MOVIE OF THE WEEK #2 (6/28-6/30/17): DESPICABLE ME 3

"And this is the button we press to make the other animated competitors go away!" Gru (in black, voiced by Steve Carell) gets a look at a weapon held by his identical twin brother Dru (also voiced by Carell) as Lucy (Kristen Wiig) looks on in a scene from DESPICABLE ME 3. Credit: Illumination and Universal Pictures © 2017 Universal Studios. All rights reserved. 

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 





KEY CAST MEMBERS: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Trey Parker, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Nev Scharrel, Pierre Coffin, Jenny Slate, Steve Coogan and Julie Andrews

WRITER(S): Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio

DIRECTOR(S): Cinco Paul, Kyle Balda and Pierre Coffin

WEB SITE: http://www.despicable.me/

HERE'S THE STORY: Gru (Steve Carrel) is enjoying his life with his new wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig) and their three adopted daughters, the mature Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), tomboy Edith (Dana Gaier) and the always-ready-to-hug-something-fluffy Agnes (Nev Scharrel). Now working for the Anti Villain League, Gru and Lucy have been hot on the trail of 80s-child-star-turned-modern-villain Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker), a man-child with an affinity for bubble gum who's never quite gotten over the cancelation of his TV show. 

So, when Bratt gets the best of him once again, Gru finds himself looking for a new career – and his beloved Minions (voiced by Pierre Coffin) couldn't be more excited since they feel it is a perfect chance for him to go back to villainy, too. But Gru is having none of that, especially once he finds out he has an identical twin brother – Dru (also voiced by Carrel) – who wants to meet him.

So could this be the chance for Gru to get in touch with his roots ... Or will his brother have something else up his sleeve just like Bratt does? 

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Fans of the previous Despicable Me films

WHO WON'T (OR SHOULDN'T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People who don't like animation; those who wish the film featured more of the Minions; those who will find the Dru character a bit of an extension to keep making movies in this franchise

SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? A sequel that isn't quite as good as its predecessor but still good enough to be worthy of its franchise, Despicable Me 3 is a simple animated adventure fun for longstanding fans of Gru, his adopted daughters and his always lovable little yellow henchmen. 

On the pro side, 3 has enough laughs, lighthearted and sentimental moments that one might need and expect in a Despicable movie – Carell nails Gru's sarcastic nature while bringing a bouncy energy to his upbeat, extremely naïve twin Dru. Likewise, Wiig delivers a good complimentary vibe to Lucy as a woman trying to figure out motherhood while remaining a formidable force in combat and Parker (who you might know better as one half of the legacy behind South Park) does everything you need him to do as Bratt, a completely perfect 80s caricature. In fact, the film has just about everything you'd put into a Despicable movie.

And that's a little bit of the problem – the film has everything you'd expect in a Despicable movie, but it doesn't keep pushing the franchise forward in new, exciting ways. It's just a solid film, no more no less. 

But when it comes to entertainment, getting a nice, well-done film is like a good comfort meal ... This one is likely the only one, however, served up by little yellow one and two-eyed chefs.  

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

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