Despicable Me 2

I was fully expecting this movie to go poorly. Not in terms of money, it obviously would make a lot of that, but in terms of reviews, plotlines, and actual quality. I felt the story did not need a sequel, as there was very little they could do to advance it. I also knew that the company would go HARD on the childish humor with the minions, and push out everything that was good in the first movie. I was right and wrong in certain aspects.

Despicable Me 2 is a good movie; and a very good movie if you like the minions. It is just missing a bit of the heart in the first one, along with some of the cooler aspects.

The story this time is about Gru being recruited by the Anti Villain League (not to be confused with the Anti-Villain League, which is a league of villains who are not all that villainous), and falling in love with his female partner Lucy Wilde (played by Kristen Wiig). The girls are still in it, but they play a very minor role… They actually get less screen-time than the minions, to the point where they have to be shoehorned into the climax so that we don’t forget they’re there! Margo has a brief love subplot, but it goes nowhere… Which is a point to bring up later…

The AVL hires Gru to track down a villain who stole a secret formula that turns things into the rabbit from Monty Python’s The Holy Grail. But, this is mostly just setup for Gru and Lucy’s love story. Which I have no qualms with, animated movies need to explore other avenues like love stories, it’s just that the love story here doesn't get enough screen time. Gru and Lucy have one or two scenes with good chemistry, but that’s pretty much it. Their love story doesn't get enough screen-time to develop, and feels somewhat rushed near the end. If they cut out the minion scenes (or at least half of them) and devoted it to their development, the progression would've been much more natural and believable. There could've actually been more scenes with the girls as well, showing them interacting with Lucy, growing an attachment to her as well, rather than simply share one scene with her, and immediately love her once she is their mother.

Returning to Margo’s mini-love arc, Margo actually falls in love (or at least has a crush on) the child of the main villain. However, that distinction is superfluous, as nothing comes of it. The Boy dumps Margo at a party, Gru freezes him, and the fact he’s the villain’s son is never brought up again. I expected the boy to actually be the mastermind. You see, his father had actually faked his death years before, which would imply he wanted to leave the business. The son could've convinced him to get back into it, come up with the plan... Hell, Gru even foreshadows it when claiming he is probably the mastermind (he was more trying to keep him away from Margo, but it still would've been more interesting).

There are just a lot of things that if the creators gave it more thought they could've fixed.

But, all this plot is actually more of a sideshow to the antics of the minions... I have voiced my distaste with them before, viewing them as essentially plot cul-de-sacs, full of gags that while funny can become grating. But, others seem to really, really love them... But, even those who like them, can admit they spent too much time on them this time. However, what makes this really bad, is the fact that three minion gag scenes were shown in previews and commercials, pretty much ruining them in the movie itself. Being spoiled to these scenes made them seem even longer, and feel like they took up more of the movie. There are only a handful of scenes with the minions that were not spoiled... Overtly.

The best minion scene (in my opinion) was a scene where they are in a bar, singing and being boistrous. Obviously we can't understand them, but the song rang a bell, though I did not recognize it at the time.

Take a listen:

They are singing an actual song, called "Another Irish Drinking Song" by Da Vinci's Notebook.

Here are the lyrics:

Now everybody's died, so until our tears are dried,

we'll drink and drink and drink and drink and then we'll drink some more.

We'll dance and fight and sing until the early morning light

then we'll throw up, pass out, wake up and then go drinking once again

I respect a piece of media that manages to get past the radar that well (and uses a song I actually recognize while being a bit more subtle about it). Doesn't make the minions any better in my eyes, but  it's at least a gag I can get behind.

Again, the movie was good and enjoyable, but not as good as the first movie. The heavier focus on the minions sapped time away from the actual story, and made it thinner than it needed to be. There are other plot elements that weren't thought through very well and could use a polish. But, kids will enjoy it regardless.

I do hope that we get a true animated love story some day... Not just a subplot like in Ratatouille, or just setup like in UP... I mean an actual Romance in animation, where the plot isn't saving the world or anything, it is simply a guy meets a girl and falls in love. Or the other way around, or double-up on one gender, whatever floats the boats. Just, something so that animation is not just the children's comedy medium... I don't even like love stories, so let that tell you how strange it is that I want to see one in that vein done well.

And please... Whatever production company is making Free Birds, jump into different genres IMMEDIATELY. There is an overabundance of comedy and you're aiming extremely low for your first go. Aim for something higher, like an animated action movie... Hell, you could make Flash Gordon, or something along those lines! You just don't want to follow the footsteps of Sony Picture Animation, the makers of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Open Season, and the Smurfs... It's a hard road, laden with negative reviews and almost no recognition. While you still have a chance, diverge from the path, and make a name for yourself. You don't want a movie about time traveling turkeys to be your last animated movie.

That's all for now, this has been Fixer Sue.