Pixar has set the animated bar so high it’s easy to dismiss confection like “Despicable Me.”
After all, the new film doesn’t reinvent computer animation or feature the kind of heart-tugging pathos found in “Toy Story 3.”
It’s merely a pleasing diversion riddled with fine comic bits and an endearing turn by Steve Carell.
That should be more than enough for audiences, even if the film doesn’t merit insta-classic status.
Carell voices Gru, a super-villain extraordinaire who learns he’s not the only baddie on the block. An uber-nerd named Vector (Jason Segel) just stole a pyramid, putting him at the top of the super villain hierarchy.
But Gru has a plan to lap that achievement – he cooks up a scheme to steal the moon. He also wants to infiltrate Vector’s lair. So he adopts three young girls hoping they can break his security system by offering Girl Scout-style cookies for sale.
Yes, the story takes a few pretzel twists to set the redemptive arc in action.
Carell, strangling his voice into an oddly Eastern European warble, makes Gru a wholly original creation – even if he looks like Uncle Fester on steroids.
The character’s transformation from evil doer to proud pappy is handled with a delicacy that holds the film together. So does the crisp animation, which isn’t breathtaking but shines whenever the characters must deliver a bit of good cheer.
The animators clearly know their slapstick and the expressions on the characters’ faces – and their loosey, goosey body language – amplify the fun.
The jokes aren’t all home runs – some clank like a rusted-out robot trying to Mambo. But the hits are bulls eyes and parents won’t be ashamed to laugh along with their children.
But a subplot involving Gru’s mother issues provides more depth than your standard ‘toon.
The final five minutes feel tacked on, yet another animated film digging through the pop culture songbook for an extra goose of energy. Maybe today’s teens will be turned on to an old ditty, but the moment feels as manufactured as the Blu-ray product placement seen in the sequence.
Crass commercialism aside, “Despicable Me” delivers a healthy helping of laughs – and heart – for young and old alike.
(Photo: Steve Carell voices Gru, a super villain with an inferiority complex in “Despicable Me.” Universal Pictures)
Related posts:
on 
on 
