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The Vow

A saccharine and paint-by-numbers slice of romance, which is largely boosted by the appeal of its two leads.

Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (3D)

The under-utilised 3D adds little to this prequel, which only serves as a sore reminder of the brilliance of the original films.

Any Questions For Ben?

The talented bunch of actors ably cut through the surface gloss, but it’s tough to remain invested in the plight of the self-absorbed lead.

Shame

It starts off as brutal but arresting stuff, and the two lead performances are scorching, but disappointingly dissolves into a case of tragedy for the sake of tragedy.

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Despicable Me (Film)

by Annette Basile | September 07, 2010 11:32 | Edited September 07, 2010 11:34

While it falls short of other digital animations, this family film is boosted by a first class voice cast, plenty of laughs and a warm heart.

Steve Carell channels the classic comic TV villains to voice Gru, the bad guy star of this 3-D computer-animated romp. Carell's Euro-accent parody is part Rocky & Bullwinkle's Boris and part Get Smart's Siegfried, but there's something else here too - this is for kids, and Carell mixes the dastardly with the loveable.

 
Tall, bald and broad-shouldered, criminal mastermind Gru is rattled when Vector (Jason Segel), a younger, smarter, geeky rival, steals the limelight. Surrounded by little yellow minions, and armed with high-tech gadgets, the suburban-dwelling Gru is planning the ultimate crime caper when three little girl orphans come into his life and mess with his mean heart. The film itself, though, has a warm heart, and is a safe bet for kids.

 

Adult animation fans, however, who have been spoiled with brilliant works of late, will find that Despicable Me isn't as visually enthralling as, say, Monsters Vs Aliens, Astro Boy or even the Ice Age series. It's not because of lesser skills in the art department, but because of a design choice - they've gone for a comparatively clean look here, possibly to allow the excellently drawn characters to stand out.

 

That said, there are still many superbly animated sequences, and the voice work is first class. Carell has a blast as Gru, while supports Julie Andrews (as Gru's displeased mum) and Jason Segel (whose Vector looks a little like the archetypal nerd, Bill Gates) add to the comedy in a story which, against formula, centres on a baddie.

 

As a family film, Despicable Me gets full marks - it's fun for all, and the kids at this screening were charmed. As a piece of animation, however, it has its moments, but it's not the pick of the CGI crop.