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Macaroni Movies: Despicable Me 2

By Barbara Evangelista, Publisher July 10, 2013

Who loves the minions?  Kids do!  Despicable Me 2 is a funny and sweet sequel, filled with mischievous minions and other hilarious characters.  Gru, the former supervillian, is now a family man, caring for his three girls with the help of the minions, and working with Dr. Nefarious to develop a line of jams and jellies.  Out of the blue, Lucy, a secret agent, kidnaps Gru and brings him to visit the Anti-Villain League, who have been tracking the theft of a dangerous bioweapon.  They ask for Gru's help in figuring out which store-owner in a mall is the thief.  Gru and Lucy investigate the stores and run into an old enemy, El Macho, now running a Mexican restaurant at the mall.  Meanwhile, the minions are being kidnapped and transformed into evil purple creatures by the bioweapon.  Gru and Lucy must face the villainous thief and rescue the minions before they run amok.

My kids loved this movie, especially the hilarious little minions, chattering away in their own language and stealing every scene.  The evil purple minions were a bit scary perhaps for younger children, although they still were comical with their out-of-control hair and twitchy eyes.  My 9-year-old daughter thought Lucy was great -- funny, snarky at times, and super-accomplished, kidnapping Gru and taking down the enemy while in a dress and 5-inch heels (what's with never changing her clothes, though?).

I loved the sweet family story and how Gru would do anything to protect his girls.  The mall and bakery story were a bit of a stretch but the silly minions and especially the completely over-the-top El Macho helped hold the whole thing together and keep the audience entertained.  This one will definitely be on our DVD shelf in a few months.

Macaroni Movies is sponsored by Showcase Cinemas Lowell. Showcase Cinemas Lowell offers digital imaging and surround sound, 3-D technology, Bookworm Wednesdays (a program offering free family movies throughout the summer), and the Popcorn Club for kids and families. See any Showcase associate for details or visit their website.