Despicable Me (2010)

If you’re like me, the overabundance of recently released 3D movies probably has you feeling as grumpy as Gru, the main character in the spectacle-required spectacle Despicable Me. I get it, Hollywood: a certain James Cameron movie set on an alien planet was shot in 3D and went on to make record-breaking profits. But here’s the thing: if you’re a four-eyes, forced to be six-eyes for two hours, 3D sucks. If you’re prone to motion sickness or migraine headaches, 3D sucks. If you would rather not spend an extra $4 on a movie ticket for no good reason, 3D sucks.

There’s an obvious pattern developing here which did not bode well for Universal’s latest animated feature, which I saw in (you guessed it) 3D. Amazingly, Despicable Me didn’t suck.

Steve Carrell voices Gru, a middle-aged super villain whose exploits just aren’t getting the kind of attention they used to. A younger, tracksuit-wearing bad guy named Vector (Jason Segel) has upstaged him by stealing the pyramids from Egypt. To regain his reputation, Gru devises a plot to steal the moon from the heavens with the help of his scientist sidekick, Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand), and his legion of Nuprin-capsule-shaped minions (They’re little, yellow, different). But first, he’s got to get his hands on a shrink-ray gun housed in Vector’s high-tech, Wiimote-controlled lair.

The only way in seems to be through Vector’s stomach. So Gru adopts a trio of cookie-selling orphan sisters–sensible Margo (iCarly’s Miranda Cosgrove), tomboyish Edith, and sweet little Agnes–who have already proven that they can get close to his arch-nemesis. But the girls end up teaching Gru, whose own mother (Julie Andrews) is a disapproving nag, a lesson in love and family.

The plot of Despicable Me–as penned by Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul from a story by Sergio Pablos–is predictable and old school, but that’s precisely the point. Gru is a predictable and old school guy, the kind of cartoon villain that’s not all that evil and never actually wins (although he did once steal the JumboTron from Times Square). His post-WW2 obsession with moon missions and his Cold War-era approach to villainy are relics. Gru wouldn’t know a Wii remote if it flew out of someone’s hand and clocked him in the face.

Likewise, the film’s animation is pretty basic. While Pixar and Dreamworks face off over which can create the more realistic cartoon (how exactly would a monster’s hair sway in the breeze?), Universal Animation Studios seems to have checked out of that race. Thanks to directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, the animation of Gru’s world–his sparse, gothic home and his twisted-fanged “dog”–is more like a familiar old Saturday morning cartoon with a vaguely French feel to it. Think The Triplets of Belleville meets The Addams Family cartoon.

Perhaps it’s that simplicity that lends itself to the best use of 3D technology I’ve seen since the fad reared its ugly head late last year. Every scene is layered with at least a couple of 3D elements, but it really soars when Gru and the girls go to an amusement park midway through the film. The roller coaster is unbelievable. Also, be sure to stick around through the end credits for some more fun with the technology.

Adults will fall in love with the girls, particularly Agnes, whose freak out over a stuffed unicorn at the amusement park is ridiculously cute. They will also find some grownup laughs in the film. Don’t miss the fictional Bank of Evil’s connection to a now-defunct, real-life bank of evil. Still, Despicable Me has its sights aimed at the younger set. And if the three-year olds dancing in the aisles (to Pharell Williams’ catchy theme song) are any indication, this film will 3D projectile right into their little hearts.