Three stars. Rated PG, for no particular reason
By Derrick Bang
One should avoid going to the
well too often.
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| At first, Gru (left) is delighted to finally meet Dru, the long-estranged twin brother he never knew existed. But Dru's wealth, charm and swooningly handsome good looks quickly prove annoying, particularly since Gru's life and career have bottomed out. |
The Despicable Me franchise is showing its age, and for a variety of
reasons. Although Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio have scripted all three films —
which should ensure continuity of tone and narrative style — they’re clearly
running out of ideas. Yes, this third installment is funny (for the most part);
and yes, it zips along quickly enough to prevent viewer restlessness.
I’m sure children will be
entertained by its colorful wackiness.
But their parents ... not so
much. And that’s a shift, because the first two films played far more
successfully to all ages.
This film just feels tired, much like bad guy-turned-good guy
Gru, referenced by the title. Poor Gru has a constant case of the mopes this
time out. Let’s face it: He was a lot more captivating as a villain, when he
was, yes, despicable.
Perhaps more insidiously, Gru has
been overshadowed by his banana-hued, pint-size subordinates. The Minions are a
more fun — and a lot funnier — than anything Gru offers here. And poor Gru
seems to know it.
Over at Blue Sky, Chris Wedge and
his team have been careful not to let Scrat take over their Ice Age series, instead keeping the prehistoric
squirrel/rat on the sidelines, as occasional slapstick relief. Paul, Daurio and
returning Despicable co-director
Pierre Coffin haven’t been equally cautious, and the result is obvious: The
Minions now control the franchise.
Leaving poor Gru a somewhat
listless afterthought.
The “despicable” character this
time out is Balthazar Bratt (voiced by Trey Parker), a former TV child star who
peaked with an evil character his adolescent self played for several seasons in
the 1980s. He came complete with signature phrase — “I’ve been a baaaaaad boy!” — and wreaked fictitious
havoc on a weekly basis.
