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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Despicable Me

EMAILPRINTUniversal Pictures

Despicable Me reviews
72
8.2 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 34 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 57 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Animation  |  Family/Kids

Written by: Sergio Pablos (story)
Ken Daurio

Directed by: Pierre Coffin
Chris Renaud

Release Date:
Theatrical: July 9, 2010

Running Time: 95 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: PG for rude humor and mild action

Starring Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, Danny McBride, Miranda Cosgrove, Jack McBrayer, Mindy Kaling, Jemaine Clement, and Julie Andrews

Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad. The world's greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes. (Universal Pictures)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Chicago Reader Cliff Doerksen

Like the best kids' entertainment, this creates a daffy little world all its own.

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100

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

The effect is Chaplinesque if Chaplin had the latest in gadgetry, because the entire picture is also shot in 3-D that, for once, puts all 3 of the Ds to imaginative use.

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95

Movieline Stephanie Zacharek

To hell with that childlike sense-of-wonder crap: Despicable Me, instead of trying to return adults to a false state of innocence, reminds us that we all started out as ill-mannered little savages.

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91

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

Another 3-D animated kid movie demonstrates that cartoon storytelling pitched to young people is the last, best refuge of sprightly filmmaking this hard, hot summer.

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90

Boxoffice Magazine Pete Hammond

A rousingly funny, heartfelt and imaginative ‘toon blessed with the vocal talents of Steve Carell and loaded with whimsy and smarts.

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90

Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir

Coffin and Renaud's execution is fresh, sincere, often lovely and a great deal of fun -- and in this kind of movie, and this kind of movie summer, execution is everything.

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88

New Orleans Times-Picayune Mike Scott

This is a self-contained story that stands nicely on its own. How novel.

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80

NPR Bob Mondello

It's all thoroughly adorable, and with an overlay that's nearly as odd as Carell's accent.

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80

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

Despicable doesn't measure up to Pixar at its best. Nonetheless, it's funny, clever and warmly animated with memorable characters.

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80

Variety Peter Debruge

There's nothing like a little world domination to melt the most dastardly evildoer's heart. Since villains so often steal the show in animation, Despicable Me smartly turns the whole operation over to megalomaniacal rogue Gru.

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75

Orlando Sentinel Roger Moore

This is dizzy diverting fun, from it’s first Carell one-liner to the 3D gimmick gags stuffed into the closing credits.

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75

St. Petersburg Times Steve Persall

Directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud craft a fun stretch run, wrapping the story with warm, fuzzy funnies and nothing to suggest a sequel, which is probably wise.

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75

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

The film is funny, energetic, teeth-gnashingly venomous and animated with an eye to exploiting the 3-D process with such sure-fire techniques as a visit to an amusement park. The sad thing, I am forced to report, is that the 3-D process produces a picture more dim than it should be.

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75

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

Carell’s genius for loading a comic line with mirth and malice is on joyous display.

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75

The Onion (A.V. Club) Tasha Robinson

Until the “creep + orphans = happy family” formula starts demanding abrupt, unconvincing character mutations, Despicable Me is a giddy joy.

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75

Boston Globe Ty Burr

Despicable Me has enough visual novelty and high spirits to keep the kiddies diverted and just enough wit to placate the parents.

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75

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

Carrell has stated in interviews that his accent “falls someplace between Bela Lugosi and Ricardo Montalban,” and that’s about right.

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75

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Joe Williams

It's not exactly aiming for the moon, but in a marketplace where surpassed expectations are as rare as unicorns, Despicable Me is delightful.

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75

New York Post Kyle Smith

Though Despicable Me is a little ragged on story, it’s got a lot of imagination and a heart as warm as a fluffy kitty.

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75

ReelViews James Berardinelli

Perhaps best of all, this is a rare instance in which the 3-D, while not an asset, is at least not a detriment.

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75

USA Today Claudia Puig

This fun-filled adventure avoids formula with a whimsical story and terrific voice casting.

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75

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

Hang in there and Despicable Me turns into an improbably heartwarming, not to mention visually delightful, diversion.

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70

Arizona Republic Bill Goodykoontz

Settles for simply being goofy good fun.

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70

Village Voice Robert Wilonsky

So, yes, kiddies--it’s funny. Silly. Slight. Though, grown-ups, be warned: I had more fun watching the kid giggle through the screening than I did watching the movie itself. It’s no "Toy Story 3."

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67

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

Everyone knows that the villains are usually the most interesting characters in any movie. So the makers of Despicable Me were wise to cut to the chase and make the megalomaniacal Gru (voiced by Carell) the central character in this animated film.

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63

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

Short, sweet-and-sour, and amusing rather than funny, Despicable Me can't help but be likable.

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63

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

Is the movie itself good? Half-good, I'd say — the second, more openly sentimental half.

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60

Time Out New York Keith Uhlich

The setup is pure Looney Tunes, and indeed, Despicable Me is at its best when trading in the anything-for-a-laugh prankery that was a specialty of the Termite Terrace crowd.

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60

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

It looks so stylish that thinking about its plot is strictly optional.

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60

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

Granted, it's a far cry from the Pixar classics. But Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud's nicely quirky, animated comedy has just enough edge to entertain every member of the family.

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58

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

There’s no reason to actively dislike the film, but that’s not enough, not at today’s ticket prices. Just because you’re not despicable, after all, doesn’t mean you’re the pick of the litter.

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50

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

When compared with the ambition and achievement of recent animated films, such as "Coraline" and "Toy Story 3," Despicable Me hardly seems to have been worth making, and it's barely worth watching.

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50

The New York Times A.O. Scott

Despicable Me cannot be faulted for lack of trying. If anything, it tries much too hard, stuffing great gobs of second-rate action, secondhand humor and warmed-over sentiment into every nook and cranny of its relentlessly busy 3-D frames.

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50

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

The film throws so much ersatz cleverness and overdone emotion at the audience that we end up more worn out than entertained.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 57 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Peter J gave it an8:
A good solid movie, and a good combination of kids humor and adult humor as well. Will def buy on Blu-ray for the kids when it comes out.

John L gave it a5:
One of the best done animated movies I have seen. It is packed with lots of humor and quick wit. As with every movie, one must ignore critic reviews and experience it.

Bugz gave it a10:
Oscar worthy for best animated film but will lose to Toy Story 3. One of the best movie this far and so far it has been Toy Story 3 and Cyrus.

Kim H gave it a9:
Loved the movie. nothing else to say. it appeals to all ages and was pretty freaking funny.

Margaret L. gave it a2:
Strictly for kids. I laughed maybe 3 times out loud. Very tired jokes, nothing really funny and new if you've seen the trailers.

This Guy gave it a9:
Although not as refined as Toy Story 3, my children enjoyed this much more and were talking about it the next day. Also the audience was more involved in this film. Laughing and getting into it much more, this was true of adults and children alike. So really, this movie does what it sets out to do. It was funny, and good looking. However some of the themes of adoption and returning adopted children back to an orphanage were in poor taste to anyone who has been involved in the adoption process. Most others will not even notice.

David B gave it a10:
My son (age 7) and I went to see this today with my father - so three generations all watching a "kid's movie". We ALL enjoyed the movie and had a great time.

Read more user comments >

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