Craig's Blog of Destiny

Last weekend we went to see Despicable Me, the latest animation project from Universal.  I’ve spent the week since then trying to come up with something to say besides “this is a great movie.”  I haven’t been too successful.

This movie manages to capture strong emotions in completely absurd situations (the plan is to steal the moon!).  The characters are very, very compelling – we expect to fall in love with the orphan girls, however the level of adoration we have for the minions is off the charts.  Remember Pixar’s desk lamp and how you felt connected to it?  Take that times about ten and you have the effect the minions will have on you.

Perhaps one of the reasons the movie comes across so well is that although there are many voices in the movie you should recognize, (Steve Carell, Julie Andrews, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, Jason Segel) they’re done in such a way as to not at all distract from the movie.  I can’t watch any of the Shrek movies without an image of Eddie Murphy in my head.  And Fiona’s voice is Cameron Diaz’s voice, not Fiona’s.  I can’t see Alan Rickman in anything – including as Snape in Harry Potter movies – without hearing the Voice of God from Dogma.  Not so with Despicable Me.  The characters all have their own identity, there is no distraction from a voice clearly from outside the project.  Not once did I think of Maxwell Smart or Michael Scott, or any of those annoying characters Kristen Wiig does on SNL.

Go see Despicable Me.  You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll want to have your own minion.  It is a great movie.