Despicable Me 2 (Brockway)

Tropic Sprockets by Ian Brockway

Despicable Me 2

Felonious Gru returns in "Despicable Me 2." Steve Carell once again reprises his fiendishly lovable role and this time Gru is enlisted by the side of good to nab a monomaniac who wants to melt the Arctic Circle of all things. Oh well, it's no more nonsensical than shrinking the moon.

Gru is apprehended by Lucy (Kristen Wiig) an agent of the Anti-Villain League and forced into submission by a lipstick taser. An improbable romance soon develops with the hunchbacked Gru (who resembles The Penguin in Tim Burton's Batman)  acting like Cary Grant or Astaire.

The main thrust of this sequel is (of course) those yellow Minions who look like chattering marshmallow chicks with lab goggles. Here we see them on vacation and sunning their saffron posteriors. This is perhaps the first time since Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" (1988) where we see a flash of nude cheeks, but no matter. It's all in good fun.

It is a hoot to see Gru in the role of a suburban dad ala Tony Soprano. He is a caring and compassionate fatherly ghoul who just might out do Gomez Addams in fathering.

There is plenty of limber lunacy and free wheeling colorful contradictions here. The loose and clever sight gags and innocent humor has a slick motion and an originality that makes this sequel an exception. This is no sketchy reprise.

A highlight is the villain El Macho (Benjamin Bratt) a Mexican Restaurant owner who has a double life as a Lucha libre wrestler, complete with red mask and copious black chest hair which garnishes a huge tattoo of a Mexican flag.

There are also some jabs at Donald Trump---regarding his hairstyle---with comic Ken Jeong playing a Trumped terrorist. Better yet,though, are the homicidal purple anti-Minions who scream and cry like banshees and devour nearly everything in their path.

While each of these episodes may not seem whimsical on paper, the action is so glibly glorious on screen that the quirky corn steadily works on you like pricks from Felonious Gru's iconic needle-nose.

The minions alone will immerse you in multiple stitches with their dada delirium. This is one animated film that resists and opposes logic. And it remains Despicable Me 2's greatest asset.

Write Ian at redtv_2005@yahoo.com