Despicable Me 2

What do you get when you combine madcap antics, banana-colored clones, and a plot that affirms traditional family values? A lot of money.

And that’s exactly what Universal Pictures is getting from Despicable Me 2, rated PG for rude humor and mild action. Although the plot is not as inventive and the humor not as fresh as the first Despicable, the minion capers will delight young viewers, and the strong emphasis on family values and the inescapable necessity of a mother and father will buoy the spirits of accompanying adults.

The story continues the tale of Gru, the criminal mastermind turned doting father (voiced perfectly by Steve Carell), who lays aside his nefarious ways to raise his adopted daughters (Margo, Edith, and Agnes) and run a legitimate jam and jelly business.

Gru’s newfound peace is upended when Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig), a recruiter for the AVL—Anti-Villain League—pops into his life with a lipstick taser. The AVL needs Gru’s underworld expertise to unearth the identity of an unknown villain, posing as an entrepreneur at the gleaming Paradise Mall.

Grudgingly, Gru agrees to go undercover with Lucy as a cupcake shop owner and manages to fall in love with her in the process. Meanwhile, he’s able to put the kibosh on a world-domination plot, save his minions, and show viewers the importance of having a mother and a father.

Agnes loves Gru, who works hard to raise his girls, but when she’s required to memorize a Mother’s Day poem for school, she confesses to her dad that she often pretends she has a mom. In the final scene, Agnes’ world is finally made complete.