Despicable Me 3 (2017)

2 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Grus Brothers

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Perhaps Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) and Lucy (voiced by Kristen Wiig) should have been allowed to live happily ever after following the wonderful Despicable Me 2. Now it's almost as if they have wedding guests that refuse to go home. Despicable Me 3 comes up with some decent enough new ideas and subplots, but there are perhaps too many of them, too much going on, and it all feels very on-the-surface. A new bad guy, Balthazar Bratt (voiced by Trey Parker) is on the loose. He provides some chuckles; he's a leftover from a hit, prematurely canceled 1980s TV show and he lives consistently in the 1980s. Then, Gru meets his twin brother Dru, who has flowing blonde hair and wishes to turn to a life of crime with his brother. Most of the Minions walk out on Gru, and little Agnes (voiced by Nev Scharrel) learns that unicorns may be real and becomes obsessed with catching one. There is much racing around, climbing, and escaping, and the filmmakers continue to have fun with the odd, long, pointy shapes of Gru and Lucy's bodies. There are even a few laughs, thanks to the brilliant comic timing of our stars, but, like the Minions spinoff, this one feels pretty slight, and not particularly necessary.