Despicable Me 3: So much fun!

When the principal cast/crew of a film series remains the same, it tends to maintain its quality nine times out of ten. Despicable Me 3 marks the return of Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig as Gru and Lucy, respectively, with Pierre Coffin, Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio reprising their roles in the directing and writing categories. The third installment of this incredibly successful animated film franchise does another marvelous job in just about every department. From uproarious scenes to the roller coaster adventure ride that is the plot, Despicable Me 3 matches parts 1 and 2 every step of the way. The creators of the series have understood that changing a winning combination leads to no good; apart from some minor additions in the form of Trey Parker (acting) and Kyle Balda (direction), the original cast and crew (including Pharrell Williams, who returns for a third consecutive time to score the Soundtrack) are back, much to everyone’s delight. Steve Carell proves time and time again that comedy is his true métier. He still manages to keep the former supervillain turned super-agent as endearing and lovable as ever. Kristen Wiig, Trey Parker, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Nev Scharrel, and Pierre Coffin (who voices Mel and the other Minions yet again) put in equally strong performances to ensure that Despicable Me will go down in film history as one of the best animated series ever made.

Cast: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Trey Parker, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Steve Coogan, Julie Andrews, Pierre Coffin 
Director: Pierre Coffin, Kyle Balda

After a botched plan to capture Balthazar Bratt (a supervillain and former child star of the 80s), Gru is fired along with his new agent-wife, Lucy, from the Anti-Villain League. The duo returns sheepishly home to the former’s three adoptive daughters only to be thrown a surprise party by the girls. A despondent Gru mopes about here and there with his new predicament, and is given quite the shock as his team of minions quit en masse when he refuses to go back to his old villainous ways. Almost down and out, Gru is given a new lease of life when an odd-looking man tells him that he has a twin brother. When this unexpected news is confirmed, an excited Gru takes his family to meet his long lost sibling. While the meeting throws up some interesting surprises, Gru gets wind of Balthazar Bratt’s plans for world domination.

Of the many hilarious scenes on show, the dance-off fight sequences between Gru and Balthazar Bratt and the Minions’ accidental appearance on an American Idol-like talent show are undoubtedly the comedic highlights of Despicable Me 3. Agnes’s absolute fascination for unicorns provides the audience with the perfect finishing touches for an overall feel-good film. With so much going for it, it’s hard not to envision a few more parts for the brilliant franchise.