Despicable Me 2

Filmmakers Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud's charming animated sequel begins with suburban dad Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) caring for his feisty, adopted orphan girls: Agnes (Elsie Kate Fisher), Edith (Dana Gaier), and (eldest) Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), who is becoming interested in boys. Having left malevolent moon-theft behind, Gru needs a new profession. Jelly and jam making? Likely not, especially after super-secretive Anti-Villain League's Silas Ramsbottom (Steve Coogan) recruits Gru to catch a dastardly mastermind who has stolen a secret serum that turns innocent critters--like bunnies and minions--into killing machines. Determined to catch the culprit before major mutating damage occurs, Gru goes undercover in a shopping mall, teaming up with spunky, lipstick taser-wielding AVL Agent Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig). There are numerous suspects, including Eduardo (Benjamin Bratt), a cook resembling a former nemesis believed to be dead. Predictably, the mischievous, gibberish-chattering, goggle-eyed, yellow-skinned minions here steal the show. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin, the behind-the-scenes featurettes “Gru's Girls” (6 min.) and “Gadgets Galore” (4 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are three mini-movies starring the “Minions”: “Puppy,” “Panic in the Mailroom” and “Training Wheels” (15 min.), a “making-of” the mini-movies (6 min.), the behind-the-scenes segments “A Gru-some Transformation” (6 min.), “El Hombre Malo: The Villainy of El Macho” (4 min.), “Evil Minions” (4 min.), and “The Minions” (3 min.), a brief deleted scene, and bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a solid sequel.] (S. Granger)