In a summer filled with love-it-or-hate-it blockbusters like "Man of Steel," "Iron Man 3" and "Star Trek Into Darkness," there's one thing I think most will agree on.
"Despicable Me 2," top to bottom, is one fun time at the movies.
Gru (Steve Carell) has given up his life of crime to take care of his girls, Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Elsie Fisher). In lieu of stealing, Gru now uses his yellow, bouncy, pill-shaped Minions to create a line of jellies ... until he's approached by the Anti-Villain League to use his talents for good. But some of the spark of his former life is missing.
Gru is given a partner, the wily agent Lucy (Kristen Wiig), a sort of female James Bond, only 22% clumsier. The duo stake out a shopping mall, where the AVL suspects a supervillain has set up shop.
It is something of a right turn from the first film and its animated espionage evokes memories of "Cars 2," though this film does it much, much better.
The first "Despicable Me" struck a good balance between dark comedy and family-friendliness; "2" does the same, but it's a bit tamer. The vibe is pretty similar to the first film, with Gru's annoyance directed not as his now-beloved girls, but at Lucy, whom young Agnes hopes can become her new mother.
The villain's role is reduced, largely because for most of the film, the villian's identity is a mystery. Instead we focus on Gru and the family, the mystery and the Minions.
Ah, the Minions. In most sequels, having characters like the Minions would mean the sequel would be Minion overload, turning them into an annoyance. Here, they strike the right balance: more, but for some reason it never gets tiresome.
And, for once, a recommendation on actually seeing a movie in 3D. The extra dimension leaps off the screen in full color and provides an environment rich in depth with sight gags many recent 3D productions have lacked. Spend the extra money and watch your kids grasping at the air while they watch.
The rare sequel that manages to be both different from the first film while continuing to build on what it delivered, "Despicable Me 2" is a ride you should take both for your kids and for the kid inside of you.