world where a rival villain (the nerdy Vector voiced by Jason Segel of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall") has already made off with one of the Great Pyramids of Egypt, Gru's topper is to grab the moon and demand a princely ransom from Earthlings.
These are the kinds of villainy, I suppose, we can only find in animated fare. Jimmy Stewart offered to lasso the moon for Donna Reed when they were courting in "It's a Wonderful Life" in 1947. Stewart's lovestruck George Bailey was just joshin', though.
Gru is so serious about his task that he has a secret lair under his semi-Gothic house in an otherwise ordinary bedroom community. Every villain needs a lair, of course, and Gru has a good one. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of tiny yellow minions construct whatever the boss needs; sort of an anti-Santa's workshop.
Resident mad scientist Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand, on screen recently in "Get Him to the Greek") is the brains of the operation, and might just be more evil than Gru himself, who's a bit of a mama's (Julie Andrews) boy.
"Despicable Me" works where some elaborate animated fables has failed. Co-screenwriters Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio (both part of the "College Road Trip" writing team) and co-directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin (both with animated short experience) fill the world they've created with gadgets (a shrinkage machine), off-beat adventure and the cutest trio of young orphans you're likely to see on a movie screen -- animated or not -- for years to come.
Let's just say it takes a heap of evil to resist three precocious faces in desperate need of a father figure. Another impressive thing: The directors don't overuse the 3-D effect, which apparently takes major restraint these days.
With a PG-rating, "Despicable Me" serves up family entertainment that'll have the kids on the edge of their seats with a to-the-moon-and-back tale. Parents, meanwhile, can breathe a sigh of non-offensive entertainment relief.
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