PG; 95 minutes. Out now.
With creative visuals and an appreciable dearth of sassy talking animals, this CGI-animated comedy is sure to charm viewers of all ages.
Gru (voiced by Steve Carell with an amusing pan-European accent) is a cone-nosed super-villain who operates from a massive lair underneath his sleepy suburban home. When a young upstart named Vector ( Jason Segel) starts stealing famous landmarks, Gru decides to respond by stealing the moon, but his plan necessitates adopting three young orphans.
Beyond the main character, there is a definite European flavour to this film that helps set it apart from its peers. There's also plenty of cuteness, but it never overpowers the film's anarchic spirit. And Gru's "minions" - hundreds of spirited little yellow creatures that assist him in every way, are both hilarious and instantly iconic. One of the best films of its kind not made by Pixar.
-Herald On Sunday / View
