CGI film Despicable Me will be officially released on Dc. 14th. Yes, that`s something of a wait, but it sounds like it will be worth it. You can get it in several versions: a DVD double-pack, 3-disc blu-ray/DVD combo/digital copy combo, or the 4-disc blu-ray in 3D/blu-ray/DVD/ digital copy pack.
All of the packages are loaded with special features, including director commentary, a section all about the voice talent {Steve Carell, Julie Andrews, Russell Brand, amomg others} and three “mini-movies” starring the unique potato-like Minion characters. The packs with Blu-ray discs have even more goodies. I`m intrigued by the Minion Dominion App for Iphone and Ipad-control your own Minion by turning and rotating your phone! Maybe they won`t contribute to cinema literacy, but features like this are just nifty fun.
But how about the actual film? Is it good enough to merit a purchase, especially with rising prices for all of these feature-laced packages? In general, my answer is “yes”. I saw Despicable Me this summer and enjoyed it thoroughly. Steve Carell provides the voice of Gru, a super-villain whose career goal is to steal the moon. An apparent mix of Lex Luthor and Ichabod Crane, the long-legged baddie relishes his work . A typical day involves cruising around his suburban ‘hood in a tank-like car and using a freeze-ray to immobilize folks in a coffee shop. His house is a creepy Addams Family-esque mansion, the basement filled with the aforementioned Minions who cater to his every villainous whim. However, Gru hits a roadblock when the “Bank of Evil” won`t approve a loan for his moon-stealing project.
Undaunted, he comes up with the idea of using three girl orphans to help him obtain a shrink-ray from obnoxious fellow villain and neighbor Vector. But it`s not so simple: he begins to grow fond of the kids as they work on a plan to get into Vector`s home. A lot of the movie`s humor comes from the contrast between the lifestyles of villains and little girls: when the tots innocently explore the living room, they marvel at the furniture{crafted from various dead animals} and one of them gets temporarily locked inside an Iron Maiden. It`s a bit strange to have someone like Gru become a father figure. But he tackles the task with style: springing for dance lessons, reading bedtime stories, and taking down a rigged carnival game with weapons so that the youngest girl can win a unicorn.
Though mawkish at times, the movie strikes a neat balance between dry humor and heart-warming fluff. The CGI is excellent, kind of a cross between Pixar and old Warner Brothers fare, the action rarely slows, and voice talents Carell and Jason Segel as Vector are first-rate. The real treat is the character of Gru: he`s smugly pleased with himself even in moments of goodness. As one of the orphans notes, “He`s really scary, but nice-like Santa Claus.” Definitely worth a second look. I`m leaning toward the 3-disc option myself.
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