Review: Despicable Me

(PG) ***

Director: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud.

Cast: (voices of) Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Miranda Cosgrove, Will Arnett.

WITH all the superhero movies on the go, it's about time the supervillains got their moment in the sun, which is exactly what this piece of CG animation aims to do.

Despicable Me marks the debut of Universal's new Illumination Entertainment division, which it hopes will rival the big three of Pixar, Blue Sky and Dreamworks, and it's not a bad start for the newcomers, with enough all-ages laughs and a plot that slowly builds momentum to make this worthwhile family fodder.

The supervillain star is Gru (voiced excellently by Carell), a pointy-nosed bad guy who loves bursting children's balloons and ramming other people's parked cars when he's not plotting his next evil scheme.

But Gru is on the way out, according to the moneylenders at the Bank Of Evil (aren't all banks?), who are not so keen to back Gru's plan to steal the moon and are instead more interested in investing in the new breed of villains coming through, like Vector (Segel), who just stole the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Also getting in the way are three lovable orphans that Gru was hoping would help him steal a shrink ray from Vector, but who have instead stolen his heart.

If this last bit sounds cheesy, it's because it is - the "small child melts anti-hero's cold exterior" plot feels tired even before it starts in Despicable Me. It's part of the reason the film takes a while to get going, as it messily juggles introducing Gru, the orphans, Vector and the world around them.

When the film finally hits its stride around the halfway mark, it's partly because the script has settled into a rhythm and partly thanks to Carell. His voice work is superb, giving Gru a flavourful Eastern European accent and delivering every line with ideal timing, balancing pathos and larger-than-lifeness.

The same cannot be said of Segel as Vector (he's passable without being memorable), but the worst offender is Brand as Gru's off-sider Dr Nefario. Not only does the character feel unnecessary given Gru's multitude of humourous yellow minions, but Brand's delivery is bland and humourless (just like the character, but not in a good way).

That aside, Despicable Me builds up enough goodwill and laughs to win you over. It's premise is well handled, as is the orphan plot, and Gru is a strong character. And while the kids might get more laughs out of it than the grown-ups, it's still good enough for all ages.