It is weird to think that back in 2010, nobody really knew if a movie about a bald guy with a pointy nose stealing the moon would actually work. Fast forward more than a decade, and the Despicable Me 2 Despicable Me era has basically redefined how Illumination Entertainment—and honestly, the entire industry—looks at sequels. You’ve seen the Minions everywhere. They are on your Facebook feed, they are on cereal boxes, and they are probably haunting your local supermarket. But if we strip away the yellow fever, there is a very specific reason why these first two films hold up better than almost any other modern animated franchise.
People love Gru. It is that simple.
The Gru Evolution: From Villainy to Fatherhood
When we first met Felonious Gru in the original film, he was a miserable jerk. He was trying to out-villain Vector. He was freezing people in line at the coffee shop. It was great. But the transition between the first movie and the second is where the magic happens. In the first film, the girls (Margo, Edith, and Agnes) are just tools for his heist. By the time we get to the sequel, he’s a suburban dad making jelly that tastes like feet.
The shift from a "villain" movie to a "domestic spy" movie in the second installment was a massive gamble. Usually, sequels just do the same thing again but bigger. Here, they changed the genre. It went from a heist film to a romantic comedy/spy thriller hybrid. Gru’s chemistry with Lucy Wilde, voiced by Kristen Wiig, added a layer of frantic, awkward energy that the first movie didn't have. Lucy wasn't just a love interest; she was a chaotic mirror to Gru’s rigid personality.
Steve Carell’s performance is carrying a lot of weight here. He’s got this bizarre, unidentifiable accent that somehow feels warm. In the first movie, he’s growling. In the second, he’s trying to navigate a date with a woman who wants to check if his nose is real. It’s relatable, even if you aren’t a supervillain.
Why the Humor Actually Lands
Let’s be real about the Minions for a second.
They are polarizing.
But in these first two films, their usage was surgical. They weren't the main characters yet. They were the seasoning. Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, the directors, used them for slapstick that felt like a throwback to Buster Keaton or the Looney Tunes. In the first movie, they were just weird little henchmen. In the sequel, the stakes for them got higher with the introduction of the purple "Evil Minions" via the PX-41 serum.
There is a specific kind of comedic timing in the Despicable Me 2 Despicable Me timeline that started to fade in the later spin-offs. It’s the silence. Sometimes the funniest moments are just Gru standing there looking defeated while a Minion giggles in the background. It isn't always loud. It isn't always a fart joke—though there are plenty of those. It’s the character-driven absurdity.
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The Pharrell Effect and the Sound of a Franchise
You cannot talk about these movies without talking about the music. Heitor Pereira and Pharrell Williams created a soundscape that didn't sound like a "kids' movie." It sounded like a Neptunes record. When "Happy" dropped with the second film, it stayed on the charts for what felt like eighty years. It was a cultural juggernaut.
The first film had a grittier, more hip-hop-influenced vibe with tracks like "Minion Mambo" and the titular "Despicable Me" track. It set a mood. It made the world feel stylish. Most animated films rely on orchestral swells or licensed pop songs that feel dated three weeks later. These films had a bespoke identity.
Technical Mastery and Visual Style
Visually, these movies don't look like Pixar. And that is a good thing.
Pixar goes for hyper-realism—every strand of hair, every pore on a face. Illumination went for a stylized, almost "spy-chic" aesthetic. Everything is long, thin, and exaggerated. Gru’s car is impossibly big. The houses are sharp. It looks like a comic book brought to life.
The budget management at Illumination is also a legendary industry case study. They made the first film for about $69 million. For context, Disney movies at the time were costing $150 million to $200 million. By the time they got to the sequel, the budget only bumped up to $76 million. They weren't throwing money at the screen; they were throwing personality. They proved that you don't need a quarter-billion dollars to make something that looks world-class if your art direction is focused.
The Villains: Vector vs. El Macho
The dynamic of the antagonist is a huge part of why the Despicable Me 2 Despicable Me comparison is so interesting.
Vector (voiced by Jason Segel) was the perfect foil for Gru in the first film. He was the "new money" villain. He had the tracksuits, the heated floors, and the shark in the floor. He was a brat. Gru, meanwhile, was the "old school" villain with the gothic house and the freezing rays.
Then comes El Macho in the sequel.
