Is this new flick DESPICABLE? ME think not.

We all have a picture of the conniving villains who populate our childrens cinema with films we adults can barely sit thru. Thankfully Despicable Me succeeds where so many family films fail. It actually feels like a real movie, with a real story and characters worth caring about. For those who've been spoiled by Pixar, expecting every kiddie flick to be a masterpiece, loosen up. For those who expect every kiddie film to be a predictable melange of fart jokes lighten up. Despicable Me is funny, a little moving and has a great score by Hans Zimmer and Heitor Pereira . In short it is memorable and that in itself is an accomplishment worth noting. 

Gru (Steve Carell) is a super-villain approaching middle age and desperate to distinguish himself with a truly huge score. He also has the bank of Evil (Formerly known as The Lehmann brothers) breathing down his neck and ready to back his arch rival Vector (Jason Segel). Running low on funds he realizes he can lasso the moon (literally) with the unwitting help of three cookie selling orphans, Margo, Edith and Agnes who are as desperate for a dad as he is to cement his reputation. Doting dad or dastardly cad? Which is the true Gru? 

Steve Carell has had a middling movie career at best but even that shows him to be the type of actor who elevates material rather than someone just gunning for movie stardom. He's also done fine voice over work in other animated films (Over The Hedge) [2006], (Horton Hears A Who) [2008]), and here he's spot on. It helps that the dialogue is generally worthy of him and that he has a host of other great supporting talent behind him, mot notably Russell Brand in the hilarious role of Grus ancient lab tech Dr Nefario. Other voice talent include Danny McBride, SNL cast members Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig and Julie Andrews as Grus mother. 

The movie contains the requisite number of fart jokes but also a number of other clever sight gags carried off by Grus little green, totally devoted minions who seem too obviously lifted from the Toy Story Martians. In fact it's probably worth noting that various aspects of the movie resemble a variety of other, better films. The score resembles The Incredibles score while still managing to emerge as distinct and very evocative of the golden age of spy cinema and one of the orphans is way reminiscent of Boo from Monster's Inc. But Despicable Me emerges as well intentioned and entertaining rather than merely derivative. The best original element in the film are the many ridiculous gadgets that Gru, Nefario and Vector utilize but even better than that is the fact that all the characters in this film have a personality of their own, and though some might find the films predictable payoff cloying I think it's the element of personality that are likely to see me revisiting this film on Bluray. 

The 3-D effects in the film are fine and Despicable Me bears the marks of restraint even if it doesn't use the technique to advance the story as much as it could. The animation felt a little soft at times although it may have been a focus issue in the theater.