Gru (Steve Carell – Despicable Me 2, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues) is fired from the Anti-Villain League, after failing to capture former child star turned real-life bad boy, Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker). With Gru and Lucy (Kristen Wiig – Ghostbusters, Sausage Party) now out of work, it is not long before Gru meets his long-lost charming, cheerful, and more successful twin brother Dru (also Steve Carell), who wants to team up with him for one last criminal heist.
Despicable Me 3, the third instalment in the series, with the Minions getting their own solo film. And it feels as if each new film ups the ante for animation quality and detail, but slides a little bit on the story. While this latest foray is not bad, it does not carry that wow factor of the first film. The Minions are there in smaller doses, and therefor more manageable, there is a story to be engrossed in, and there are funny bits. But there is that little spark of magic missing.
The film is funny, but the laughs are more related to one’s own point of reference. There are several scenes where you realise you should be laughing, but it’s just not quite there.
The animation, and world, on screen is superb. One can not fault Illumination for this. And the attention to detail is mind-boggling. The vibrant colours, the cityscapes, all top notch.
With several of the preview audience being children, the lack of laughter was a tad noticeable. Even the yellow Minions failed to evoke shrieks of giggles. Although in lower dosages, they are a lot better than when in a full length movie of their own.
Despicable Me 3 perhaps tries too hard, trying to capture its youth, instead of innovating. it’s a fun film, but could have been so much more. It’s entertaining, and will keep the kids occupied, but lacks that “adult level” to the film that also lets parents survive. It tries valiantly, but just can’t match up to it’s older siblings. Despite all this, it’s still one to go see.
Despicable Me 3 opens 30 June 2017 in South African cinemas.
