Story
Despicable Me 2 opens with a top-secret research laboratory in the Antarctic being stolen by a giant flying magnet that sucks the laboratory up into the air and whisks it away. The movie then cuts to reformed super-villain Gru (voice of Steve Carell). Gru now uses his talents to entertain his three adopted daughters – Margo (voice of Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (voice of Dana Gaier) and Agnes (voice of Elsie Kate). Gru’s yellow minions have taken on babysitting and house-cleaning duties. They also help Gru with his legitimate business, developing a new line of delicious jams and jellies.
Gru’s new life is turned upside down when he is kidnapped by secret agent Lucy Wilde (voice of Kristen Wiig). She whisks him away for a meeting with Silas Ramsbottom (voice of Steve Coogan), the head of the Anti-Villain League. Silas tells Gru that a top-secret serum that can transform cute little rabbits into ferocious monsters has been stolen from a laboratory in the Antarctic by an unknown super-villain. The serum is believed to be hidden somewhere in a shopping mall, where the super-villain is disguised as a shop owner. Silas wants Gru to team up with agent Wild and go undercover as owners of a cupcake shop. The plan is for Gru to work out which shop owner is the super-villain and then get back the serum.
It doesn’t take Gru long to recognise Eduardo (voice of Benjamin Bratt), the owner of a Mexican restaurant, as super-villain El Macho. El Macho’s master plan involves stealing Gru’s minions and using them for his own evil purposes. It’s up to Gru and Lucy to stop El Macho and save the minions.
Themes
Super-villains; family relationships
Violence
Despicable Me 2 has frequent over-the-top cartoon-style slapstick violence and danger but no death, injury or blood and gore. Younger children might copy some of the violence. For example:
Sexual references
Despicable Me 2 has occasional low-level romantic suggestions. For example:
- In one scene a very persistent women flirts with Gru.
- In several scenes Gru’s daughters encourage him to go out on dates.
- A woman mistakenly thinks a man slapped her on her bottom. She slaps him across the face.
- Gru’s daughter Margo flirts with a boy, saying, ‘He’s so cool’.
- Margo uses her phone to send a text message to a boy. A worried-looking Gru asks his other daughters if Margo is texting a girl or a boy.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
This movie shows some use of substances. For example:
- In one scene a woman who is on a date with Gru at a restaurant suddenly falls unconscious, face first into her dinner. Lucy appears and tells Gru that she shot the woman with tranquiliser.
- In a flashback scene El Macho puts rattle snake venom into a glass with alcohol and then drinks it.
- The minions act as if they’re drunk while eating ice-cream and lollies at a party. Several minions pass out.
- A rabbit, some of Gru’s minions and El Macho are injected with mutation serum.
Nudity and sexual activity
This movie has some mild romantic activity and comical cartoon nudity. For example:
- Gru’s three daughters fill out an online dating form for Gru. They pick out a picture of Gru in tight swimmers to attach to the dating form.
- One of Gru’s minions imagines running with Lucy on a beach and offering her wine. As he is leaning forward to kiss Lucy on the lips, he is woken from his daydream.
- In one scene El Macho rips open his shirt to reveal a naked hairy chest with a Mexican flag tattoo.
- El Macho dances the tango with Lucy, swirling her around the dance floor and telling her that he is ‘free on Tuesdays’.
- Several female characters wear tight dresses.
- One of the movie’s final scenes shows Gru and Lucy being married and kissing.
Product placement
There is no product placement of concern in this movie, but some merchandise associated with the movie is being marketed to children.
Coarse language
Despicable Me 2 has some mild name-calling and toilet humour.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Despicable Me 2 is an animated family comedy, full of clever humour and likely to appeal to both school-age children and adults. The movie brings back most of the main characters from the first Despicable Me movie as well as many new ones.
Children under six years might be scared by some of the violence and by scenes of creatures changing into monsters after being injected with serum. These scenes are more intense in the 3D version of the movie.
The movie promotes the importance of family and having a life partner. Gru continuously demonstrates his love for his children through his constant care for them and his willingness to put their needs above his own.
You could talk with your children about the pre-teen romance and flirting behaviour shown between Margo and her boyfriend.