Despicable Me (critiqued by yours truly)

Hey everyone, I know it's been forever since I've posted a review, but I am now back in my dorm and looking for study distractions once again! Next is Despicable Me, starring Steve Carell. I know this one's a bit old, but I haven't done a less recent review since Donnie Darko. Also, the last movie I saw in theaters was Tron Legacy, and since I haven't seen the first one, it felt impolite to judge.

Watch the Trailer

Despicable Me - with Steve Carell as Gru, Jason Segel as Vector, Russell Brand as Dr. Nefario, Julie Andrews as Gru's mom, Will Arnett as Mr. Perkins, Kristen Wiig as Miss Hattie, Miranda Cosgrove as Margo, et cetera, et cetera - was a surprising movie. Though children cinema with a star cast is usually a recipe for mediocre, this project was an excellent time investment for all actors involved, even the ones who had extremely respectable careers already.

There are a few adult-based jokes peppered throughout the storyline, one involving a Lehman Brothers reference which is hard to catch, so look out for it. But even though those are few and far between, most will find, aside from the occasional overly-silly pratfall humor, even the kid jokes are enjoyable. And animated characters' facial expressions have boundless potential as far as funny goes. Of course, Steve Carell is notable for his ability to make most ages at least chuckle lightly to themselves, but most other characters contributed a bunch o' laughs, too. Agnes and the little twinkie men are delightful.

Another plus for this movie is the soundtrack, a lot of which was performed by artist/producer/fashion designer Pharrell Williams. He wrote and performed the Dispicable Me theme, which got a lot of positive feedback. It's rap. So, curmudgeonly people should be advised to not click that link.

Basically, overall, this movie was an amazing kids movie. As far as older than that, of course that's all preference but I truly enjoyed it. As a Cheez-It, I'd say it's 90% Real Cheese. Go get it!