We've been looking forward to this movie for a while, thanks to having seen a few movies in the theater already this summer.
Adult reviewers give it two thumbs up. Kid reviewers do, too. It was very cute, very funny, not too long (hate it when animated movies overstay their welcome. 95-100 mins max. Two hours only if you're really making it happen.)
Premise is Gru, a big meanie (but really he's only sometimes mean. And even when he's mean he's funny) decides to STEAL THE MOON, after learning that some other diabolical villain has stolen the Great Pyramid in Egypt. The interchange between him and that other villain (Vector) is where some of the funniest bits come from. That and the minions, who are little green men with one or two eyes and goggles (designed to fit the number of eyes they have.)
The little green men have several really funny sight gags (including once when one grabs another, cracks him, then shakes him, and he starts to glow ala glowstick minion. Perfect!) They also have a funny mumble mumble intelligible word mumble mumble thing they do that's very amusing. There was a fart blaster (done in a really funny way) and a minion butt-photocopying bit (hilarious.)
If you can handle your children seeing some animated minion photocopied ass, you're in good shape.
Unlike many movies for kids, the low-notes aren't played hard enough to make you cry, the bad guys aren't being mean to children (Gru's meanness is mostly played in a humorous/wry way and it's quickly tempered with his own inadequacies so that you can feel sorry for him.) In spite of being about a super-villain, it was really funny and well worth the $5.75 admission[1].
[1]We did not see it in 3D. The only real knockout parts for 3D would have been a roller-coaster ride about 1/2 way through the film. Not a fan of 3D in general and glad we didn't pay the upcharge, the movie is great and doesn't need 3D to make it better in my opinion.
This sounds awesome, I've been excited to see it ever since I saw a teaser trailer (last summer, maybe?)
A freeze ray would certainly make my morning commute more, entertaining, shall we say?
Posted by: Free Movies | July 20, 2010 at 12:44 AM