Former villain Gru (Carell), wife Lucy, daughters Margo, Edith and Agnes and, of course, those adorable yellow Minions all return for this third Despicable Me movie. Since the Minions have already had their own spin-off feature they get a little less screen time here, and instead the plot focuses on Gru and the discovery that he has a twin brother named Dru (also Carell).
Fired from the Anti-Villain League for failing to take down former 80s TV star turned baddie Balthazar Bratt (Parker), Gru welcomes the chance to meet the brother he never knew he had at his home in Freedonia. However, Dru doesn’t just want a family reunion, he wants to follow in his brother’s footsteps and learn how to be a super villain. Will he be able to tempt Gru back to the darkside?
With subplots that include the girls’ hunt for a unicorn and a minion rebellion, this romps along at a fair old pace. There’s so much going on it does feel like some of the plot strands and characters are forgotten halfway – Lucy is swiftly sidelined and ends up locked in a cupboard – but there are enough jokes and slapstick moments that you won’t have time to notice.
As with the previous Despicable Me movies, this expertly blends kids’ humour with fun references for the grown-ups – 80s throwback Bratt challenges Gru to a dance off, and has bad guy gizmos based on a Rubik’s Cube and a keytar – and while it’s not quite as good as the first two films, it’s still an enjoyable, funny and slick slice of family entertainment.
Is Despicable Me 3 suitable for kids? Here are our parents’ notes...
Bad guy Balthazar isn’t very threatening early in the movie as he attacks with large bubblegum bubbles.
However, later in the movie he kidnaps the girls and leaves them high up a building as he is smashing Hollywood with a giant robot, which may upset very young children.
There is some mild rude humour, and Balthazar dances in one scene in a slightly provocative way which may not appeal to parents of very young kids.
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