Video: Delightfully Good!

By: Holley Sinn

Verdict: Approved!

As it pretains to what's "hip" and "now" in the world of cinema, 3-D animation is officially "the new black". We kicked off the 2010 run with "How to Train Your Dragon"...followed by "Toy Story 3"...and capped off with this week's big Universal Animation release, "Despicable Me". As my dad would say, so far...so good. Now that technology has finally caught up with story-telling, these features offer full transport to other worlds...whether they be terrifying daycare centers governed by corrupt strawberry-scented teddy bears, or...in this case...the underground lab of a villainous mastermind who surrounds himself with an army of tiny, yellow minions. Armed with a voice cast including the always delightful Steve Carrell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand and no less than Julie Andrews..."Despicable Me" is a clever little nugget of heart and happiness that suggests a loving family is more rewarding than owning the moon.

The "despicable" in "Despicable Me" belongs to Gru (Steve Carrell), a veteran criminal whose just been outdone by a no-name, villainous upstart responsible for stealing one of the world's seven wonders. In his continuing efforts to make his evil mother proud, Gru feels pressure to deliver an even greater heist, which leads him to announce his latest project a little early, before his funding has come together. Assembling his "minions", a bunch of little, yellow goomba-type creatures who chirp cheerfully while leading a lavish existence beneath Gru's home, the great villain reveals his plot to shrink and steal the moon.

Gru is missing one crucial component in accomplishing his plan - the shrink ray. He must obtain the ray from the same newbie bad guy who stole the pyramid - a tracksuit wearing fellow named Vector, voiced by Jason Segel. In order to do this, he taps into Vector's love of cookies...especially those sold by the girls at the local children's home. Gru adopts Margo, Edith and Agnes and sends them to Vector to create a diversion so he can nab the ray and put his evil plot in motion.

Gru hits a few speed bumps along the way, not the least of which is his developing fondness for his new wards. When he is presented with choosing between the girls' dance recital and launching himself into space, Gru is conflicted, but a glitch in the shrink ray's capabilities helps make the decision easier.

"Despicable Me" is in no way despicable...in fact it's delightful. Carrell's "Gru" makes for an awkward but ultimately loving caretaker, and the charming little Agnes, voiced by Elsie Fisher, is a huggable joy to watch...especially upon encountering a unicorn. The minions are adorable in the same capacity as Ewoks, although far less creepy, and add plenty of childlike, but not childish, comedic seasoning. Complete with impressive 3-D visuals, this lovable summer kid flick is as fun for adults as it is for children and with the exception of one animated shark, won't scare them as much as some of the season's other child-friendly fare.

"Despicable Me" is rated PG for some rude humor and mild action and opens today in theaters all over the bay area. Oh...and stay until the full credits roll. It's very worth it.