Reviews

I was really looking forward to this film, but to be honest, it wasn't all that amusing. It made me smile a couple of times, but no real chuckles. The story was a little messy. Gru wasn't as convincing. Neither were his interactions with some of the new characters. Pure good doesn't suit him very well. The minions weren't as funny - in fact, they were a little annoying - and the villain's master plan was rubbish.

The graphics were okay, but visibly low budget (compared to Pixar's Brave, for instance). It was as disappointing as one must expect from a sequel.

If you don't have anything better to do and just want to be mildly entertained for 98 minutes, go for it. Otherwise, just re-watch the original Despicable Me, it was a lot better.

It's hard to watch a film without a story line. I can see why many people hate this film, although I prefer to think it's mere frustration. Hell, I was frustrated when the film ended. The emptiness you feel after a Coen Brothers film is nothing like it.

The second thing that causes frustration is that you won't fully understand anything. There isn't a plot, and the things you see don't add up. Especially the 15 minutes of 'metaphorical' nature shots. It's not that Malick should have left them out completely. It's just that 15 minutes of nature shots is no fun, unless you're on acid.

If you manage to sit through the nature shots, you'll probably like this film better. It's not a story; it's an impression of childhood. And it was a good one. It felt like diving into a stranger's head to watch fractions of their memories. You see the rough shapes of events that make a person.

You don't get to know the characters well enough to understand them, but you do get to watch the events and people that left the biggest impression on them. This makes the film intimate, but at the same time very unsuitable for curious people.

I usually don't recommend films. If a film is good, most people will know anyway. This one's different. The cover and cast kept me from giving it a chance, and the short summary only made things worse. Perfect girl meets awkward guy. We've seen that before. The rating got me curious though: a high school love story with a 7.5/10?

Yesterday, when I decided to watch it out of sheer boredom, I discovered this film is a true gem. It's the kind of film that won't be known for its amazing cinematography, great sense of humour or its philosophical qualities. Instead, it's a simple film about choices, and appreciating life's small adventures. I gave it a 10, because a 7.5 is definitely less than it deserves. Watch it if you haven't.