Despicable me, 2010

Despicable me, 2010
Director: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Cast (voices): Steve Carrell, Jason Segel, Russel Brand



Stage: Home Theatre


Despicable me in short: In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by a small army of minions, we discover Gru, planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon. (Yes, the moon!) Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad. The world's greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes.


Preps: wanted to see this for a long time, so now it's about time to dig into this cartoon. Quite famous by slovenian youngsters, anyway. Let me see if I am up to the challenge :)


Reality: Well, sometimes villains do grow into great personalities. Or something deep down inside them sleeps and needs the right button to be pushed in order for good to start spreading around them. As I told you in my review of the Toy Story 3, it's not usual in real world, but in the animated world, it usually is the case. And so it happens here also. To steal the moon seems a good idea and something to play with, however, the three girls are something you cannot expect in advance. Using them as a tool to go to the theft or to perform it correctly, seems merciless, however in the process, the main villain (Gru) grows fond of the girls. In the villain world, that is considered a big mistake, because one power that is really given to the villains is usually emotionless heart, because they don't care about noone but themselves. In this case this changes, as Gru grows love for the three girls and becomes vulnerable in the area.
The side story (a truly sad one) is about orphanes, being put into an institution and waiting for the right potential parent to come by, having afterwards the chance to give the child back (that happens in real world also quite often).. however, we don't see the evolvement in this story up to the level, where it would reach out for your soul.
Gru grows fond of the girls and afterwards, decides to keep them forever. This is somehow expected end in this animated movie and will knock all the soft souls out. And another thing that will drive you nuts - Gru has an army of intelligent small creatures that cannot be more funny than they are shown in this piece. They programm and operate everything, so the only thing you want after this piece, is at least one of those small beings, being there to operate smaller stuff in your life and make up new intelligent ideas :) Although they don't say a word, you can really understand what they are mummbling about. And you need to love them, they bring a softer (not so bright) side of Gru out, just being there to make everything he comes up, in reality. And this is just the case behind every villain - they normally come equipped with a tactic and capable background. Like every president has his wife behind him to back him up or give him the backbone, these small cuties are Gru's backbone, invisible to the public, inevitable to make the grand ideas reality.




My personal rate: 8,5 (loveable and funny. It will make you grow fond for the wannabe fathers. Also, will make you want one of those small intelligent creatures)


Despicable me on IMDB

Getting even with dad, 1994

Getting Even With Dad, 1994
Director: Howard Deutch
Cast: Macauley Culkin, Ted Danson



Stage: home theatre, NY selection on local TV - afternoon

Getting even in short: Ray, an ex-con and widower, is planning a coin heist with two accomplices to help him to buy his own bakery. However, he doesn't expect his son Timmy, who was living with Ray's sister, to show up at the house right in the middle of planning. Timmy is ignored and Ray and his buddies pull off the heist. Timmy gets his father's attention by stealing the coins and hiding them. To get them back, his father must take him to a number of different places and treat him like he enjoys his presence. They grow fond of each other but Timmy won't stay with his dad unless he gives up the coins.


Preps: None whatsoever. Since I don't have a better idea for a Sunday afternoon I will look at what the decent TV folks are recommending for the after NY party mood.


Reality: Yuk. Macauley Culkin in another sync of Home Alone. Hmmmmm. Well, I guess he needed to cash in the fame he had in those years. After that they would always connect him with the main character he played in those HA movies. But.. there's also Ted Danson, who shot himself into the star world with this genre. In this case, he plays a foolish dad, that doesn't want to be recognized as dad, and that in any chosen moment in the movie states this aloud without any shame or doubt. And yet, (so Hollywood like), changes his mind in one week and wants to be a father after all. Yes, also the villains and robbers have souls and urge to be daddies. The story is underestimating the viewer, more than obvious exploiting the fame of Culkin (the script is so similar to Home alone funny scenes, it's pretty straightforward what the director is trying to pull off). And most of robbers are really jackasses, but do they need to be so dumb as they show in this piece?

I strongly disrecommend this, as it will give you nothing more than a headache. Predictable flow, predictable ending, horrible script, vague cast.. hm. Don't waste your time. It's not really a family comedy, mere a family copy of Home Alone. I know, even if you see that can turn over those steps for the xxxth time, it still feels funny. But this is only because we kinda grew up with Home Alone. And everything that looks up to that movie and tries to be a better copy, only fails badly.




My personal rate: 2,0 (I wouldn't call et even decent enough to recommend it a bit. However, if you like family comedies of low intel, then it's the right choice)


Getting even with Dad on IMDB