Directors: Pierre Coffin & Chris Renaud
Rating: G
The Bouw-Man.
On paper, “Despicable Me” looks like it has all the key elements to be a highly enjoyable animated experience. For one, several comedic actors (Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand) lent their voices to the main characters in play. Even though they are all known for their “R-rated” work, their diverse backgrounds seem ideally suited to delve into an animated feature. Couple that with a story that seems like it would be adult-friendly and you have captured the “older” population to go along with the standard kid audience. One concern is the influx of animated features that have already come out this summer. How many times will parents pay an extra few bucks on top of the regular admission price to have their children experience a 3-D film? I’m sure “Shrek 4” and “Toy Story 3” has already exhausted a lot of family’s film budget for the summer months, so will missing this one really upset the “little ones?” Well, we’ll know the answer shortly. Another concern, albeit small, might be having a villain as the “good guy.” Some overprotective parents may look at this as a clincher to stay away from “Despicable Me,” even if they are under immense pressure in their household to take the family to see it.
Prediction.
I think it does well, but it hard to classify what this actually amounts to on the animated circuit. Is $100 million overall a success? “Toy Story 3” is approaching $300 million and “Shrek 4” is currently at approximately $230 million. Base on that fact, $100 million might be considered a failure. Well, I see $50 million during the opening weekend for “Despicable Me.” I think when all is said and done, it should accumulate around $170-$180 million for its domestic run.
Opening Weekend Gross: $50 Million
Noodles.
The trailer for this one leaves me a little cold. I like the premise, (a little) an "evil" super villain called upon to raise kids. I like the animation, although its hard to disappoint in that department these days. Even the title is catchy. But after sitting through 2 minutes of "zany" antics and sight gags, I still felt a little unenthusiastic about seeing this.
Let's take another recent 3D film like UP, which tells a touching story of love and companionship while dazzling us with spectacle and good storytelling. This film doesn't seem like its going to reach those same emotional heights. I know each picture should be taken on its own but I still don't know if this is going to be another great CGI masterpiece like UP, or just another disappointment like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
Prediction.
Its hard to bet against a 3D animation film, geared towards kids the way movie attendance has been going lately. The producers of Despicable Me have got to already be counting the money they're going to make this weekend. Let's face it these CGI films no matter what the quality are making all the money this summer. As for me, I don't think it will beat How to Train Your Dragon's $43 M opening.
Opening Weekend: Gross: $38 Million
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