Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Despicable Me (2010)

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-09-2010, 12:46 PM:

This is Universal's first foray into 3-D and it's a winner. Very cute, very funny (thanks mostly to Steve Carell) and makes great use of 3-D. For any customers who were griping that Toy Story 3 didn't have enough 3-D cool effects, direct them to this movie -- it has plenty. The roller coaster ride should make it into any "best of 3-D" compilation that happens to come along.

The story is inventive too, although you do know almost from the beginning what's going to happen at the end -- but there are so many madcap hi-jinks along the way that the sappy ending doesn't matter.

Basically, Steve Carell is an evil genius who has been "out-villained" by another evil genius, so he plans to steal the other guy's top secret weapon and pull off the greatest heist in history...but to do it, he needs to find some kids to sneak into the arch-rival's hideaway, so he adopts three orphan girls and... well, in this case Sam Graham's favorite phrase really fills the bill.

There are about four extra segments during the end credits, featuring the little "minions" making fun of the 3-D process. Fun stuff.

This is the most fun I've had at a non-Pixar animated film since the original Shrek. Four out of five stars from me.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-09-2010, 12:58 PM:

How about the one-eyed minion in the HD clamshell case with the request that we run our faders at "7" since the sound was mixed at Skywalker Ranch?

Do we want to blow out the customer's eardrums?

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 07-09-2010, 01:23 PM:

Im running it at 6.5. I liked it, too.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-09-2010, 01:30 PM:

We tested it at 6.5. I think 7 will be OK with a good crowd.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 07-09-2010, 03:30 PM:

Mike, you finally have digital?

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-09-2010, 11:29 PM:

Yeah - but we have not completely drunk the digital kool-aid (the film system is still ready and waiting!)

Posted by Ross Oba (Member # 3433) on 07-11-2010, 05:46 AM:

This one surprised the hell out of me. Ever since I saw the trailers I thought it would another lame animated movie in the realm of the Shrek sequels. But I have to admit that it is a pretty funny movie. The 3D was very clever. Although the story wasn't as good as Toy Story 3, it made up for it with a large amount of jokes.

As for the sound, this movie is noticeably quieter than normal. That note is pretty much BS since it said that the loudest part of the movie is the Illumination Studio logo sound. However I would have to note that the loudest part occurred right at the end of the climactic scene involving Gru and his arch nemesis.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-11-2010, 11:06 AM:

The note in the case is not designed for anyone who sits and watches the movie, it's designed for the person who sets the sound volume and then sticks their head into the auditorium for 5 seconds to make sure it sounds good.

Having now been "listening" to this movie from the boxoffice, I've found more clever things I like about it. People who skip it because "it's not Pixar" or "it's for kids" are missing out. It's a fun ride.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 07-11-2010, 05:03 PM:

Today at Regal 15 in Eugene, #8 in 35mm 2D. Would say it looked great but the image was noticeably unsteady and shifted to the right a few inches. Well noticeable to me but probably nobody else.

The movie is pretty good. There are a lot of visual gags that I think I missed half of because they go by so quickly. Thankfully Steve Carell's voice didn't make me think of Michael Scott more than a couple times. People were laughing, kids seemed entertained. The only time I ever thought about 3D was the end title sequences which are very obviously there to play with 3D.

I give it 3.5 out of 5.

Posted by Tom Mundell (Member # 4555) on 07-12-2010, 09:15 AM:

Saturday at AMC Mazza Gallerie aud. #1 (35mm/THX/Dolby Digital). Peeking into the booth they had the fader at 5; I thought that the sound was low and could have easily been turned up a notch or two. As for the movie, I really enjoyed it; Not quite Toy Story 3 but one my favorite non-pixar animated titles in a while. The minions are great! The show I saw was 2D, but I still loved the segment at the end with the minions playing with the 3D; I don't think it mattered for the rest of the movie, but that section would have been funny to see in 3D.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 07-12-2010, 11:27 AM:

In the closing credits of the 2D 35mm film version, the Minions mess with the projector and cause the film to burn. Is that sequence the same on the digital version?

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-13-2010, 10:01 AM:

Yes, the film burn is there. It reminded me of the mid-movie film break in the second GREMLINS movie.

Posted by Matt Johnston (Member # 5457) on 07-13-2010, 03:10 PM:

Awesome movie! The wife and I really enjoyed it.

We also got a kick out of the end credits (used the Best Buy android app to translate what the minions were saying).

Posted by Kori Marvin (Member # 5763) on 07-23-2010, 08:57 PM:

This movie was very good. The minions and Steve Carell made it happen. Also, I really enjoyed the music throughout the movie...great! 4 out 5.

Posted by Joseph L. Kleiman (Member # 3097) on 07-23-2010, 11:32 PM:

Show: 11:45am 7/23/10

Theatre: Cinema West Palladio 16, Folsom, CA. Auditorium 9

Projection: Barco/Technicolor/Dolby Digital 3D/Real D (I swear they had both the Dolby Digital 3D and Real D trailers before the movie)

Sound: Dolby Digital/THX

From the French, who gave us hairless starship captains, comes this bold reimagining of ABC's "Full House..."

After being stuck with Carmike's all-digital houses with consistent poor focus and framing, dirty screens, and sticky floors that smell like crushed Smurfs in their hometown of Columbus for the past year and a half, I was excited to see that Cinema West opened a new cineplex in Sacramento. I used to go the Fairfax 5 alot when working in Sausalito and I'm very happy to see that Cinema West has carried over their commitment to both topnotch customer service and presentation.

Everything in this film has been seen before - but it was done so perfectly here that it didn't matter. I loved this film. And I want an army of yellow minions. It appears they're much more productive than squishy green alien spacemen.

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 07-24-2010, 10:50 PM:

CINEMA: 13th Avenue Warren, Wichita, KS
AUDITORIUM: 13
PRESENTATION: Dolby Digital Cinema DLP 3-D/XpanD/THX
PRESENTATION PROBLEMS: None [Cool]

RATING: Two and one half stars (out of four)

NOTE: This movie was penalized one half star for being the second movie I saw today to deliver a fart joke.

Okay, what the hell is this XpanD nonsense?

(Rhetorical. I read the Wiki. Shut up.)

THE PLOT: We love da mooooon! Coz it iz goooood to usssss! Wackiness ensues

Started strong, fart joke, ended okay, end credits where minions perform a show that reminded me of something Blue Man group would come up with.

But there was no Blue Man Group.

Fucking Blue Man Group.