Despicable Me 3

Despicable Me 3

Starring Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Trey Parker, Miranda Cosgrove

Directed by Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin & Eric Guillon

The Story:
Now a reformed villain, Gru (Steve Carell) and his wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig) are now working for the Anti-Villain League, on the hunt for former child star Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker), who turned to a life of crime after his show was cancelled.  Although he is able to get back the world's largest diamond, he's fired for not apprehending Bratt (along with Lucy).

News then arrives from Gru's long-lost twin brother, Dru (Steve Carell), inviting the family to his palatial mansion in Feedonia.  While Gru's daughters come into situations of their own (Edith and Agnes go in search of unicorns, while Margo deals with the unwanted affections of a local boy) and Lucy tries to be a better mother, Dru confesses to Gru that the reason he got in contact with him was to be a better villain.  Seeing this as an opportunity to find Bratt and get re-instated into the AVL, Gru agrees to teach Dru by 'stealing' the world's largest diamond (which Bratt had successfully stolen).

Meanwhile, the Minions are disheartened by Gru's turn to the good side, and abandon him to go in search of another villain, eventually landing themselves in prison.

The Synopsis:
Throughout history, there's been a moment in several great shows that shows it's the beginning of the end, and that's usually when they introduce a new character.  It happened with "Married: With Children" (Seven), "The Flintstones" (The Great Gazoo), and even "Scooby-Doo" (Scrappy Doo), and when I heard the third "Despicable Me" film would feature Gru's long-lost twin brother (one we never heard of and had no inkling existed), I was worried that the franchise might be jumping the shark.  While it wasn't as bad as that, his addition really didn't add much to the franchise, especially after the excellent spin-off "Minions" that joined the elusive billion dollar club a few short years ago.

The "Despicable Me" franchise is an enigma in itself, because typically we see movies to watch the main star in action.  In this franchise, it's Gru, the lovable villain-turned-hero who raises three young daughters and recently got married.  We're supposed to have a vested interest in the character and the journey he takes, yet as with the success "Minions" shows (it's the only movie in the franchise to reach a billion dollars worldwide), it's not Gru that most people are interested in, but rather his lovable, bumble-headed yellow Minions.  It's like going to see a Rolling Stones concert, but really you just want to see the opening act.

While the film maintained the laughs and supplied the bright, vivid, colorful animations we've come to expect, the story itself seemed paper thin and without consequence.  Gru has been well-known in the "Despicable Me" world for a while, yet it's just now that his brother reaches out to him (albeit there's a reason, but even that reason isn't fully elaborated).  Lucy wants to be a better mother to the girls, but seems about as interested as Dug when he sees a squirrel.  Margo catches the unwanted affections of a young boy, but even that is squashed in record time.  Balthazar Bratt has a never-ending hatred for Gru, but we never really know why that is.  Finally the relationship between Gru and Dru is so flat we don't really care about this new character or his annoying (and sometimes funny) quips.  Here, it's the Minions who steal the show and the laughs, as any moment seeing them on screen is comedic gold, seeing them lose faith in Gru and end up on the road (them stumbling upon a singing competition is especially hilarious) where they eventually land in jail (which could've been a whole movie in itself, and would've been a lot more fun). 

Steve Carell (who expressed that this will probably be his last "Despicable Me" film) does amply well as Gru and Dru, and is able to make their voices different.  Kristen Wiig does well with what she's given.  In fact, everyone does well with what they work with, and it works well - just not exceptional.  Again, the biggest laughs come from the creatures whose language we don't even understand.

It seems that this outing - moreso than the other two - was designed just to make money, especially after the surprise success "Minions" had.  They should've just focused on their "Minions 2" movie (due out in 2020) than wasting their time here, but it's a simple paycheck for everyone involved, as of course it would be a major hit because it's got well-known popularity and is still enjoyable for old and young alike - just not AS enjoyable as the previous ones.

The Summary:
While it maintains the laughs and fun, "Despicable Me 3" would've been better if it had just focused on the Minions and disregarded the whole 'surprise twin brother' angle, but still it was an enjoyable adventure.

The Score: A-