Okay fine I'll admit it I'm a big Despicable Me fan and I love minions, don't judge me!

I thought both of the first two Despicable Me movies were fantastic and to a lesser extent enjoyed Minions (2015) so logically I was going to enjoy this, but did I?

Well it has the same charm, it has the great voice talent, it has a stellar soundtrack and it has minions! What is there to dislike?

Well I don't dislike it but truth be told it's not on par with the other movies, I don't know quite what it was but I just wasn't feeling it this time as a lot of the jokes missed their mark, the minions took a backseat and the twin brother aspect of the plot was a tad weak.

Regardless Despicable Me 3 is a lot of fun for all the family complete with lots of jokes that the parents will appeciate and a great retro 80's soundtrack.

Being a big South Park fan I really appreciated the work put into this by Trey Parker, he's a multi-talented fella as demonstrated here.

The franchise still has life in it and hopefully won't be going away anytime soon.

BANANA!

The Good:

Great soundtrack

Same ol'charm

Trey Parker

The Bad:

Story is weaker than previous films

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Giant titan mechs can be made by one single person in a matter of days

Trey Parker needs more voice work

I want a uni-goat!

If she doesn't get fluffy back in the next movie I'm rioting.........awkwardly..........by myself

The first two 'Despicable Me' films were fantastic family fun, but, despite absolutely loving the scene-stealing minions 'Minions' was underwhelming (giving the sense, though in all fairness they were not well utilised in their own film, that the minions are better as supporting characters rather than leading).

'Despicable Me 3' is a disappointment after the first two films but is better than 'Minions'. There is a lot to like about it, but it does feel very uneven and gives the sense that the 'Despicable Me' franchise has somewhat run its course. None of it reaches terrible depths though, just that the film could have been much better considering what came before it.

Once again, the animation is wonderful. There are rich bright colours, lovingly and appealingly designed characters (nothing looks awkward like some of the human character designs in 'Minions'),meticulously detailed backgrounds and some real visual invention. 'Despicable Me 3' boasts a killer soundtrack that makes one nostalgic for the 80s (with Michael Jackson and Madonna),Heitor Pereira's score is suitably funky and Pharrell Williams' own contribution (especially the heartfelt and cute "There's Something Special") is note-worthy too.

Some of the writing is witty, sharp and smart and there are some wildly funny and beautifully timed sight gags. One cannot say that 'Despicable Me 3' doesn't have any heart either, there are some sweet and touching moments here. The characters are likable, especially Gru and the minions (who once again steal scenes despite being underused somewhat),and the voice acting is excellent, Steve Carrell has still got it and proves that with good material and with a good character (like with Gru) he is a very talented comic actor (though he has shown a wider range than that too).

However, other parts of the humour comes over in a scatter-shot way and suffer from a flabbiness and predictability. To me the villain was also a little bland, didn't find him particularly memorable or that much of a threat, and some of the soundtrack is compromised by the humour coming by so thick and fast that a few of the songs don't register or don't feel necessary.

The most problematic aspects are the story and the pacing. The pacing occasionally is perfect but at some points it feels tired and at many other points it's almost too hyper-active and jumpy so a lot of the film feels rushed. The story suffers from being over-stuffed and bloated, it's basically three or four plots stuffed into one and not enough time is spent with either. The focus jumps around a lot with some of the transitions on the choppy side so the film and the story-line can feel disjointed.

Overall, not a bad film at all but was expecting better considering how good the first two 'Despicable Me' films are. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker) had been a child star portraying a lovable villain in the 80s. After losing his job, he decided to become a villain for real. Gru (Steve Carell) and Lucy (Kristen Wiig) stops Bratt from stealing the world's largest diamond. When the AVL change leadership, they get fired. The Minions abandon after Gru refused to revert to villainy. Gru is told that he has twin brother Dru who is a pig tycoon on the island nation of Freedonia. Dru reveals their late father's super villain persona and wants Gru to teach him the ways of a villain.

I still like the characters despite this less-than-stellar outing. It's shocking that the movie without credits is no more than 80 minutes. This feels like a rushed job. I even like Bratt. If not for the love of these characters, I would consider this a failure. As a character, Dru holds some interesting promise. For that promise to be realised, he needs to turn evil. In fact, that should be the plot of this movie. Once Dru is introduced, that turn becomes fully expected and it should be executed sooner rather than later. Despite liking Bratt, I would prefer putting him in cold storage and first developing a better story for Dru. This is a misstep in franchise management.