REVIEW: “Despicable Me 3” A Flat-Out Blast

So, this was my internal monologue on the way home from seeing “Despicable Me 3”:

“Did I like that movie?”

“Am I kidding? Gru cruises around in a gold-plated rocket car that can turn into a giant drill. Of course I liked it!”

“Despicable Me 3” is a funny, relentlessly clever flick that finds Gru (voiced by Steve Carrell) trying to keep his life together after he gets fired from his job as an Anti-Villain League agent. Under pressure to find a way to support his wife, Lucy (Kristen Wiig), and daughters, Gru is badgered by his Minions to take up villany again.

In the midst of all this, Gru’s long-lost twin brother, Dru (also Carrell) pops up hoping to persuade Gru into one last heist. But Gru has other ideas, namely using his brother’s gear to snag a power gem from failed-actor-turned-supervillain Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker). A deluge of groovy gadgets, funny gags and family drama follows.

Let’s get the negative out of the way right now, because there isn’t very much of it. I have two primary complaints. First, there are way too many scenes with the Minions. Gru’s impish henchmen were fun at first, but their antics got old fast.

And “DM3” always seems to put us in a scene with the Minions when we’d rather be watching Gru, Dru or Bratt. They got me to chuckle a couple times, but I could have done with about fifty percent less of them.

The only other real problem I had with “DM3” is that it has way too many side plots and characters that don’t go anywhere and aren’t developed. For example, there’s a female character introduced early in the movie, and we’re made to believe she’ll have a lot of screen time, and while she does play a crucial role, she only shows up in one more scene.

Another subplot featuring adorable little Anges wraps up a little too conveniently. It’s as if the filmmakers decided more Minions scene were more important than giving Agnes’s the time and development it deserved.

But once you get past these issues, the rest of “DM3” is great. Carrell kills it in his dual roles as Gru and Dru. Wiig is also great as Lucy, and actors who voice Gru’s daughters are perfect.

But Parker steals the whole movie as Bratt. Parker uses what he’s learned doing twenty years of “South Park” and perfectly captures the blend of bitterness and deluded arrogance that fills Bratt from head to toe. But, he’s also hilarious. Dude knows how to sell a joke. I missed Bratt when he was off screen and I would love to see him get his own spin-off movie.

Along with the top-notch voice acting, “DM3” is also full of hilarious visual gags. One of my favorites was the little bald spot on the back of Bratt’s head. That little detail just put that character over the top, and there are touches like that all over this movie.

Finally, I loved the dance-fight sequences between Gru and Bratt. I love when music is allowed to be part of the fabric of a film. And these fights were so much fun. I wish we’d gotten more. But maybe they’re holding onto that for the sequel. And let’s hope there is one, because “Despicable Me 3” was just pure fun.

4 Indy Fedoras out of 5

MPAA Rating: PG