Movie Review: Despicable Me
I don't LOL often at a movie, but this one got me to do so on several occasions. The unique combination of slapstick and verbal/pun/intellectual humor - often in the same joke - works every funny bone a person has regardless of gender and age.
Warning that Despicable Me has no "good" adult. All are wallowing in their selfishness. The main character gets drawn into nearly thinking about others (the children he adopts for one of his evil plans), but only in relation to how they make him feel good. But then, isn't that why we aren't selfish, because others make us feel wanted and necessary?
And it is kind-of nice to see the unabashed selfishness. You can say things to your neighbors that you normally wouldn't. When their dog does stuff in your yard and they shrug and go "Dogs will do stuff wherever they want."; you can respond with "Unless they are dead." Again with the funny on two levels - the blunt attack and the intellectual social convention turned on its side.
The more I think about this movie, the more I think I will be getting it on video so I can watch it once a year.
The only real problem with the movie is the in-your-face 3D. I saw it in 2D and too many scenes were "insert 3D effect here". The 3D didn't have any enhancement to the story that I could see; they just created scenes to take advantage of the new technology - such as the roller coaster.
Overall, a must see. May be the funnest movie of the summer.
SPOILER ALERT -- EVERYTHING BELOW IS EXPLAINING THE COMBINATION OF SLAPSTICK AND INTELLECTUAL HUMOR. DO NOT READ IT UNLESS YOU DON'T CARE THAT TWO OF THE BEST FUNNY SCENES ARE EXPLAINED BELOW.
Like I said, I love how they combined Three Stooges slapstick (which I don't usually like or understand - I admit, I am a girl in this) with additional stuff that made it LOL funny. I rarely see both so perfectly put together in the same joke.
Example One: The mad scientist is showing off new weapons to the evil boss ... with the minions willing volunteers. One gun releases a cloud of yellow poisonous smelly gas, knocking out the minion. The evil boss mutters "What? ... no, I asked for a dart gun..."
Example Two: The other example, I am going to be a little vague about because seeing it in context is wonderful. Look for it when the evil boss and two minions are working their way through the ventilation system of the rival evil genius after stealing back a Weapon of Doom. A problem arises and one of the minions grabs the other minion and cracks his back, then shakes him violently. Funny to see in a slapstick way, and then the lightbulb goes off for the intellectual side. I think I missed the next three lines of dialog I laughed so hard. It certainly explains why the minions look the way they do.
Warning that Despicable Me has no "good" adult. All are wallowing in their selfishness. The main character gets drawn into nearly thinking about others (the children he adopts for one of his evil plans), but only in relation to how they make him feel good. But then, isn't that why we aren't selfish, because others make us feel wanted and necessary?
And it is kind-of nice to see the unabashed selfishness. You can say things to your neighbors that you normally wouldn't. When their dog does stuff in your yard and they shrug and go "Dogs will do stuff wherever they want."; you can respond with "Unless they are dead." Again with the funny on two levels - the blunt attack and the intellectual social convention turned on its side.
The more I think about this movie, the more I think I will be getting it on video so I can watch it once a year.
The only real problem with the movie is the in-your-face 3D. I saw it in 2D and too many scenes were "insert 3D effect here". The 3D didn't have any enhancement to the story that I could see; they just created scenes to take advantage of the new technology - such as the roller coaster.
Overall, a must see. May be the funnest movie of the summer.
SPOILER ALERT -- EVERYTHING BELOW IS EXPLAINING THE COMBINATION OF SLAPSTICK AND INTELLECTUAL HUMOR. DO NOT READ IT UNLESS YOU DON'T CARE THAT TWO OF THE BEST FUNNY SCENES ARE EXPLAINED BELOW.
Like I said, I love how they combined Three Stooges slapstick (which I don't usually like or understand - I admit, I am a girl in this) with additional stuff that made it LOL funny. I rarely see both so perfectly put together in the same joke.
Example One: The mad scientist is showing off new weapons to the evil boss ... with the minions willing volunteers. One gun releases a cloud of yellow poisonous smelly gas, knocking out the minion. The evil boss mutters "What? ... no, I asked for a dart gun..."
Example Two: The other example, I am going to be a little vague about because seeing it in context is wonderful. Look for it when the evil boss and two minions are working their way through the ventilation system of the rival evil genius after stealing back a Weapon of Doom. A problem arises and one of the minions grabs the other minion and cracks his back, then shakes him violently. Funny to see in a slapstick way, and then the lightbulb goes off for the intellectual side. I think I missed the next three lines of dialog I laughed so hard. It certainly explains why the minions look the way they do.