Somewhere in the Arctic, two men are playing cards. But then an airship abducts them, and takes the mutagen, PX-41. That specific kind turns anything it’s injected into into a scary and undefeatable monster.

The next scene switches to Gru, who is taking part in his youngest adoptive daughter, Agnes’s, birthday party. While the kids are having fun, Gru is on the phone, learning that the fairy princess he hired for the party canceled. So, he ends up dressing as one. 

Then a woman at the party, Jillian, shows interest in him as a boyfriend. But he declines. Shortly after, though, he meets Agent Lucy Wilde. The two end up having to go to the underwater headquarters of the Anti-Villain League. There, the director, Silas Ramsbottom, asks that Gru tracks down the mutagen, PX-41. But Gru claims that he doesn’t need that kind of task since he already “sells jam.”

At some point, his friend and assistant, Doctor Nefario, quits his job for the same company. So, Gru decides to stay with the Anti-Villain League.

He and his daughters, Margo, Edith, and Agnes, go to the mall, where Gru meets Lucy at a cupcake store. They are convinced that he is in love with Lucy. Agnes is especially desperate for a mother since she has no one to take her to an upcoming Mother’s Day event. 

Gru states that he and Lucy are there for work purposes only. He then lets the girls explore the mall.

A Mexican restaurant owner, Eduardo Perez, enters the cupcake shop. Gru can’t help but see him as the villain, El Macho, who supposedly died in a volcano many years prior. But Eduardo denies that. Yet Gru and Lucy search inside his restaurant for evidence.

Meanwhile, a cute boy walks by Margo, and she develops a crush on him. Agnes and Edith tell Gru about this, and he does not approve of Margo having a boyfriend. He finds Margo and her new boyfriend, Antonio–who happens to be Eduardo’s son. He forces her to leave him and go home.

Simultaneously, the minions are having fun, such as playing mini golf inside the house and throwing parties. Someone mysterious kidnaps them little by little.

Later, the minions are having a beach party. Two of them get sucked underwater, where they are injected with PX-41… and turn into monstrous beasts with purple fur, sharp teeth, underbites, and vicious behaviors.

Cinco de Mayo arrives, and Eduardo invites Gru and his daughters to his house party to celebrate it. The kids have fun dancing, hitting pinatas, and eating Mexican food. 

But things don’t go well for Gru…

I first saw this movie in 2013, around the time it came out. I enjoyed it then. The same goes for now.

The strongest element in this film is the humor. I laughed so many times throughout this film. It was almost as funny as the Shrek movies.

Which brings me to my next thought: I think Gru sounds a bit like Shrek–by both his mannerisms, way of speaking, and even his voice. But he is not voiced by the same guy who portrayed Shrek. I don’t know if Steve Carrell, who played Gru, intended to talk similarly to Shrek. But it’s still amusing.

I especially admire how Agnes and her friends interacted with him at her birthday bash. When Gru dressed up as the fairy princess, one of Agnes’s guests asked, “How come you’re so fat?” I laugh and think, That’s rude. I like how Gru handled it, though. He stated that “his house was made of candy and that eating it was how he sometimes handled his problems.”

Another scene is when Jillian is outside Gru’s house. Agnes notices her, but Gru tells her to tell Jillian that he is not there. He uses nonverbal hints at Agnes to listen to him, although she isn’t purposely disobeying him–it’s just harder for her to understand. 

An example of a hint is when Gru acts like he’s putting a zipper over his mouth. But Agnes takes it as “putting on lipstick.” After a few more hints, Gru gets frustrated and softly grunts while hunched over, and his hands as tight fists. So, then Agnes tells Jillian that he is “pooping.”

And let’s not forget the gem of this movie–the minions. They are also funny, particularly when they do crazy things. One notable example is when the minions accidentally end up inside Lucy’s car. She ejects them, and one is dragged on the road since he won’t leave. Then a cloth sends him up and he looks like he’s parasailing.

There are also a couple of funny moments that are a little too unbelievable. For example, when Gru is at the mall and hiding inside a garbage can, a guy tries to throw his cup away. But Gru runs since something is threatening him. And the man continues to chase the “trashcan.” The narrator of this YouTube channel, “Brooks Show,” actually asked out of disbelief if anyone would really chase after a garbage can running away from them. He also points out how ducks don’t usually cross city streets since they do in one scene. Regardless of that, I still enjoy those parts.

The movie, itself, breezes by. But I think it’s because it’s meant to be kid friendly. 

Which brings me to my next point–there are no innuendos that I noticed. Of course, in kid friendly movies and shows, the innuendos can’t be too obvious.

The humor is also not terribly crude, either. I think a 3-year-old could enjoy this. It’s also lighthearted to that level. There are no highly intense scenes.

That being said, there are some parts that are a little intense. But it isn’t drastic to the overall tone of this movie.

And what’s also good to know is that as a sequel, it can easily stand on its own.

I give Despicable Me 2 5 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to people of all ages.