Despicable Me 2

Directors: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Genre: Animated Comedy/Kids

Voices: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Steve Coogan

Distributed by: Universal Pictures (Illumination Entertainment Studio)

Release Date: July 3, 2013

My Rating: 7/10

In Illumination Entertainment's Despicable Me 2, sequel to the successful box-office 2010 animated film Despicable Me, we are reunited with Gru, the lovable and eccentric villain-turned-good-guy for a whole new adventure. After his last great scheme to steal the moon in the first film, Gru (Steve Carell) has decided to leave his life as a villain behind and become a responsible father to his three new adopted daughters, Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith, and Agnes, and start a new jelly-making business. One day, an agent named Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig) shows up at his door and asks him to come with her to an unknown location. After he refuses, Lucy kidnaps Gru and two of his minions and takes him underwater to an organization known as the Anti-Villain League, headed by a man named Silas Ransbottom (Steve Coogan). Together, Lucy and Silas attempt to convince Gru to help them steal a purple serum fluid from an evil villain known as "El Macho," who plans to use the serum to create terrifying monsters and rule the world.

This sequel proves to be a superbly fun thrill ride and although I believe it doesn't match the excellence of the first film, it certainly comes very close. Of course, the plot is a bit more complex than that of the first, but it remains captivating nonetheless. The new characters who are introduced, such as Lucy Wilde and the new villain El Macho are excellent, and each one brings an additional lovableness and humor to the story through their incredible voice talents. Gru's hilarious hi-jinks and american expressions in his funny and unidentified foreign accent never get old, and I was glad to see him paired up with a female character to see how their relationship evolved. 

The girls again provide a fabulous distraction for Gru, and accentuate his proneness to get into awkward situations as their father. Unsurprisingly, nothing made me laugh more throughout the film than the minions, whose antics most people seem to remember and adore most in the first film. The originality of the characters, from their appearances and costumes, voices and facial expressions, had me laughing hysterically the entire movie. In addition, there are two well-known old songs sung by the minions at the end that wrap up the film on an extra-hilarious note. (I promise I won't spoil which ones) Directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud provide the minions' voices, and producer Chris Meledandri proves that Illumination Entertainment Studios (The Lorax) can truly make great films.