Much like Despicable Me 4, ephemeral diversions of films astutely understand how to distract audiences from reality when subjected to juvenile animation and wacky characters. The obstacle is that when you repeat the same tactics every go-around, they become somewhat diminishing and tiresome. More glossy content rolls under the Steve Carell-led gargantuan franchise don’t justify the newcomer installments, except for the financial returns on investments.
It’s an overstuffed sequel that plays more like a compilation of Looney Tunes skits (thanks to our silly Minions in particular) and not much worthwhile in terms of substance, either. The former supervillain Gru (voiced by Carell) tags along with his wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig) and three daughters, Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Madison Polan), to go on another adventure: hiding in plain sight with new identities after the villain from the past Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) wants revenge on Gru after a recent embarrassment at a villainous reunion in the film’s opening. The relocation also brings in a new family called the Prescotts, with the daughter Poppy (Joey King) wanting to enlist Gru’s assistance in another heist. Oh, and some Minions become a discount X-Men group that attain new powers and recklessly use them. And, Gru Jr. isn’t very forthcoming with his father, so Gru does what he can to express his love for his son and win him over.
Several subplots noisily stretch out into diluted directions, and none of it has much of a cohesiveness to maintain any wit or heart. It seems we’re in a holding pattern for this series now after the first two installments shed all their passion for the series. By the third installment in 2017, it’s more of an overkill on gimmicks, visual pyrotechnics, and dried-up slapstick. Who knows, maybe there is still life in this family-friendly universe, but for another chapter, this is another mediocre episode starring the yellow friends and our villain-turned-hero. Meanwhile, we’ll be awaiting the day for the announcement for the subsequent follow-up, with the hopes it turns out to charm more than this one.
