Rated: PG

Release Date: 07/09/2010

Production Company: Universal Pictures

Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, Russell Brand, Jemaine Clement, Jack McBrayer, Julie Andrews and Danny R. McBride.

Directors: Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud. Producers: John Cohen, Janet Healy, Marci Levine, Robert Taylor and Christopher Meledandri. Executive Producer: Nina Rappaport. Screenwriters: Ken Daurio (Screenplay), Cinco Paul (Screenplay), Sergio Pablos (Story).

By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs

"Despicable Me," is a cute, charming and delightfully funny kids movie. Some kids oriented movies are a bit too adult with their humor and pop-cultural references. But "Despicable Me" gets it all right. It really taps into a kids perspective and runs with it. It's a smart movie with a lot of character and heart.

And speaking of getting it right. This is one instance where the 3-D truly adds to the movie. You won't mind forking over the extra cash to see it in 3-D, because it's really worth it.

Things come at you as you duck and squirm in your seat. And it's likely you'll experience all the jolting sensations from the roller coaster ride scene in the film.

Steve Carell is the voice behind Gru. He's an ornery and despicable man. He has little patience for other people as he'll run them off the road while driving his big tank, or freeze them with his Insta-Freeze Gun, if he has to wait in line for anything. This is a guy who will give a kid a balloon and then pop it, just to see him cry.

You can trace Gru's personality disorder back to his mother (voice of Julie Andrews). She never thought much of him as a kid, even though Gru constantly tried to impress her. So not only does Gru have "mommy issues," but he's a control freak as well. It's no wonder he's working with his inventor Dr. Nefarious (Russell Brand) and his army of Minions--a comical little group of "Pacman" looking characters. Gru wants to get all the technology available to make a top secret shrink gun so he can--as ludicrous as it sounds-- steal the moon. But his archrival Vector (Jason Segel) has other plans.

And even some of the locals have even tired of Gru's antics including the Bank of Evil that has been loaning him money for his shady ventures. Gru's last chance at doing something really big involves a scheme using three adorable orphan girls. He winds up adopting them from an orphanage headed by the very suspicious Miss Hattie (Kristen Wiig). There's Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Elsie Fisher). He lets them live with him until his plan is ready. Then he has them sell cookies to Vector so they can get inside his home.

This sets up the wild action sequences and where the 3-D animation really takes off. Gru tries his best to be the villain, but the more he's involved with the little girls, the more he becomes attached to them and they wind up stealing his heart.

Directed by Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin, "Despicable Me" brims with clever humor, high energy and just overall fun. It's a pleasant surprise.