3D
The movie starts with some strong stereoscopic 3D visuals as you see the minions evolve in the ocean. This opening scene looks great and gives you a nice sense of immersion as if you are looking into a virtual aquarium. After this point the 3D visuals look nice but are hardly noticeable except for some random particle effects and debris flying out of the screen. Overall the visuals look sharp and nice in 3D but are mostly forgettable except for a few key scenes.
Final Verdict: Good 3D
Movie
Before I begin this review I must confess that I have never seen any of the “Despicable Me” movies. So I go into this movie franchise as a total outsider. This movie is essentially the origin story of the Minions and essentially sets up the other two previous movies. The minions are a species of yellow creatures that have been around for millions of years. They are not happy living on their own and must be dominated and controlled by a boss character. The minions don’t speak in English or any language. They speak in a gibberish language that sometimes uses pieces of English and Spanish. The main story revolves around three minions (Kevin, Bob and Stuart) who seek out a new boss for the group. The three main minions eventually find a female villain named Scarlet Overkill; will she be a suitable boss for the minions? I understand that this movie is made for children, but I feel like they really didn’t do much for adults to enjoy. The movie is mostly a comedy with a few action scenes tossed in for good measure. The comedy is slapstick and silly and fairly basic. Since the minion’s don’t talk, a narrator occasionally comes in to help guide the audience, but most of the time the minions are pantomiming. I found the movie entertaining but very strait forward with no depth or real character development. The movie never attempts to be anything more than just children’s entertainment and is not special in any way. All the voice acting is adequate and the animation is nice, but nothing is remarkable. The one aspect of the movie that was interesting was that it’s set in the 1960’s and most animated movies are not set in that time period. People often ask critics which is harder to review, the bad films or the good ones, and I say it’s neither. The hardest movies to review are the ones that are mediocre. I am literally so-so on this movie and found it totally forgettable but not unbearable to watch. At the very least this movie doesn’t seem cliché and is watchable to the adults who take their children to watch it, but I can’t fully recommend it or fully attack it.
Final Verdict: 5 / 10
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