Despicable Me (Rhoades)

“Despicable Me” Is Quite Lovable

Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades

Gotta admit I love that self-deprecating title, “Despicable Me.” It’s a tale about the World’s #2 supervillain, a penguin-nosed ne’er-do-well named Gru (voiced by “40-Year-Old Virgin” Steve Carell). This dastardly guy – he pops the balloons of little children, among other misdeeds – is only number two so he must try harder.

His nemesis is the World’s #1 supervillain, Vector (Jason Segel of TV’s “How I Met Your Mother”).

As we learn, there’s an outcry in Egypt because the Great Pyramid of Giza has gone missing, replaced by a giant inflatable replica. Other countries are rushing to protect their national landmarks.

Is it the work of Gru? There are rumors that he and his Corn Pop minions next plan to steal the moon. Talk about a total eclipse!

Steve Carell is in his best “Office” boss mode as he has fun with this inept evildoer role.

Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Elsie Fisher do the voices of the three orphaned girls who see Gru as a prospective dad, an ambition that gets in the way of the supervillain’s own world domination ambitions. Drat!

If the other voices in this computer-animated cartoon sound familiar, they are. Julie Andrews as Gru’s mom, Russell Brand as Dr. Nefario, Danny McBride as Fred, Will Arnett as Mr. Perkins, and Ken Jeong as a scientist. Plus Dave Foley weighs in as the President.

Currently playing at the Tropic Cinema, this Universal release is brought to us by the producers of “Ice Age” and “Horton Hears a Who.”

It’s fun having such a despicable “hero.” But never fear, evil does not triumph. Despite Gru’s secret headquarters beneath a bleak house with a dead lawn, and a battle-ready arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and vehicles suitable for attack on for land and air, he keeps falling short in his plan.

As the film’s theme song says, he’s “having a bad, bad day.”

srhoades@aol.com
[from Solares Hill]