Review of Despicable Me 3 (2017) by Nick C — 03 Jul 2017

I suppose it was inevitable that eventually we'd be seeing this. Illumination, the computer animation company that produces these movies, was founded in 2010, and since then has made only one really good movie - their first, 2010's Despicable Me. Okay, maybe not really good to other people, but I liked it quite a bit. It was sweet, had an interesting plot, was hilarious, and, best of all, was very visually inventive and creative with its different contraptions, secret hideouts, and machines.

Since then, Illumination hasn't had much to offer other than a couple meh originals, a Dr. Seuss adaptation here and there, and of course, Despicable Me sequels (and spinoffs.) I wasn't among the many Despicable Me 2 fans out there, nor was I among the not-so-many Minions fans out there. But I am a fan of Despicable Me 3.

I'll attempt to explain the plot, but you'll have to bear with me because there are about four. First we have Gru (voiced wonderfully once again by Steve Carrel) going to meet his long-lost twin brother, Dru (also Steve Carrel). Then we have the Minions, who no one can seem to get enough of, leaving Gru for good after he refuses to return to villainy and ending up in prison. Then we have Lucy (Kristen Wiig), Gru's wife, worrying about how good of a mother she is. Then we have Agnes (Nev Scharrel), Gru's youngest, going on a mission to find a real unicorn. Oh, and by the way, there's also Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker), an 80's super villain who has some devious plots of his own.

So yeah, you get the gist. It feels more like a series of Saturday morning cartoons than like an actual movie, but I didn't mind that so much. I liked Saturday morning cartoons, and I know the kids in the audience certainly do. I was entertained as the various plots moved along, and surprised by how well they consolidated at the end. Not everyone will feel the same way, I'm sure. The way the plots unite is revealed subtly rather than in your face like most kid's movies, and if you're not paying attention you'll miss it.

I knew going into this movie that it didn't get stellar review from either critics or audiences, but that didn't curb my enthusiasm at all because I knew exactly what I was going to get. And I got that for the most part. It was entertaining, goofy, and fun, and possessed a certain charm that only a Despicable Me movie can. The first half is a bit worrisome the way it unfolds, but when it gets into its element in the second half, it becomes a fun, candy-colored joyride that charms in exactly the ways you hope it does with this kind of movie. It's miles from the quality of the first Despicable Me, but it still manages to be a satisfying summer kid's movie.

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Rating: 3/4.