2010's "Despicable Me" unsuspectingly snuck up from behind to become one of that summer's biggest hits—so big, in fact, as to earn $251-million in the U.S. And place at #10 on the list of highest-grossing animated features. The movie itself was no ground-breaker, but in its story of a master villain out to steal the moon whose cold heart is slowly melted by the three orphaned sisters he takes in, the picture was devilishly funny and offered equal shares of soul and catchphrases ("It's so fluffy I'm gonna die!"). It also didn't hurt that the movie had highly-sellable supporting characters in the form of rambunctious yellow creatures called Minions, used sparingly enough that children fell in love with them even as they were left wanting to see more of them. Three years later, "Despicable Me 2" has arrived with the same directorial team, Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, and screenwriters, Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul (2012's "The Lorax"), who know their way around the family film market. The animation is as peppy and candy-coated as one could possibly wish, and there's a slam-dunk new character in the form of Kristen Wiig's (2011's "Bridesmaids") spunky agent Lucy. She's likable enough to almost make the viewer want to forgive "Despicable Me 2" for all of its deficiencies—of which there are many. When taken as a whole, this is a pedestrian sequel with half the heart and twice the overblown slapstick.
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