Despicable Me: (July 9th, 2010): PG
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Opening Weekend Box-Office: $60,117,000
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $222,197,390
Gross Revenue: $278,193,000
Budget: $110 million
Director: Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud
As I have said time and again over the course of this blog, animated movies are an almost-sure money-maker over the summer season, but when it comes to promotion, with the exception of Iron Man 2, I don’t think I’ve seen such an aggressive marketing program this summer as the one that NBC Universal launched for Despicable Me. The key ingredient of this campaign can be summarized in one word: Minion. From the moment that those little yellow grunt-workers appeared in the first teaser trailer, the Minions have been almost everywhere. Promotion on NBC shows such as Last Comic Standing, The Biggest Loser, and America’s Got Talent can be expected, but I was shocked when I noticed promotions on Deadliest Catch and tie-ins at both IHOP and Best Buy. On a side note, Best Buy launched a “Movie Mode” app that will translate the Minion’s gibberish during the end credits…it’s free and an absolute riot, download it…apparently the Minions have opinions on everything from the Twilight series to male-pattern baldness. With such an aggressive marketing campaign and Carell’s previous success in animated voice-work (Over the Hedge and Horton Hears a Who!), Despicable Me was sure to be a box-office success.
Steve Carell plays Gru, a super-villain who has lost his edge over the years but has recently decided that he can regain some notoriety by planning a big heist. With the help of an army of gibberish-speaking Minions and aging assistant Dr. Nefario (played by a nearly unrecognizable Russell Brand), Gru plans to shrink and steal the moon. Unfortunately, Gru’s plans are halted by another super-villain, the amusingly arrogant Vector (Jason Segel). As it turns out, Gru needs a cover to outsmart Vector, and when he notices his nemesis’ fondness for cookies; he decides to adopt the three young orphans who previously tried to sell him cookies, so that he may use them to infiltrate Vector’s fortress. Over time, Gru becomes fond of the orphans, but when they begin to distract him and threaten the success of his heist, he must decide what is more important to him, his new family or his evil plan. The super-villain twist was an interesting perspective to take on an animated film, and it was a surprisingly effective formula for success.
To say that Despicable Me is funny is an absolute understatement; it’s nothing short of hysterical. I might have laughed or chuckled lightly at the jokes of Shrek Forever After or Toy Story 3, but I was nearly crying I was laughing so hard during Despicable Me. Beyond humorous super-villain clichés such as Gru using a freeze-ray to squeeze past a long line at a coffee shop or Vector’s “squid-gun,” Despicable Me has some shockingly clever jokes that adults will delight in. With references to such things like The Godfather or the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, I couldn’t stop laughing. In terms of the supporting cast, Vector and Dr. Nefario are pretty hysterical, and Gru’s adopted daughters are adorable, melting the heart of their grumpy adopted father but the real show-stealers are the Minions. These guys are just awesome, running around performing whatever task Gru assigns them, adding their own blend of sly, subtle, and silly, humor along the way through their facial expressions and spoken gibberish. For instance, in one scene the Minions are helping Gru navigate an air duct, and when one Minion walks into a wall, the other Minion picks him up, cracks his back, and shakes him so that he begins to glow like a glow-stick in order to light the way. I fully enjoyed the entire film and would gladly go and see it again, and I really do not have any criticisms; if anything, it doesn’t quite achieve the same level of emotion as Toy Story 3 through its adopted family arc, but whatever the film lacks in emotion it more than makes up for it in terms of humor.
Making over $21 million its opening day, Despicable Me would easily go on to take the top spot of the weekend box-office with just over $60 million, and given this momentum, it looks like it will easily be able to earn back its production budget. Impressive animation is a given, and with a talented voice cast, a heart-warming and hysterical story, Despicable Me should not be missed. As a new film, it is more than able to hold its own against the established franchises of Shrek and Toy Story. You’ve been seeing the Minions all summer, so now it’s time to go see them in action and truly appreciate these likable characters…enjoy.
Overall Recommendation: Very High
