Despicable Me 3 Summary & Review
For many years, the Despicable Me franchise has been one of the most successful animated series ever released. It brought Illumination Entertainment from nothing to become one of the biggest animated studios working today. The first two movies were two of the highest grossing movies of their years, while Minions became one of the highest grossing animated films of all time. Now, Gru and the minions are back in Despicable Me 3.
In the third outing for this series, we return to the world of Gru (Steve Carell), his wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig), and their three daughters Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Nev Scharrel). When Gru and Lucy fail to capture 80s TV star turned supervillain Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker), they loose their jobs at the Anti-Villain League. Feeling down about his failure, Gru suddenly receives an invitation to meet his long-lost twin brother, Dru (also Steve Carell). When the two finally meet, Dru convinces Gru to return to his villainous ways and continue the family tradition.
I have always been a fan of this series, even Minions. Despite what people are saying about this movie, I still had fun. Despicable Me 3 is yet another enjoyable film in this long-running franchise. First off, I love the voice actors in this film. Carell and Wiig perfectly fit their characters, and I’ve always loved the chemistry between them. I also can’t get enough of the minions. Despite what my friends have said, I love the minions. They never get annoying in my opinion.
I really liked that they introduced a new family member into Gru’s history. It gave something new to the series. Gru’s past was pretty mysterious at the start, so getting a little bit more every movie keeps the series interesting. I also appreciated that they fit Dru into the story without messing with the franchise’s continuity. It felt as if Dru was there the whole time in the series, even though he hadn’t been introduced yet.
Speaking of great voice actors, I loved the movie’s villain. Parker perfectly captured the kind of character that Balthazar Bratt was. I also thought that Bratt’s backstory was really unique. It was cool that he became a villain by turning everything from his TV show into a reality. It had something to say about fandom and how some people don’t let go of the past after everyone else has moved on.
As always with Illumination, I loved the animation of the film. The studio doesn’t make movies that look realistic like other studios. They create characters and sceneries that look goofy and funny. One thing about the Despicable Me films that I’ve always loved were their hilariously over-the-top gadgets, vehicles, and buildings. It brings a sense a satire to all of the spy movies from years ago. This movie was just the same.
If there is one thing I loved most about this movie the most, it’s the focus on Lucy. Similar to Gru trying to be a father in the first film, in this one, Lucy is trying to be a mother to the three girls. I have always enjoyed her as a character, and thought she was a great addition to our team of zany characters. So I loved how the main subplot of this film was her trying to become the mother of the whole family. It was great character development for her.
Despicable Me 3 was, once again, a very entertaining entry into the series. It had great voice actors, amazing animation, a great villain, and more than enough hilarious minion mayhem. This series is, in my book, one of the best animated franchises we have today, and I will stick with it until the end. I can’t wait for Minions 2 in 2020, and I hope they make Despicable Me 4. These are characters that I want in my life forever.
