Despicable Me

Despicable Me is an animated, cartoon movie that combines adventure with humor to create a movie that is enjoyable for people of all ages. After my first viewing of this movie, I immediately knew it was going to be one of my long time favorites. I saw this movie probably far too many times this summer with people my age and some of the kids I babysat. It is directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud. Renaud has also worked on Ice Age, Robots, Horton Hears a Who!, and many others (some of which are also on my Top Ten Movies list). So, I may be somewhat of a kiddie, animated movie buff; but so what, I still think this movie is great for any person, no matter what age. It is written by Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul. The cast for the film is composed of many gifted and well known actors. The main characters are voiced by Steve Carell (Gru), Jason Segel (Vector - Gru's arch rival), Russell Brand (Dr. Nefario - Gru's slightly senile scientific assistant and good friend), Julie Andrews (Gru's mother), and Will Arnett (Mr. Perkins - Vector's father and the president of the Bank of Evil).

The main story line is built around three orphan sisters and their adoption by Gru. Gru is yesterday's number one supervillian. The oldest of the three is name Margo. She is ultra protective of her sisters and ,for the majority of the film, very untrusting of Gru. The middle aged sister is named Edith. Edith is somewhat of a tomboy and trouble maker. Rather than being wary and untrusting of Gru and his invetions, she is in awe of them. The youngest, and personally my favorite, is named Agnes. She is obsessed with unicorns and is probably the most adorable little girl you will ever see on tv. Unlike both of her sisters, she loves Gru with all of her heart right from the start. Initially, Gru adopted the girls solely so he could steal a shrink ray from his rival, Vector, but as time goes on, Gru's hardened outer layers soften, and he comes to love the girls in return.

My favorite aspect of this movie is how it takes the viewer through a full cycle of emotions. At the beginning of the film, one feels sadness and a little bit of pity for the three orphans who are stuck in Miss Hattie's Home for Girls. Miss Hattie, the head honcho of the orphanage, basically uses the girls for child labor. Once Vector is introduced as a customer buying cookies from the girls, the mood picks up and quite a bit of humor comes about. The humor continues to build and is carried by Gru's population of little, yellow minions that speak their own language. Throughout the whole film, one sees a bond of love and care forming between the three girls and Gru giving most viewers a warm and fuzzy feeling. That warm and fuzzy internal feeling peaks in one of the final scenes where on sees Gru reading the girls a bedtime story that he wrote (this is so special because when the girls were first adopted, he refused to read them a bedtime story) and finally kisses them, and all of his little minions, goodnight.

For anyone that hasn't scene this movie, I HIGHLY suggest you do so this weekend. :)