Despicable Me

A few days ago, I had a TV-thon with my kids.  We watched The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes, and Despicable Me.  The kids surely had fun. But of all three flicks, one stood out to be their ultimate choice: Despicable Me.

Released in July 2010 by Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment, Despicable Me is an animated 3D movie about a supervillain named Gru (Steve Carell), who, in his quest to steal the moon, had to use three orphans, Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Grier), and Agnes (Elsie Fisher), against his prime opponent, Vector (Jason Segel).  

Softened by the cuteness and innocence of the children, he later had a change of heart leading to the rescue of the orphans who were kidnapped by Vector in exchange for a shrunken moon.

Orphans Margo, Edith, and Agnes

Despicable Me has become my kids' favorite since the first time they viewed it. However, they were made to understand of a  number of things: 

-- how lucky they were for not being orphans and not to be able to meet Ms. Hattie (Kristin Wiig), who forced children to sell cookies and put them in a "box of shame";

-- that it's not nice to have a despicable attitude; 

-- that it's not good to be a villain in reel or real life; 

-- that it's good to help but not for furtherance of an evil plan; and

-- it's not legal to steal the moon or to take anything that you do not own.

My youngest daughter loves the movie so much that she want it to be the last thing she would see right before sleeping, even just for a fraction of it, or even for five minutes, then she would fall into slumber. What she loves most are the parts when Gru tells the bedtime story and when some minions photocopy their yellow bottoms.

Same with my eldest daughter. She also loves the film that every time she says "please", she now accompanies it with "pretty." 

Well, Despicable Me is not at all despicable to me, or to my kids. It's actually a loveable one!

//rmis//