"DESPICABLE ME" 4 ****Stars

Even the most despicable characters long for the love of family, and they sometimes don't realize that's all they need to change their lives for the better! That's the underlying theme of the animated comedy "Despicable Me" which stars Steve Carell as the voice of Gru one of the most evil villains of all time.

His dark ominous home sits nestled in a nice quiet suburban community. Gru (Carell) is an odd fellow that's more than a little off beat. He loves to do wicked things, like playing funny tricks on kids that makes them cry or using his arsenal of shrink rays and freeze rays to stop people in their tracks so he can, for example,  cut in line and get his coffee before anyone else. But he's very serious about maintaining his street credibility when he learns that his rival Vector (Jason Segel) has stolen the great pyramid and left an inflatable version.

Gru (Carell) won't be outdone so he concocts a plan to steal a shrinking ray gun from his rival Vector (Segal) so he can upstage him by commiting the greatest heist of all time, stealing the moon! Gru(Carell) is assisted by his partner in crime Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand) and his cute yellow minons who help him do his bidding.

He's clearly trying to get his mother's (Julie Andrews)  approval with all of his antics. All of Gru's attempts to impress her has fallen on deaf ears and of course it hurts but he presses on. 3 little orphan girls will change all that for Gru...he meets them when they show up on his door selling girl scout cookies and decides to adopt them temporarily to use as a distraction to gain access to his rival Vector's home.  

The Girls are amazing! They treat Gru (Carell) like a father and they expect him to love them back. You will be mesmirized and in awe of little Agnes the baby of the group (voiced by Elsie Fisher.) Agnes (Fisher) steals the show in every sceen with those huge big doe eyes that will melt your heart.  The action scenes featuring Gru (Carell) and his nemesis Vector (Segel) wreaking havoc and mayhem, trying top each other's best are designed to appeal to adults and children which makes the story relatable and interesting to watch.  

The 3 orphan girls see past Gru's (Carell's) imperfections and love and appreciate him for trying to be a father and providing a home for them. Of course he had ulterior motives but he didn't expect they would fill up the emptiness in his heart! "Despicable Me" is an endearing, adorable, funny family film that will touch heart. 










The cast includes: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig and Julie Andrews.
PG-13/Universal Pictures
Comedy/Animation/3-D
4 Stars.