Despicable Me 3

All animated children’s movies have two things in common: a plot is harder to find than a real-life yellow minion, and childish humour is more plentiful than actual dialogue. These elements are what determine the film’s success with a younger audience, but for adults viewing on their own, movies such as these can be rather boring. Despicable Me 3 is a perfect example of this, and while it is hilarious and often touching, it puts far too much faith in capitalising on the first feature’s wild success, leaving the material bland at times. But for young cinemagoers, it will be an enjoyable experience full of giggles and nail biting.

The first instalment of the franchise is a delightful blend of humour, wit and love, with a perfect formula that intrigues children and grown-ups alike. The protagonist Gru (Steve Carell), a villain trying to steal the moon, ends up adopting three adorable orphans, who become a focus of the second film, which also sees Gru join an organisation to fight evil: the Anti-Villain League. While the first two animations expand the plot just enough to remain fresh and relevant, the newest addition is disjointed and unwieldy, yet still oddly enchanting and captivating. There is less of a storyline here, which is perhaps why it lacks the original genius charm. An eighties child actor portraying “Evil Brat” in a TV show sees his once successful franchise disintegrate, and tries to compensate by becoming his persona and committing atrocities such as stealing diamonds. Gru must work together with his rich but inexperienced, newly discovered twin brother to stop the heist. At the same time, various subplots occur with nearly every character, making the film more of a series of anecdotes rather than a classic arc narrative. Though this is unusual, it works very well in giving us the whole story.

Despite its shortcomings, the movie is perfect for entertaining young children and families time and time again, while adults by themselves may find it sufficient to view it once. So, for its purpose, Despicable Me 3 more than succeeds, with potty humour, suspenseful fights between good and evil, and sweet moments between the orphans and their new mom (Kristen Wiig) and Gru and his twin, Dru (also Carell). The animations are stunningly accurate and wildly encapsulate your childhood dreams. It’s sure to be a family favourite.

Laura Boyle

Despicable Me 3 is released nationwide on 30^th June 2017.

Watch the trailer for Despicable Me Three here: