Review of Despicable Me 3 (2017) by Thequietgamer — 15 Feb 2018

An improvement over the solid yet disappointing Despicable Me 2 and the 2015 Minions spin-off. It's a little sweeter, funnier, and crazier. It still doesn't live up to that first Despicable Me movie, but it's a good enough follow up to make it worth a watch for the kids and maybe the rest of the family too. Steve Carrell is still killing it as Gru and now the newly introduced Dru. The animation is stunning. I can't get over how distinctly different the plastic items look from everything else in the film. It's like you are actually witnessing an animated person hold a real toy. This is something Pixar achieved with their Toy Story series and it is no less impressive here.

The brotherly bond on display here between Gru and his surprise twin Dru is entertaining, but lacking a real emotional core. The heart of the Despicable Me 3 can actually be found in Kristen Wiig's character's attempts to become a true mother in the eyes of Gru's girls. These moments are few, but incredibly sweet. The conflict in the film stems from a villain with an 80's sense of style that is perfectly voiced by the scene stealing Trey Parker (of South Park fame). Parker's credit's song is not to be missed.

Sugary sweet, bright, and immensely silly. The Despicable Me series gets a new dose of life with it's third Gru-centric chapter. While Minions of Despicable Me 2 were merely serviceable continuations of the franchise, 3 feels like the first really worthy follow up to the 2010 hit. It does just well enough to provide entertainment and hold it's own against the various Disney and DreamWorks releases, even if it necessarily as powerful. 7.