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Voiced by Benjamin Bratt, El Macho was a different beast. He was a legend who supposedly died by riding a shark into a volcano while strapped with dynamite. The stakes shifted from "who is the better thief" to "who is the better man." El Macho represented the path Gru could have stayed on—a life of lonely, grand gestures of evil—while Gru was busy trying to figure out how to be a father. It gave the sequel an emotional weight that most people overlook because they are too busy watching Minions hit each other with shovels.
Handling the "Sequel Curse"
Most sequels fail because they lose the heart of the original. They get too big. They forget why we liked the characters in the first place.
What the second film did right was doubling down on the girls. Margo’s first crush, Edith’s desire for action, and Agnes’s obsession with unicorns weren't pushed to the side. They were the reason for the plot. Gru joins the Anti-Villain League (AVL) basically because he needs to provide a safe world for them. Silas Ramsbottom (yes, the name is a joke, we know) recruits Gru because he needs a villain to catch a villain.
It is a classic trope, but it works here because we are already invested in Gru’s redemption. If the first movie was about finding a family, the second movie is about protecting it and completing it.
Cultural Impact and Longevity
Think about how many animated franchises come and go. Remember Shark Tale? Remember Megamind? (Actually, Megamind is great, but it didn't get this level of traction).
The longevity here is staggering. We are now several movies deep into the franchise, including the Minions prequels, but the DNA is all in those first two entries. They established a world where being "bad" was a career choice, but being "good" was a character choice.
There is a weirdly human core to a movie about a guy who looks like a thumb. We see Gru struggle with social anxiety. We see him fail at dating. We see him deal with a mother (voiced by the legendary Julie Andrews) who never gave him the validation he needed. These are heavy themes disguised as a colorful romp.
What People Get Wrong About These Movies
A common criticism is that these movies are "just for kids."
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If you watch them again as an adult, the jokes about middle management, the frustrations of parenting, and the awkwardness of online dating are everywhere. The second film, in particular, is a giant metaphor for the fear of moving on after your life's work is finished. Gru's "villainy" was his identity. When that’s gone, he’s just a guy in a scarf. That’s a mid-life crisis movie, guys.
Critical and Commercial Success
The numbers don't lie.
- The first movie made over $543 million worldwide.
- The second movie nearly doubled that, raking in over $970 million.
That kind of jump is rare. It usually happens when a movie captures the zeitgeist perfectly. The sequel was nominated for two Oscars: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song. It lost the feature award to Frozen, which... okay, fair enough. Frozen was a powerhouse. But the fact that a "slapstick" comedy was even in that conversation speaks to the craftsmanship involved.
Why You Should Revisit Them
If you haven't watched the Despicable Me 2 Despicable Me duo in a while, you’re missing out on the tightest writing in the series. Later entries get a bit more frantic and rely more heavily on the Minions for filler. These first two? They are lean. Every scene serves a purpose.
The relationship between Gru and Dr. Nefario is also peak comedy. Nefario leaving in the second film because he "misses evil" is a genuinely sad moment that sets up his eventual return perfectly. It shows that even the side characters have motivations that aren't just "be funny for the camera."
Actionable Takeaways for Your Next Rewatch
If you are planning a movie night, here is how to get the most out of these two films:
- Watch the background. The animators at Illumination hide a ton of visual gags in the Minion scenes that you usually miss the first time around because you’re looking at the main action.
- Listen to the score. Try to separate the Pharrell pop songs from Heitor Pereira’s actual score. The way they use instruments to signal Gru’s "villain" side versus his "dad" side is brilliant.
- Notice the lighting. The lighting in the sequel is significantly more complex than in the first film. Look at the scenes in the mall—specifically the bake shop—to see how much the tech improved in just three years.
- Compare the gadgets. The first movie features "evil" gadgets (the SR-6 shrink ray). The second movie features "spy" gadgets (the lipstick taser). It’s a subtle way the filmmakers show Gru’s world shifting.
The legacy of these films isn't just the billions of dollars or the theme park rides. It is the fact that they created a modern folk hero out of a grumpy guy with a frozen heart. Gru proved that you don't have to be a perfect hero to be a great protagonist. You just have to be a guy who is trying his best, even if "his best" involves accidentally setting his house on fire while trying to bake a cake for a birthday party.