Despicable Me: A Makes Me Wanna Holler Movie Review

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Disclosure: This is an unsolicited review.

Despicable Me is hardly despicable at all. In fact it's arguably as crude and violent as your everyday Spongebob Squarepants episode or DVD pack.

In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden deep beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by an army of tireless, little yellow minions, we discover Gru (Steve Carell), planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon (Yes, the moon!)

Is the plot ridiculous and far-fetched? Of course it is! It's a cartoon! Steve Carell's Gru drives a rocket car, carries a concealed freeze ray gun and somehow manages to live in suburbia without drawing any attention to himself. But that isn't what this movie is truly about. This is just the subplot that sets up the bigger story: a man in his never ending quest to be super successful and lauded by all (even if it's for being bad) crosses paths with three little orphaned girls, falls in love with them and discovers, through trial and major errors, that family is what truly matters.

Sound familiar?

I went to see this movie on opening day (in 3D) in Chicago with my daughter, one of my high school buddies and his two daughters. We loved it. As with most modern day animated features there were moments when I thought it was running a bit long (my daughter's brief moment of pacing the row confirmed this), but there's a little something for all ages in this movie. And the minions? These little yellow creature may have provided me with some of the best comic relief I've experienced all year...



Despicable Me proves that family changes everything. Even the quest for world domination. Grab your wallet (3D CGI ticket prices are insane), grab your kids, grab your friends or the one you love and kick back for a couple hours of air conditioned laughs with Gru and the cast of Despicable Me, featuring the talents of Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Jason Segal and Kristen Wiig.