- Joined
- May 13, 2003
- Messages
- 42,521
Surprised there isn't an official talkback for it yet (there was only pre-release discussion). Well, there is now.
I've liked all the Despicable Me films to an extent but not been blown away by them. I tend to forget most things about them after I watch them, but I can't deny they're entertaining while I'm watching them. Same goes for this one. It was fun, had the same fast gags and enjoyable set pieces but even a day later it's not leaving an impact.
Stuff I did like:
-The T2 parody! Was not expecting it, and they really made it work in the context of the supermarket chase, even if that lady whose haircut Lucy botched basically disappears from the film after this scene.
-While they were obviously made partially to give kids new tie-in toys to buy, I can't deny the Megaminions were fun, particularly how they subverted superhero tropes of being more destructive than helpful. Also, I can't help but they were making a commentary on the superhero-heavy film industry when one of the angry citizens says "We're sick of superheroes!"
-Principal Übelschlecht stole any scene she was in. I actually liked her more than the main villain Maxime (Will Ferrell).
-Likewise, I did like Poppy, the new teenage character who at first looks like she's only going to be a foil to Gru with the blackmail thing but it turns out she wants to be a supervillain so there was more to her than it first seems.
What could've been worked on:
-The kids really take a backseat in this movie. It's not like they're completely absent or anything, but with the added character of Poppy, the trio aren't given as much screen time. Given that they were arguably the draw of the first film, this is a letdown. Edith in particular is shafted.
-Agnes doesn't want to lie about her new name while in witness protection, which I thought would be a major plot thread with a pay-off in a later scene but outside of the initial scene and the karate class scene, it's abandoned soon after.
-Speaking of the kids, we don't get many scenes of the trio having difficulty adjusting to their new town (or, conversely, fitting right in). There wasn't even a good pay-off of Margo having trouble making new friends at school- the most we get is "I hate glitter bombs." When The Simpsons episode "You Only Move Twice" had a better development of this type of thing than a feature film, that's kind of a problem.
-They really did another dance party ending. Good gravy, is this a requirement for CG animated films or something?
B- range.
I've liked all the Despicable Me films to an extent but not been blown away by them. I tend to forget most things about them after I watch them, but I can't deny they're entertaining while I'm watching them. Same goes for this one. It was fun, had the same fast gags and enjoyable set pieces but even a day later it's not leaving an impact.
Stuff I did like:
-The T2 parody! Was not expecting it, and they really made it work in the context of the supermarket chase, even if that lady whose haircut Lucy botched basically disappears from the film after this scene.
-While they were obviously made partially to give kids new tie-in toys to buy, I can't deny the Megaminions were fun, particularly how they subverted superhero tropes of being more destructive than helpful. Also, I can't help but they were making a commentary on the superhero-heavy film industry when one of the angry citizens says "We're sick of superheroes!"
-Principal Übelschlecht stole any scene she was in. I actually liked her more than the main villain Maxime (Will Ferrell).
-Likewise, I did like Poppy, the new teenage character who at first looks like she's only going to be a foil to Gru with the blackmail thing but it turns out she wants to be a supervillain so there was more to her than it first seems.
What could've been worked on:
-The kids really take a backseat in this movie. It's not like they're completely absent or anything, but with the added character of Poppy, the trio aren't given as much screen time. Given that they were arguably the draw of the first film, this is a letdown. Edith in particular is shafted.
-Agnes doesn't want to lie about her new name while in witness protection, which I thought would be a major plot thread with a pay-off in a later scene but outside of the initial scene and the karate class scene, it's abandoned soon after.
-Speaking of the kids, we don't get many scenes of the trio having difficulty adjusting to their new town (or, conversely, fitting right in). There wasn't even a good pay-off of Margo having trouble making new friends at school- the most we get is "I hate glitter bombs." When The Simpsons episode "You Only Move Twice" had a better development of this type of thing than a feature film, that's kind of a problem.
-They really did another dance party ending. Good gravy, is this a requirement for CG animated films or something?
B- range.