We attended a screening at no cost in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
Earlier this week, we had a fun family night out and got some froyo and went to see Despicable Me 3. We’ve all seen the other movies a few times and we couldn’t wait to visit with Gru, Lucy, the girls, and of course the Minions again!
About the movie:
Illumination, who brought moviegoers Despicable Me and the biggest animated hits of 2013 and 2015,Despicable Me 2 and Minions, continues the story of Gru, Lucy, their adorable daughters—Margo, Edith and Agnes—and the Minions in Despicable Me 3.
After he is fired from the Anti-Villain League for failing to take down the latest bad guy to threaten humanity, Gru finds himself in the midst of a major identity crisis. But when a mysterious stranger shows up to inform Gru that he has a long-lost twin brother—a brother who desperately wishes to follow in his twin’s despicable footsteps—one former super-villain will rediscover just how good it feels to be bad.
I felt like this movie had a much lighter tone than the other movies- all of the movies have always had their humor, but it was really stepped up a notch in this film. I actually enjoyed that and felt like it was the natural progression for Gru’s character. We all know that Gru started off as a villain- but over the course of three movies, he’s become not only a hero but a family man. As a parent, I know that life with kids brings with it all kinds of unexpected humor and it was fun seeing that play out on the screen. I think it was really relatable for the parents and entertaining for the kids!
I did notice that the Minions had way less screen time than they did in the other Despicable Me movies- but then again, the last movie that came out was Minions so since it’s been awhile, it was nice to go back and see what Gru and his new family are up to and how they’re adjusting to their new dynamic.
Speaking of family, that played a major role in the movie. Gru’s family history has always been heartbreaking- his mother clearly doesn’t care for him much and as far as he knew, his dad died when he was a baby. It was nice to see Gru have someone to connect with outside of the girls in his life- even if it was Dru, who was pretty much Gru’s exact opposite {but a fun character in his own right}.
One thing that I found really fun about that film was that the main bad guy was totally stuck in the 80’s, which produced a lot of throwbacks. I often feel stuck in the 90’s and I know a lot of other parents who grew up in the 80’s and 90’s will appreciate the nostalgia.
Another thing that I loved about the film was how Lucy is not only coming into her own but totally rocking it. In the film she’s seen struggling to figure out her role as a new stepmom and trying to bond with the girls, but while she juggles that she’s supporting Gru’s new family dynamic, being fiercely loyal to him and still being an amazing, kick-butt hero.
What did the rest of the family think? Both of my boys said that this was their favorite movie in the Despicable Me franchise.They liked that it was really funny- Zac actually laughed really loudly at a few parts and has been quoting the villain’s catchphrase since we saw the movie.
Justin liked the movie but actually didn’t like it as much as the others in the series because he thought it was too silly. He said that he preferred when Gru was a villain who just happened to be a little funny. I see where he’s coming from, but I disagree and thought it was the right amount of humor for where the movie is in the series.
I definitely felt like the movie was worth going to see. If you’re a fan of the Despicable Me franchise or just fun family films in general, you won’t regret going to see this film!
Free Activity Sheets!
If your kids love the movie, don’t miss these free printable activity sheets! Click the image above or right here to download.
Say “Aloha” to the Minions. Despicable Me 3 is in theaters now! Get your tickets here and be sure to follow the movie on social media at the links below.