Directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud could have taken the easy route and made Gru bad again. Instead, the filmmakers introduce a love interest, Lucy (voiced by Kristen Wiig), an Anti-Villain League agent tasked with recruiting Gru as a spy. Using Gru's past knowledge as a supervillain, the unlikely duo set out to track down an evil mastermind who's stolen a chemical compound that mutates lifeforms into deadly, invincible monsters.
Not surprisingly, Wiig and Carell play well off each other -- even in animated form -- and Wiig's energetic, offbeat character is a welcome addition to the series. Her performance really complements Carell's, and Lucy is a fun, peppy counterbalance to the cantankerous Gru.
Gru's daughters, meanwhile, add another layer to the main storyline, as Gru continues to fine-tune his parenting skills -- particularly with Margo, who's recently taken an interest in dating boys.
But as you might expect, the real stars of this movie are the Minions. Where in the first film Gru's yellow henchmen were mostly played for laughs, here they become integral to the plot and are just about as involved in the story as Gru. Perhaps not surprisingly, it works to the sequel's advantage, both narratively and comedically. In fact, after watching Despicable Me 2, the idea of the Minions getting their own spinoff actually doesn't sound half bad.
As for the story, Despicable Me 2 isn't anything groundbreaking, but then again, neither was Despicable Me. That doesn't mean there isn't plenty to enjoy. Given Gru's emotional changes in the last film, the sequel isn't so much a supervillain send-up as it is a spy parody, which gives the franchise a fresh new feel, albeit a not quite as edgy one. Likewise, the journey for Gru here is less about him learning how to be a parent and more about him learning how to interact with women. By its nature, this story isn't going to tug at the heartstrings as much, but it certainly does amp up the comedy.
Is Despicable Me 2 a laugh riot? A few scenes are, but more often than not it'll put a smile on your face and garner a steady stream of chuckles. While this movie is undoubtedly made for kids, there are definitely several bits for the older set as well. Story aside, Despicable Me 2 is also beautiful to watch. As with most 'toons these days, the animation is positively gorgeous, and the 3D is top notch. If nothing else, this flick has spectacle appeal, for both audiences young and old.
Despicable Me 2 opens stateside on Wednesday, July 3.