GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - Tim Lammers, syndicated movie reporter for Direct Conversations, joined the KARE 11 News at 11 to review "Despicable Me 3".
"Despicable Me 3" (PG) 3 stars (out of 4); Kid Quotient: None
The evil genius-turned-anti-villain agent Gru is back with "Despicable Me 3," an amusing sequel that despite its efforts, doesn't quite live up to its predecessors. This time around, Gru (voice of Steve Carell) and his super-spy wife, Lucy (Kristen Wiig), are tasked to catch a former '80s child star-turned-super villain Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker) -- but when their efforts fall short, they're fired from the Anti-Villain League.
Gru's fortunes' change, however, when a mysterious figure shows up at his house to tell him that he has a long lost brother named Dru (Carell again), a rich pig farmer who reveals to Gru that their father was also a super villain, and he wants his brother to get back into the business of evil villainy.
While "Despicable Me 3" is loaded with laughs, the film feels like it doesn't quite have the heart of the original. The element of the first "Despicable Me" that made it so grand was its unexpected emotional quality, where Gru took in three orphaned sisters wanting a new home. The whole family is back for "Despicable Me 3" and while they're dealing with new, relatable issues, the narrative simply feels like it's missing something.
If you're hoping for more Minion madness with "Despicable Me 3" you'll definitely get it, even though they don't get nearly as much screen time as they did in their own prequel movie last year. The characters make the most out of every second they're on screen, though, especially in the film's laugh-out-loud hilarious scenes where the whole gaggle of Gru's yellow, pill-shaped henchmen are rounded up and sent to prison, striped outfits and all.