Eleven year old 'Gru" is asked by his school teacher what he wants to be when he grows up. "A super villain" he retorts - to the derision of his classmates. Little do they know, though, that he has applied to join the "Vicious Six" who have, themselves, just dumped their founder member "Wild Knuckles". They aren't so impressed when he turns up at the interview but he uses his newly designed glue-gun to escape with their all powerful, emerald encrusted, stone. Now the five are on the warpath as he entrusts the stone to his minion friend "Otto", but he manages to swap it for a pebble with eyes so now embarks on a mammoth cycle ride to fetch it back whilst the pursuing villains cause havoc. Luckily, "Wild Knuckles" hasn't given up. He kidnaps "Gru" to get the stone back, but when he realises that he no longer has it, the two form an unlikely, and quite amusing, partnership to retrieve it. I guess I'm just the wrong demographic for this, because although it hits the ground running and never stops for breath, I just didn't really get it. The yellow ovoid creatures are fun, but hardy the stuff of big screen entertainment and the plot reminded me of the recently released "Bad Guys" animation that I didn't much like either. It's my first foray into "Despicable" territory, but the slapstick approach to the whole thing will probably ensure it's my last. Others will love it, I'm sure - the cinema on a Sunday night was packed to the rafters, but this hadn't enough for the grown up in me to remain engaged for long.
It sure has been a long wait for the sequel (7 years to be precise) but I think it's safe to say that the film does not disappoint. While the film lacks a strong plot and is louder than its prequel, it easily covers up with delightful comedy, a sprinkle of nostalgia and a satisfying dose of lovable Minions!
Very good movie, watched with my family and no regrets on it. Recommend to everybody!.
**Overall : The Rise of Gru returns the franchise to what it does best.** Minions: The Rise of Gru feels like the franchise is starting to return to what made it great. Bringing back great characters like Gru and Nefario substantiated the movie providing a stronger connection to the Despicable Me movies than the last Minions film. Great Easter eggs, clever jokes, and fun moments throughout equaled a fantastic new entry in this beloved franchise.
Some glow up! 2015's 'Minions' wasn't a film I found enjoyment with (6/10, fwiw), but its sequel genuinely entertained thoroughly. It doesn't offer anything truly hilarious, but there were a relatively high number of times where it made me chuckle. I was not expecting anything positive from it, yet it actually pulls through with a fun time. I'd even say it's the best release from the entire franchise. Steve Carell remains a strong lead for these 'Despicable Me' projects, as does Pierre Coffin - the voice of the Minions, of course! Taraji P. Henson is an excellent addition, as is Alan Arkin. Michelle Yeoh is good value too, but her character is a bit lame unfortunately - a bit of a waste of Yeoh, to be honest. Elsewhere, animation-wise: quality - very vibrant! Lastly, how many butt shots is too many butt shots? I counted at least 3, 4 perhaps: 3(?) x Minions and 1 x Gru. I hope this isn't Kyle Balda's version of Quentin Tarantino's thing...
In a devastated future, the apocalypse threatens the Earth. The last hope lies with a man capable of time travel. His mission: to return to the past and change the course of events. But the time police hunts him down in every era. A race against time begins for the Visitor from the Future...
Movie Star Rating : 6.3 Read More
A group of kids must protect their vacation home from invading aliens.
Movie Star Rating : 5.7 Read More
When a sudden shortage of water threatens all life in the great valley, The gang of young dinosaur must cooperate with a group of bullies to make a risky journey outside the valley and find the cause.
Movie Star Rating : 6.2 Read More
A troubled, rebellious teen drives his rambunctious baseball team out to Houston where they play an exhibition game and the boy meets his estranged father, and hires him as the teams coach.
Movie Star Rating : 5.9 Read More
The third installment in the Lucky Stars series, following Winners and Sinners and My Lucky Stars. The team are released from prison to play detective in order to stop a ruthless gang from ruining their reputations, taking their lives, and that of a key witness in an upcoming trial. They must battle their way through and with the help of Muscles, take down the bad guys.
Movie Star Rating : 6.7 Read More
Lisa Dolittle sends her daughter to 'Durango', a Dude Ranch, to find herself. While there, she uses her talent to talk to the animals in order to save Durango from being taken over by a neighboring Ranch.
Movie Star Rating : 5.1 Read More
At last! The newly crowned King of Denmark, Edward, and his wife and Queen, Dr. Paige Morgan, find time to fly to Belavia for their secret honeymoon. What better way to spend the Christmas holidays than at a fabulous ski resort? But as they take a tour of Belavia's natural beauty, Eddie and Paige discover that the evil Prime Minister Polonius has given orders to bulldoze the precious forests - to drill for oil. Then, the couple bump into Paige's ex-boyfriend, Scott. Eddie immediately becomes jealous - furthermore he suspects Scott cannot be trusted. Paige and Eddie must do everything they can to save the forest, even if it means putting aside their honeymoon.
Movie Star Rating : 5.5 Read More
In the glamorous world of New York City, Rebecca Bloomwood is a fun-loving girl who is really good at shopping - a little too good, perhaps. She dreams of working for her favorite fashion magazine, but can't quite get her foot in the door - until ironically, she snags a job as an advice columnist for a financial magazine published by the same company.
Movie Star Rating : 6.4 Read More
In this feature film version of the popular BBC sitcom, the staff of Grace Brothers go on holiday to Costa Plonka, where they find themselves in the middle of a revolution.
Movie Star Rating : 4.6 Read More
Four couples, all friends, descend on a tropical island resort. Though one husband and wife are there to work on their marriage, the others just want to enjoy some fun in the sun. They soon find, however, that paradise comes at a price: Participation in couples therapy sessions is mandatory. What started out as a cut-rate vacation turns into an examination of the common problems many face.
Movie Star Rating : 5.6 Read More
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