Ich - Einfach unverbesserlich 2

I adored "Despicable Me" and my wife and I could never agree which we liked more--that film or the similarly themed "Mega Mind". We liked them both but she preferred "Mega Mind". Regardless, both films are excellent and entertaining for all ages. Because "Despicable Me" made a huge amount of money, it wasn't surprising that soon after they announced they were making a sequel. And, when the early teaser promos arrived in theaters, they stressed the minions and said nothing about the sort of story the sequel would be. This was, apparently, very prescient--as the film turned out to be exactly that--a film with a vague plot but which was worth seeing just for the antics of the minions. In fact, my wife decided to see "Despicable Me 2" simply because she heard me laughing many times at the minions.

The film picks up pretty much right after the first one. Gru has adopted the three little girls and they, along with the minions and Dr. Lethario, are one big, happy family. However, trouble is brewing. Some super-villain has stolen a top secret formula that transforms nice creatures into killing machines--and a top secret international organization approaches the ex-villain, Gru, to help the locate the formula. They give him a spunky female sidekick and eventually romantic sparks fly. As far as the secret formula and the villain are concerned, this really seemed secondary to the romance and antics of the minions--and this plot seemed to wrap itself up quickly and easily.

As I said, the plot, for what it is, is minimal and seems to be just an excuse to watch the minions as well as the romance. And, for me, this was enough to justify recommending the film. Clearly not as good as the original, but filled with fun nonetheless.

The first Despicable Me was a wonderful film, so while there is the worry of whether a sequel would work you can't help wanting to see it anyway. Despicable Me 2 was just as good as the first one, maybe not as fresh in terms of plot but what worked so well in the first works equally well here. The animation, also having the advantage of staying true to the style and look that the first had, is bursting with vibrancy and colour without looking too over-saturated as well as having a lot of detail to it. The retro-futuristic designs and gadgets are inventive and very striking to look at, while the music has rousing energy and is also memorable. Despicable Me 2 in the writing and gags is peppered with humour, and this is of the laugh-out-loud hilarious kind, though because there's a lot and that you may be laughing so hard you may be at a risk of missing something. To counter-balance the hilarity, the film also incorporates a message, it is a heartfelt one and doesn't feel cloying and out-of-place. For what the story may lack slightly in freshness in correlation with the first, it more than makes up for it in wit, heart, excitement and how briskly it moves without feeling rushed. Having more of the minions- one of the best assets of the first film- was a masterstroke also, and their subplot also gave the story an increasing sense of jeopardy and threat(though theirs is a little more interesting than that of world domination). Gru is a lovable character, whether a villain like in the first or not, and adds a lot of charisma and energy to the film. The top-notch vocal talents of Steve Carrell, Steve Coogan, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt and even Russell Brand are a further advantage. All in all, like the first Despicable Me this sequel is fantastic family fun and equal to it. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Much funnier than the first one, Despicable Me 2 actually has me liking the second installation in a series much better than the original. A lot of sequels add in new characters. Some serve a purpose. Others not so much. This movie adds in new characters that are important. With funnier lines, funnier actions, and tons of minion madness, the movie has us focusing less on Gru's villainy, and more on the love life he never had.

Even more Despicable! Actually this is a sweet turn for the lovable anti-villain villain, Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), who is comfortably back as a bona fide family man, to the three adorable orphans who melted audiences hearts alike in the first film. Gru would seem like a fun father, but he takes his responsibilities overbearingly over the girls as he has trouble accepting them growing up. Not only that, but he struggles to find contentment with no longer being a villain, with his laboratory now transformed into a jam-making factory. Through expected plot development, advocated from a sequel, it is not until a love interest comes along, Lucy Wilde (voiced by Kristen Wiig), that Gru loosen his shell and the plot moves into action. She takes him to the aptly titled 'anti-villain league' who recruit Gru, with Lucy as his partner in anti-crime, to take down a new villain who has taken disguise at a local shopping mall. What better way to take down a villain than with a post-villain. However Gru is not as proficient as he used to be, he is divided and distracted between his responsibilities to his girls, his love for villainous antics and his mixed emotions to his new partner.

The plot moves efficiently and effectively, moving briskly but taking special care with the characters whom audience enjoyed the first time around, while injecting a few new ones. Of course this means the minions are back, if ads didn't make it obvious. The uniformly dressed but motley shaped crew seem to have grown exponentially in number, as they are ever present in the film. Even their antics in the background over petty things, prove hilarious, but the pint size helpers also take a pivotal role in the plot. This strikes an interesting point in the films advertising. Hardly any plot was divulged, beyond set-up, meaning that there are plenty of surprises to be had in the film. In fact the minions took the foreground of marketing, being funny without substantiating into crass or being overtly annoying. Not only are they ingenious supporting characters but also act as an ingenious means of marketing the film, without spoiling much of the fun of the film, similarly like Scrat in the Ice Age films. If you only liked them in the first film, you'll love them now.

The bottom line (hahaha 'bottom'- you read it in a minion voice didn't you :) is that this is a very comfortable flick. It lives up to the adage, if you liked the first you'll like this one. Colorful and cheerful animation, that is quite impressive, with more minion madness, as expected, punctuated by heart warming sentiment, in good measure.

I went to the cinema preview with my friend for this movie, and its even better than the first film! I only saw the first film recently, and I really liked it. I wasn't sure I wanted to go and see the film at first, but my mate wanted me to go and see the preview yesterday with him, and reluctantly, I said yes. Usually, the second films aren't better than the first, but boy was I wrong! I was laughing through out the whole film, and so was everyone in the audience, it was full to! Steve Carrell's character, Gru, was hilarious. I think everyone could agree though, the minions were the best characters in the film. My friend told me the directors made up a little language and did the voices, and I was very impressed, for you could hear a hint of English in every word they said.

So, if you have seen the first film and liked it, don't hesitate to go and see it when it officially come out on the 28th June. And if you haven't seen the first film, why not?