Despicable Me

Being a super villain is tough. Being a dad is tougher. That's the comfortably condensed message nestled within the frames of Despicable Me, which marks Universal's first attempt to dip its toes into the pool of computer animated cinema. Long since dominated by Pixar, DreamWorks, and occasionally 20th Century Fox, fully computer animated movies now have another guest to welcome to the party. And while Universal's pixelated debut is far from extraordinary, its mixture of dark humour and cuddly cutesiness proves there's still room for fresh storytellers in this crowded medium.

Eschewing with the expected brand of protagonist, Despicable Me chooses instead to focus on a man who should occupy the role of antagonist. Gru (voiced by Steve Carell in a wacky accent that the actor claims is a cross between the sounds of Bela Lugosi and Ricardo Montalban) is a plump, creepy man who enjoys being known as the top super villain in the world.

Looking like he's been plucked right from Batman's rogues gallery (he's a dead ringer for the infamous Penguin), Gru passes the time planning for his next big heist with his aging accomplice Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand, also putting on a bit of an accent) and his army of trusty minions (little yellow tater tots with eyes and mouths, actually). Everything's been going pretty well lately, following a string of thefts that include the Times Square Jumbotron and the Vegas versions of both the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty.

But Gru's dastardly claim to fame is suddenly jeopardized when a young upstart named Vector (Jason Segal, who has the displeasure of voicing the most annoying and least interesting character in the whole movie) steals the Pyramid of Giza, replacing it with an inflatable replica. It's a more impressive stunt than anything that Gru has ever accomplished and it isn't long before Gru finds that funding has been cut for his next planned theft.

At this point, Despicable Me becomes a story of the rivalry between Gru and Vector, the latter of whom lives in a mansion that appears to be modelled after the Apple Store. When Gru steals a shrink ray gun from what is likely North Korea, Vector ends up stealing it from him in mid-air. Gru is infuriated by the theft of his gun and his own inability to best Vector, whose home is a fortress that is utterly impenetrable to just about anyone.

So when Gru spots a trio of orphan girls accessing Vector's place by offering him a cookie sale, the former top super villain in the world hatches a devious plan. Why not adopt the girls and use their cookie-selling powers as a means to access Vector's home and re-steal the shrink ray gun? It is here that Despicable Me switches gears and finally finds some relatively solid footing. And that's a good thing, because the first chunk of the movie is full of awkward comic timing and moments that are clearly meant to be funny, but end up falling flat somewhere along the way.

The rivalry between Gru and Vector is initially inspired, since the idea of cheering on one bad guy just because another bad guy has come along and proves to be slightly worse seems to fly in the face of what most kids movies often preach (that good guys are good and bad guys are bad). But directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud unleash these early scenes with such nervous energy that nothing (not the comedy nor the action) ever quite gels together. There are some decent sight gags early on (Gru's home is adorned with such atrocities as a crocodile couch and a panda rug), but the story of the super villain rivalry is never particularly engaging.

Impressively, the story of Gru becoming a dad is very much the opposite. The irony of Despicable Me is that its most unique feature (the dark humour that comes from the hero's villainy) is actually its weakest element, while the cutesy kid stuff proves to be both funny and very charming. Once Despicable Me turns into a family tale where Gru slowly, somewhat reluctantly accepts his fate as a father, the movie proves that it does have something to offer and that it can mix both comedy and drama with sweet results.

The little girls themselves (voiced by Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Elsie Fisher) are absolutely adorable and their presence lends the movie a very big (and hugely welcome) dose of heart. Giving us cute kids to root for in an animated family movie is considerably less refreshing than exploiting the dirty deeds of a super villain, but the inclusion of the girls is the reason that Despicable Me turns things around and ends up becoming an enjoyable little flick.

Watching Gru transform from hateful meanie to loving father actually borders on being emotionally poignant. It's not groundbreaking, but it's still a little bit touching on its own terms. The script, credited to Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul (Sergio Pablos receives a 'story' credit), does a nice job of handling Gru's progression. His transformation is far from abrupt and you can see him softening from scene to scene. Most importantly, this twist of the plot makes Gru a more interesting character (a funnier one, too) and so the movie's dramatic purpose is strengthened.

Universal's first foray into computer animated cinema is a mixed bag, but an altogether pleasant one in the end. Many of the jokes miss their mark and the main villain of the piece is incredibly irritating, but then the girls show up and simultaneously turn Gru's life upside down and fix the movie with heartfelt ease. That the girls perform this rectification without employing heavy amounts of treacle is very exciting and worth of some friendly applause. As we learn along with Gru, it turns out our protagonist who's sort of an antagonist is actually a pretty wonderful dad. That's great news for his kids and pretty good news for us, too.