I didn't care for DM1 as much as most viewers. Partly the world of rampant, overt, mostly unpunished villainy turned me off, and partly it showed a level of wackiness more common in TV cartoons than in animated films, making it about the kiddiest this side of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Only the heartwarming aspect convinced me to go on to watch DM2, which I liked a lot better for its heroism and decent romance, tho it also introduced some new flaws. I knew that DM3 wasn't widely regarded as being on the same tier, but given my less common opinion, I opted to check it out on my flight home.
Reformed criminal-cum-agent-for-good Gru (Steve Carell) and wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig) are having trouble stopping Benjamin Bratt (Trey "South Park" Parker), a former child TV star who makes a far more competent villain than you'd think. Soon after falling into disfavor at the agency, Gru learns that he has a foppish international twin, Dru (more Carell), who wants to become as despicable as Gru used to be. The Minions, too, encourage the protagonist to return to his old law-breaking ways. Will he give in to temptation despite the wishes of Lucy and their adopted daughters?
For a while, at least, I thought this might be the best DM ever. It may not have the funniest moments of all, but it lacks the apparent bigotry of DM2, the action sequences look less like a model for a video game, and Bratt's hamminess as an '80s pastiche mockery makes him suitably fun. If only they didn't make use of Michael Jackson's "Bad," practically ripping off DM1 rival MegaMind.
Guess now's as good a time as any to address the yellow elephant in the room. There's a good chance that you find the Minions either the best part of the series or the worst. I lean more toward the latter, because while they can be cute, they raise way too many unanswered questions. Where did they come from? I once read that they were engineered from corn kernels, but their spinoff indicates that they've been basically the same from the dinosaur days. How can they be all male? How can they breathe in space? Why are some cyclopean? Why do they speak a unique language with snippets of English and Spanish? Why do they take interest in human women? Why are they so darn alike in personality? And can't we come up with a better name for their species?! No wonder their biggest fans are under age 10.
Anyway, the Minions do get a few scenes to themselves, but they're decidedly less important to the central story. Unfortunately, so are the three girls with the curiously old-fashioned, five-letter trochaic names. Preteen Margo continues to have boy trouble. Adorable Agnes searches for a real unicorn. Neglected middle child Edith just kinda tags along. And then they suddenly become damsels in distress again, just because. It's harder for them to warm our hearts when they're so peripheral.
This points to a difficulty with sequels in general: If they weren't planned well in advance, they risk being the equivalent of a meal made up of various leftover scraps. Characters who used to be at the heart of the matter now struggle for relevance, and several plot points (e.g., Gru's jealousy in the face of non-bald Dru) never get fleshed out to our satisfaction. We got some of this in DM2 as well, but this time even Lucy barely registers anymore.
The series has never been great about complete resolutions. Even the villains who don't escape punishment altogether leave us to wonder exactly what will happen to them. DM3 is no exception. You can bet that Bratt will never return, but Dru leaves open the possibility of another entry. Whatever comes next, you can also bet that the franchise won't be quite the same anymore. It hasn't jumped the shark in my mind, but it is having trouble holding onto the facets that made it a hit.
It's not impossible that DM3 will get an Academy Best Animated Feature nomination. Nevertheless, only a weak year could allow it.
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