Steve Carell, Jason Segel and Russell Brand in the Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud movie ‘Despicable Me’

Lightening things up today with a look at the animated movie Despicable Me (2010), we bring to you a movie directed by the team of Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud. The screenplay was written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio based on a story by Sergio Pablos. The Minions franchise, when considered in timeline order rather than release order, can be watched as Minions (2015), Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) as reviewed here, Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2 (2013), Despicable Me 3 (2017) and the pending release Despicable Me 4 (2024).

(From back, Steve Carell as Gru, Pierre Coffin as the Minions, Chris Renaud as Dave and Jemaine Clement as Jerry in the Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud movie Despicable Me).

The movie introduces supervillain Gru, as voiced by Steve Carell, with a plan to steal the moon. Gru’s elderly assistant, Dr. Nefario as voiced by Russell Brand, and a host of Minions voiced by Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud and Jermaine Clement, are there both to aid the villainous plan and offer cute comedic and interpersonal shenanigans that simultaneously sidetrack and assist the cause.

(Jason Segel as Vector in the Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud movie Despicable Me).

Gru’s own personality additionally factors in on a pair of levels. First there is personal jealousy when a rival named Vector, as voiced Jason Segel, steals the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. Second, Dr. Nefario points out that the effort to steal the moon is expensive; this leads to a loan from Mr. Perkins, the director of the Bank of Evil as voiced by Will Arnett. Perkins demands that Gru to steal a shrink ray before being granted the loan.

(From left, Russell Brand as Dr. Nefario and and Kristen Wiig as Miss Hattie in the Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud movie Despicable Me).

Adding to the plot is the great aid of introducing familial considerations. The charming introduction included a crossover between Vector and three sisters named Margo, Edith and Agnes, the three sisters voiced by Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier and Elsie Fisher, respectively. Gru devises a plan to adopt the girls with the assistance of Miss Hattie, as voiced by Kristen Wiig.

(From left, Elsie Fisher as Agnes, Dana Gaier as Edith, Julie Andrews as Gru’s mother and Miranda Cosgrove as Margo in the Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud movie Despicable Me).

The story of Despicable Me engages on many levels, with the support of Gru’s mother as voiced by Julie Andrews, supporting the adoption storyline. Roles for Mindy Kaling and Jack McBrayer also add charm to an otherwise strong action, comedic movie. The movies and shorts that have come to life following the this first release in the series expresses just how solid of a connection this movie has for audiences.

(From left, Will Arnett as Mr. Perkins and Steve Carell as Gru in the Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud movie Despicable Me).

If looking for an animated movie that offers things for a wide audience with family-friendly messaging, my rating of 4.25-stars on a scale of 1-to-5 for Despicable Me as directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud says watch the movie.

Matt – Saturday, March 30, 2024

Steve Carell, Pierre Coffin and Alan Arkin in the Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson and Jonathan del Val movie ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’

It was the weekend just past that my parents invited Lynn and me to see the animated movie Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) in the movie theatre. The movie was directed by the team of Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson and Jonathan del Val. The Minions franchise, when considered in timeline order rather than release order, can be watched as Minions (2015), Minions: The Rise of Gru, Despicable Me (2010), Despicable Me 2 (2013) and Despicable Me 3 (2017).

(Kevin, Stuart and Bob as voiced, along with all the Minions, by Pierre Coffin in the Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson and Jonathan del Val movie Minions: The Rise of Gru).

It is not necessary to have seen the other movies in the Minions franchise to enjoy Minions: The Rise of Gru. Pierre Coffin voices of all the minions in this film, with Kevin, Stuart, Bob and Otto featuring prominently. A prominent set of actors buttress the performance by lending their voices to this movie.

(From left, Steve Carell as Gru and Russell Brand as Dr. Nefario in the Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson and Jonathan del Val movie Minions: The Rise of Gru).

Much of the film features the city of San Francisco, California. Steve Carell reprises his role as Gru as a boy nearly 12-years old with the aspiration of becoming a super-villain. The relationship between the Minions themselves and the Gru are shown following the introduction of a storyline including the Viscious 6.

(From left, Jean-Claude Van Damme as Jean-Clawed, Dolph Lundgren as Svengeance, Taraji P. Henson as Belle Bottom, Danny Trejo as Stronghold and Lucy Lawless as Nun-chuck in the Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson and Jonathan del Val movie Minions: The Rise of Gru).

The story of Gru’s introduction to villainy takes a concrete turn with Minions: The Rise of Gru when Gru is introduced to join the Vicious 6, a group of super-villains founded by Wild Knuckles. A circumstance has occurred that disconnected Wild Knuckles from the group, introducing an opening for new leader Belle Bottom to add to the ranks of Jean-Clawed, Svengeance, Stronghold and Nun-chuck.

