The latest installment of Despicable Me keeps the comedy going with the story of the villain every one loves, Felonious Gru, and his new adventures with his new family.

Gru and Lucy are enjoying their newlywed status and careers in the Anti-Villain league, but suddenly wind up unemployed for the failed capture of Balthazar Bratt when Gru discovers that he has a rich long lost twin, Dru. Dru reveals that their father was notoriously the greatest villain of all time and wants Gru to teach him the ways of villainy; a career that Gru wants to leave behind seeing as how he now has a family to support. The story unfolds with plenty of laughs by way of 80’s references (the MUSIC!), and our favorite friends The Minions’ side plot being a mashup between Prisonbreak and Orange is The New Black. Lucy, Gru’s wife, also attempts to find her place within the family as Edith, Agnes, & Margo’s new mother and developing her own parenting style.

Clearly this is the designated family film of the summer. The Despicable Me franchise has managed to differentiate itself from all other animated films by centering around a character that is evil, yet lovable; and the idea that villains needs love, too. We have watched Gru, the originator of #TeamSavage go from Public Enemy #1 to Dad of the Year within this franchise and we have loved every minute of it. The ending is expected, but you wonder where the end for this franchise will be – if there is one at all.

The vocal acting is top notch with Steve Carell doing double Duty as Gru and Dru, delivering the necessary dichotomy between the twin brother characters. Trey Parker of South Park fame comes in as the perfect antagonist that is stuck in the 80s (and we millennial parents LOVE it!). The musical score is still being provided by Pharell Williams and keeps the seamless familiarity while somehow bringing something new, yet I doubt another musical explosion like, “Happy” will come forth this time around.

 

I give it 5 long lost brothers out of 5

Take the kids. Enjoy the summer!