Despicable Me - I've been waiting for this for months, the website with its minions and catchy music had me already. I even tried to work it so that my daughter's 6th birthday would coincide with the release and she could be the first in her class to have a cinema party - but I was thwarted by that good old distribution clause whereby the cinema does not know until 7-14d before what date they will release the show, so we settled for Wizzy world which was comparitively easy and we were quids in with my daughter when after the party we announced she could go to the cinema, this resulted in a 'this is the best birthday ever mummy'. Brilliant.
Job done we opted to see it in 3D which I must admit I was dubious about, not because it has not been developed completely with 3D in mind - unlike Clash of the Titans, it has and to good effect but it wasn't the mind boggling brilliant 3d I saw in Toy Story 3 but it really does work those cliches with a particularly brilliant roller coaster ride that in Imax would have you going I bet.
Was I impressed? Yes.
Did I laugh? Lots.
Would I see it agin? Probably once or twice on DVD but this is where my main gripe comes into effect.
Yes we have Russell Brand playing a doddery 60 year old, and yes it is Mr Carrell who is perfect with a fake russian accent but the gags are so on the nose with the dramatic irony just playing out moments after they show you what is going to happen the humour is good but once you've seen it on a trailer or the web it's old news and I felt it.
The minions are fab, the girls grab the younger audiences but it is the tom and jerry antics between Gru and Vector that win hands down.
Illumination Entertainment have sunk $70 million estimated budget and will return more than treble that with great initial takings, but it is not an Ice Age 3 but they are going inthe right diretion as a new studio.
Will they give Disney Pixar a run for their money?
They may have before opening weekend but who knows once the marketing guys and franchise for minions takes off who knows where despicable me will go but I can practically guarantee a sequel.
Well done Chris Renaud for directing an entertaining animated film but I want more and soon please.
I give this film 3 1/2 out of 5
