Despicable Me 2 2013

Mary F. Pols, TIME Magazine: As a sequel [it] stands level with the first film (also directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud), and may have the edge on it. Read more

Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture: [Despicable] Me 2, even at its weakest, is still a charmer. Read more

Tom Russo, Boston Globe: The scope of the 'toon espionage-adventure goings-on is surprisingly limited. But the filmmakers so clearly love working on these characters, their creative joy is infectious. Read more

James Rocchi, MSN Movies: Heartfelt and hilarious, smart and silly, action-packed but never violent, "Despicable Me 2" is that rare sequel that outshines its beginnings. Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: [It] is consistently diverting and so cute you'll want to pet it. Yet it is also weightless and lacks a center. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: Slapstick high jinks are plentiful, though never particularly funny. Read more

Soren Anderson, Seattle Times: [It's] fun. It's cheerful. It's lollipop colorful. Best of all, it features lots of minion mischief, which guarantees plenty of laughs. But what it doesn't have is an edge. Read more

Peter Debruge, Variety: While not quite as charming or unique as the original, "Despicable Me 2" comes awfully close, extending co-directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin's delightfully silly sensibility to a bit larger universe. Read more

A.A. Dowd, AV Club: A sequel was a foregone conclusion, but how did those responsible lose sight of what made the original special? Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: Neither directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, nor screenwriters Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul try to hide much. Which isn't to say there aren't some laughs. Read more

Drew Hunt, Chicago Reader: Directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin deserve credit for not rehashing the basic ideas of their first effort, but they never really expand upon its unique universe either. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: Steve Carell's Slavic inflections as Gru do the trick, as before. Wiig's clever hesitations and comic timing help save the day. Read more

Nancy Churnin, Dallas Morning News: How do you tell a story about a bad guy who is no longer a bad guy? Despicable Me 2 embraces the dilemma and adds new ones. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: By the end, every child in the audience will want his or her own monster-minion toy. Adults will just regret the way that Despicable Me 2 betrays the original film's devotion to bad-guy gaiety. Read more

Laremy Legel, Film.com: A generally effective sequel despite a mess of structural issues. Read more

Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: While the new edition doesn't quite catch that inspired spark, there's still plenty to enjoy here courtesy of those zippy visuals and a pitch-perfect voice cast led by the innately animated Steve Carell. Read more

Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: "Despicable Me 2" is light on its feet, visually inventive and very fast with the repartee. It requires actors who can pull off the many peppery lines at warp speed and in that the film is lucky with its voice cast. Read more

Randy Myers, San Jose Mercury News: While it isn't as touching or as exuberantly funny as the original, it's a cute summer diversion for kids with just enough wink-wink slyness and cheeky cinematic asides to hold the interests of older teens and adults. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: Better, or at least sweeter, than the first, with Wiig adding some much-needed romantic charm to the toddler-level humor. Read more

Bruce Diones, New Yorker: This is one of those rarities, an animated sequel that improves on the original. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: Not only a fun cartoon but - that rare thing - a sequel which actually improves on the original. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Armed with masses of minions and an excess of adorability, "Despicable Me 2" is guaranteed to charm anyone who's out of school and already bored. Read more

Sara Stewart, New York Post: Sure, it's not as novel as the first time we were here, but directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud stay true to the clever, slapstick vibe. Read more

Michael Sragow, Orange County Register: Features daft animation, exuberant vocal performances, and heaps of humor from Gru's caplet-shaped, nonsense-talking Minions. Read more

Tirdad Derakhshani, Philadelphia Inquirer: If you're looking for quality prepackaged, predigested Hollywood family fun this summer, you could do a lot worse than Despicable Me 2. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Despicable Me 2 feels like a opportunity to get together with some old friends, hang out, and discover what they've been up to. Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: Co-directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin, who do Minion voices expertly, never let up on the laughs. A fart joke in 3-D may not be three times as wacky, but the high spirits of Despicable Me 2 are irresistible fun. Read more

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: It's a credit that the writing can be so funny in the moment, that it takes time to realize there's no cohesive story, zero dramatic tension and nary a practical lesson for either the characters in the film or the people watching in the theater. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: For an adult, the predictability could turn you blase. For kids, revisiting these jokes is a howl. Pinkie promise. Read more

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Despicable Me 2" is trying to tickle, not teach. In a marketplace full of toxic messages, that's not such a bad thing. Read more

Bruce Ingram, Chicago Sun-Times: [A] remarkably tepid sequel to the surprise 2010 hit ... Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: An animated sequel that, despite not achieving the inspired lunacy of the first movie where Gru literally steals the moon, is smartly calculated to deliver squeals to kids and amusement to accompanying adults. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: The beguiling basics are still there, including the goofy gadgets and sly references to other films. Read more

Alonso Duralde, TheWrap: The minions are still wacky scene-stealers -- and once again, we don't get nearly enough of them -- but Gru and his daughters have been blanded down to bad-sitcom level. Read more

Guy Lodge, Time Out: Its repetitive qualities are beyond reproach. Read more

Keith Uhlich, Time Out: The gags take precedence over the perfunctory plot, and the overarching theme about Gru and his girls' search for a mother figure is too undercooked. Read more

Stephanie Zacharek, Village Voice: It's breezy and affable without ever going completely soft. Read more

Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: The animation is beguiling, particularly when Lucy drives her car into the ocean, transforming it into a submarine that scoots around sharks and fish. Read more