I remember taking my son to the first Despicable Me and just expecting it to be a routine animated feature. Boy was I wrong. It was not only hilarious and became a franchise it even had a spinoff with the Minions which I really enjoyed as well. The success of the series was strong writing, lots of jokes and a good dose of Minions. The theme of this film was Gru becoming a good guy and getting the benefits like a girlfriend in his partner Lucy Wilde. Added bonus was Pharrell Williams did the soundtrack.

GREAT movie (probably better than the original), but the "HD Bonus Edition" version doesn't work in Movies Anywhere!!! For those that may be buying the streaming version, it will not show up in your other movie apps like Vudu, Google Play, etc via the Movies Anywhere app. Most of my Amazon streaming movies that I purchase will show up in my Movies Anywhere. The "HD Bonus Edition" of Despicable Me 2 will not, but I think the regular version of Despicable Me 2 will. Just wanted to alert folks to this issue, in case it may affect your decision to purchase.

This movie continues the story begun in Despicable Me, and is cute. I enjoyed it and will watch it again.

Personally, I like this one a bit better than the original - each has some really great spots (Margo trusting Gru at the end of #1 is simply superb). Both #1 and #2 are far better than #3.

I know that music is a personal thing: personally, I find the music jarring and I don't really like it.

Another unfortunate (and unintended) consequence of the release of the "Minions" movie (which I like a lot) is that it makes one wonder why the Minions are still sticking around Gru, since he went "good" at the end of the first film. He would no longer be what they were looking for.

My son bought this movie twice, the first time I was refunded by Amazon, the second time I felt ashamed to say,"My 1 yr. old knows my parental control password and used it to treat himself to this movie... may I please have ANOTHER refund pretty please?" Sadly that's what happened, I've caught him putting the password whenever he wants to watch a movie and I had to change it to something else (no.. my password wasn't 1111 or something like that)
Since we were stuck w. it, my kids had to watch it several times, and the one that bought it watches it religiously every other night on his tablet. He is 1 going on 61 it is funny to see him being so independent... I now hide to unlock the movie though.

Anyone who enjoyed the original Despicable Me will really like Despicable Me 2. This sequel is also full of jokes and situational humor. Some sequels are slow compared to their predecessors but this is not the case with Despicable Me 2. It's fun from beginning to end.

My kids have watched this movie multiple times. We highly recommend this movie and the first Despicable Me movie.

P.S. People we've talked to sometimes get the various Minions-related movies mixed up. Please note that we do NOT recommend the first Minions movie, which has the character Scarlett Overkill...my eldest copies her every movement and motion. We tried to allow her to watch that Minions movie and tried to teach her not to copy Scarlett's bad traits and actions but we were not successful. So, while she's in this phase (2.5-3 yrs), we have decided to temporarily move it to our hidden DVD library :) until she's older and better able to understand our guidance. Other than Scarlett Overkill, whose character is too "over" the top for me, the Minions movie is funny and well-done; but, it is only suitable for older kids. I'm not an expert, but my personal recommendation would be for children at least 7-8 years old, depending on each child's maturity progression.

Here, Gru has settled into a somewhat normal life with his adopted daughters as he manufactures jams and jellies, but it is easy to see that while he can give into the normalcy of his life, others can not. Dr. Nefario, his assistant has decided to move on to better opportunities, leaving Gru behind. It is at this time, that Gru discovers his life is not quite as complete as he had hoped as his daughters and a pushy neighbor have decided to help push him into the dating scene, with some rather strange results. Along comes Lucy Wilde, an agent for the anti-villain league who has orders to bring in Gru to recruit his help when a top secret lab and the serum they were working on goes missing. Gru reluctantly agrees and they find their hunting ground is the nearby mall. In the meantime, someone is kidnapping the minions and turning them into unstoppable monsters. Gru recognizes El Macho, a villain thought dead and soon discovers how fathers feel about their daughters dating for the first time when Margo discovers Antonio-who just happens to be the son of the villain they are seeking. Lucy discovers that Gru is the person she has come to love, and Doctor Nefario has to decide between his new job--and family when Gru steps in to save Lucy--and his minions from the notorious El Macho.

Despicable Me 2 is really a great movie - it's cute, uplifting, and really funny. The story focuses on Gru's (the main character who is voiced by Steve Carrell) attempt to locate a villain who is using a dangerous compound called PX-40 to transform good into evil. Along the way, we learn a lot about Gru's daughters (Agnes, Edith and Margo), Dr. Nefario, Agent Lucy from the AVL, and Silas Ramsbottom, who is part of the hysterical 'bottom' scene.

But the stars of the show, far and away, are the minions. They are simply hysterical in every way, from their language to their actions to how they fit into the story. This film makes you want to see a story just about the minions!! I have seen the movie about 5 times so far (my daughters love it) and each time I find something the minions say or do which I didn't notice before.

This isn't a movie just for kids, so don't avoid it for that reason. A lot of the humor is subtle but appropriate for adults. And the minions, while seeming to be characters designed for kids, are far from that.

Of all the sequels I've seen, this is one of those that outperforms the original - by a long shot! So if you haven't seen it, take the time to enjoy this hilarious movie!! You won't be sorry!