Despicable Me 2 (2013)

I went back and watched this again, now that I have it at home and it's still super-adorable.  I also watched the three mini-movies that came as extras.  "Puppy" is okay.  Think E.T. but with Minions.  "Panic in the Mailroom" was cute but skippable.  The real stand-out is "Training Wheels", starring Agnes (Elsie Fisher).  All Agnes wants is to be able to keep up with the big kids on their bikes and get some ice cream.  With a little help from the Minions, she gets so much more.

Originally posted:  7/8/13
Nominated for:  Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song    This movie was so freakin' cute I almost died.  

After quitting the evil game, Gru (Steve Carell) has settled down to raise his three girls and make delicious jams and jellies.  Then he is recruited by Agent Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig) to join the Anti-Villain League and help them determine who has stolen a top-secret lab from the Arctic.  Initially resistant, he changes his mind when Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand) admits he's had another job offer and moves on to do more evil things.  Gru and Lucy stake out the local mall in order to track down who has taken the lab.  Gru is convinced that the owner of the Mexican restaurant, Eduardo (Benjamin Bratt), is really supervillain El Macho, and not just because his son Antonio (Moises Arias) is putting the moves on Margot (Miranda Cosgrove).  But El Macho was declared dead after riding a shark covered in dynamite into the mouth of a volcano (muy macho), so could Gru be letting his fatherly instincts overshadow his villainous ones?

I can't really say what it was about the first one that was so entertaining, but take that quality and multiply it by 5 for how good this one is.  It completely avoids the sequel slump, even though it is obvious that they were supposed to release it in time for Mother's Day.  Al Pacino originally voiced Eduardo but left the picture due to creative differences.  Bratt stepped in and reshot all of the voicework for the character, which I have no doubt was a monumental task.  He did such a good job, I can't even imagine what Pacino's version would have sounded like. 

It's still suitable for all ages, although it is growing with its audience, introducing a dating element now that the original kids who saw it in theaters are hitting puberty.  It's a smart move for Universal.  I don't know how Minions, which is coming out next year, will affect the series, as it is a spin-off not a sequel, but it already has my money.  We'll just have to wait and see.