Film Review | Despicable Me

That animation has not only caught up with live action mainstream cinema, but that it quite often supersedes it in both quality and box office revenue is starting to become an undeniable fact. The CGI revolution that replaced traditional cell animation in the mid-90s, kicking off with Toy Story, also appeared, curiously, to bring along with it a sense of irony… or at least a couple of jokes for the adults here and there.

So we get the Shreks and The Incredibles of this world: cute and witty, and just edgy enough not to be corny. A lot better than the average rom-com or action flick either way… not to mention another sequel of a remake of a horror sequel.

Of course, there are some duds: the tried and tested anthropomorphic formula appears to be trotted out through lacklustre visuals in the upcoming Alpha and Omega, for example. But what’s even more striking about some of the finest examples from the new crop of animated features is just how well – and with remarkable narrative economy – they strike at universal concerns.

The fairy tale structure of employed by the original Disney classics has always been useful for this, of course: by definition, the best of children’s literature (and going even further, all folk tales) is meant to present a message that is both universal and accessible.

But more recently we’re seeing animation tackle things that would make even adults sit up and take notice through the fog of cynicism that comes with age. Take the aforementioned Incredibles – Pixar’s film about heroes forced into retirement after their activities are illegalised. The characters are crushed by mediocrity… and express their angst clearly.

Then there’s the opening sequence of last year’s Up, an achingly beautiful and masterfully presented all-silent history of a courtship and marriage (till death did them part)… which unfortunately eclipses the rest of the film but, I’m certain, didn’t leave a dry eye in the house.

And Toy Story 3 ended a saga in true class and climatic emotional heft… there have been reports that even the director of the Hostel films and the author of American Psycho were touched to the core by what was, essentially, a story about the end of youth.
Well… Universal Studios have jumped on the bandwagon too. And while Despicable Me, the first feature for Illumination Studios, may not be as emotionally or thematically deep as some of the finer examples of the genre, it already presents a legitimate challenge to the ‘Big Two’ of CGI animation, Pixar and Dreamworks.

As is often the case with these things, the plot is gleefully simple, but it’s the little twists and kinks that make it fun.
Where The Incredibles was about the foibles of being a modern day superhero, here we have a story about supervillians… in particular, the aging Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) – a brilliant mind with an impressive track record in villany but who is now, sadly, being eclipsed by the new kids on the block… in particular, the annoying Vector (Jason Segel), a pyjama-wearing nerd with a penchant for gimmicky weaponry such as piranha and squid guns. In order to prove himself – and to secure the all-too-crucial loan from the Bank of Evil – Gru hatches a plan to steal the moon with the help of a Shrink Ray, which is unfortunately kept under extremely booby trapped and weaponised lock and key, aka Vector’s villainous fortress.

But when he witnesses three cookie-selling orphans – Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Dier) and Agnes (Elsie Fisher) – wander into Vector’s enclosure with the promise of tasty treats, Gru gets an (explicitly declared) ‘lightbulb’ moment, and decides to adopt them as a way of getting the Shrink Ray. But will the adorable girls crack the hard surface of this seasoned supervillain?

What follows is, basically, wonderful. It’s all tried and tested and predictable stuff, but still enchants and grips you in the most basic way.
The girls are adorable, and conform to three different types: Margo is definitely the alpha orphan – bespectacled and resourceful; Agnes is the painfully adorable of the bunch: ever-hopeful that Gru will come around and not only read them a bedtime story, but perhaps even kiss them goodnight one day, while Edith is her opposite – indulging in dark and disturbing jokes.
The antics are spaced out perfectly, with Gru’s yellow Oompah-Loompah-like minions providing some excellent filler gags.

For a perfect mix of chaos and heart, you need to look no further. Still, keep the tissues handy – there’s nothing like a supervillian falling pray to the joys of fatherhood to get the waterworks going.