(From left, Alan Arkin as Wild Knuckles and Julie Andrews as Marlena Gru in the Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson and Jonathan del Val movie Minions: The Rise of Gru).

An object with powers and relevance to the Chinese New Year (also called Lunar New Year) have put a wedge between Wild Knuckles and the remainder of Vicious 6, with the invitation to join the group as facilitated through Dr. Nefario establishing the child appropriate conflict that informs the movie’s conflict.

(From left, Michelle Yeoh as Master Chow and RZA (Robert Fitzgerald Diggs) as a biker in the Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson and Jonathan del Val movie Minions: The Rise of Gru).

Master Chow and a biker become important aids in addressing the movie’s conflict, which includes nearly continuous action, humor and music that offers things to the adults that accompany kids to the show. Humor that at one point invoked Don Rickles was a particularly nice touch for those with a decent recollection of the 1970s and other decades the star worked in.

(From left, Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson and Jonathan del Val all served as directors for the Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson and Jonathan del Val movie Minions: The Rise of Gru).

Death Valley, California also is mentioned within Minions: The Rise of Gru. There is much to enjoy for audiences that welcome movies with a PG (Parental Guidance) rating, which this movie has. This film worked well for Lynn along with my parents, who are in their seventies. I rate Minions: The Rise of Gru as directed by Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson and Jonathan del Val 4-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, July 9, 2022

Steve Carell and the Robert Zemeckis film ‘Welcome to Marwen’

The story was of a man struggling with PTSD who turned to creating a fictional village as a means of easing his pain following a physical attack that took his memory and his confidence. Based on the underlying true story and documentary Marwencol (2010), the holiday flop Welcome to Marwen (2018) offers a sweet if uneven sharing of one man’s use of imagination in an almost boyish attempt to return to himself.

(Steve Carell as as Mark Hogancamp in the film Welcome to Marwen).

Steve Carell stars in Welcome to Marwen as the real life inspiration for the movie, Mark Hogancamp. We are introduced from the beginning of the film into Hogancamp‘s coping mechanism of having built an imaginary Belgium city he initially calls Marwen. The imaginary stories Hoganamp sets there occur during World War II. Hogancamp and gains the aid of a defending set of women who save the day for the movie’s star in many miniature stories that see the ladies either rescue Hogancamp, or see Hogancamp‘s emotional needs met in some way by the ladies there who enact some fashion of roles meant to serve the struggling Hogancamp.

(From left to right, Janelle Monáe as GI Julie, Leslie Zemeckis as Suzette, Leslie Mann as Nicol, Eiza González as Carlala, Merritt Wever as Roberta and Gwendoline Christie as Anna in the film Welcome to Marwen).

Janelle Monáe as GI Julie, Leslie Zemeckis as Suzette, Leslie Mann as Nicol, Eiza González as Carlala, Merritt Wever as Roberta and Gwendoline Christie as Anna are the women who populate the fictional city of Marwen. Stefanie von Pfetten as Wendy, one of the namesakes of the made-up city name of Marwen with Mark Hogancamp himself, is given a naming right to the imaginary town that Mark Hogancamp has created owing to the fact that she found Mark after he was brutally beaten in a hate crime that caused the man’s PTSD. Roberta is one of the stronger, more enabling forces for Hogancamp through much of the film, though his recognition of this develops slowly over the course of the film.

(Leslie Mann as Nicol, left, and Steve Carell as Mark Hogancamp & Cap’n Hogie in the film Welcome to Marwen).

Leslie Mann as Nicol moves in across the street from Hogancamp during the movie, and immediately captures his interest. Nicol offers friendship and a background in nursing, wherein those forces combine into an insightful offering of support and friendship that Hogancamp misconstrues in his way as affection. In later changing the name of the fictional town of Marwen to Marwencol, it is the significance Nicol had for him in both overcoming his trauma and a personal demon, represented by Deja Thoris, as portrayed by Diane Kruger, that really proves meaningful for the film.

(Robert Zemeckis directed the film Welcome to Marwen).

The movie Welcome to Marwen was not received well by critics or audiences at its release, as indicated by the review on Rotten Tomatoes. Plot elements reminiscent of past Robert Zemeckis films, including Back to the Future Part II (1989), provided levity that could not raise feelings for a movie released in third week of December. A summer release may have helped that. I further think the movie was a bit too mature for the intended audience, meaning it would perhaps best land with young teenagers rather than the tweenagers and their parents for which this movie was better suited. Given all this, I rate Welcome to Marwen at 3.25-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Wednesday, September 25, 2019