I coudn’t wait to see Despicable Me when it came to theaters.  Mostly because I met a minion; actually I met two.  Yep.  Walking down the streets of DC, I saw two minions just hangin’ around the area theater.  Of course I had to give ’em a hug.  Because they’re awesome.  The great thing about Despicable Me was that even beyond the minion-ness, it was a great story about how a man becomes who he was always meant to be.  A dad to three adorable kids.

Well, these kids are a little bit older, but the minions are still the same.  Does Despicable Me 2 bring the funny?  Yes.  Is it as good as the first film?  Well, yes and no.  With retired super-villain Gru now a nice guy, there’s no wondering if he’ll be good or bad.  Gru has joined the Anti-Villain League and is spending most of his time trying to make jams and jellies.  Instead, the story focuses on a “will he or won’t he” romance with his secret-agent partner Lucy.  But the folks behind DM2 know what you want, and bring it to you in spades.  So if you’re wanting a new minion fix?  It’s gonna be your lucky day.  If you’re looking for a story beyond the basics, you may be a little nonplussed.  But hey; minions!

 

Let’s be honest.  The main reason you and/or your kids wanna see Despicable Me 2 is for the minions.  Minions!  Yay!  With their incomprehensible language, their love of all things food, and their flat-out adorableness.  Let’s just pause to absorb the cute for a second, okay?

Yeah, you know that’s the stuff.  Despicable Me 2 has a whole lot of minions, and a whole lot of minion hijinks.  That makes springing for 3D a necessary thing if you can swing it, as there’s plenty of Three Stooges-like mayhem and destruction.  Which means plenty of cool in-your-face moments to dazzle your 3D glasses.  The animation may not be up to Dreamworks or Pixar standards, but it delivers glorious colors and plenty of detail.  You don’t really need realism to bring the minions to the masses, though.

Steve Carrel and Kristen Wiig are great voicing Gru and his partner Lucy.  Russell Brand comes back as sorta-evil Doctor Nefario, who just wants to get back to the old way of doing things.  But it’s Benjamin Bratt voicing bon vivant restaurant owner Eduardo who gets to really ham it up.  What’s also gonna tickle your funnybone is the usual kiddie humor, along with a healthy dose of laughs everyone can enjoy.  C’mon, like it’s not funny when Gru dresses up like a fairy princess.

Gru and Lucy try to figure out who has stolen a top-secret, really really dangerous thing from a super-secret lab.  Seems this dangerous thing can transform ordinary creatures into giant, violent killers.  Who just happen to be purple.  Wanna guess what happens to the minions?  Anyone who has come within a 2 feet radius of a General Mills cereal box or a Mickey D’s outta know….

Though the story may be a little thin on content, the gang is a whole lot of fun to watch regardless of what they’re doing.  So if you’re wondering if you should get your minion on?  Definitely.  And enjoy.