Despicable Me 3 (2017)

By 2017, the Despicable Me franchise had become one of the most reliably profitable animation properties in the world. The original Despicable Me (2010), in which Steve Carell voiced the bumbling supervillain Gru, struck a genuine chord with family audiences, and the sequels, spin-offs and merchandising empire that followed turned Illumination into one of Universal Pictures' most bankable labels. By the third instalment, the franchise had already generated billions at the global box office across the mainline films and the Minions spin-off series, making Despicable Me 3 less of a creative gamble and more of a near-certain commercial event. The film arrives with a tagline that is either self-aware or quietly prophetic depending on your patience for sequels: "Oh brother."

The film is co-directed by Kyle Balda and Pierre Coffin, the latter of whom has been the creative constant of the franchise, also providing the voice of the Minions. Balda had already co-directed the Minions (2015) spin-off, and would later return to the franchise with Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022), suggesting a reliable franchise hand rather than a particularly distinctive authorial voice. The premise here sees Gru and his wife Lucy, voiced again by Kristen Wiig, facing a new threat in the form of Balthazar Bratt, a former child star from the 1980s who never quite let go of his television alter ego and has since channelled his resentment into a career of supervillainy. It is, on paper, a reasonably amusing concept, and the film leans hard into the era with the sort of neon-and-synth nostalgia that was fashionable in the mid-to-late 2010s. The 90-minute runtime suggests a production that at least had the decency not to overstay its welcome, though whether it earns even that is another matter.

The cast is a familiar mix of returning voices and new arrivals. Steve Carell, who has shown considerable range elsewhere (his dramatic turn in Beautiful Boy (2018) being about as far from Gru as it is possible to get), slips back into the character's peculiar Eastern European accent with practised ease, this time also voicing Gru's newly introduced twin brother Dru. Miranda Cosgrove and Dana Gaier reprise their roles as the older adopted daughters, and Kristen Wiig returns as Lucy. The genuine wild card in the cast, and the point around which much of the critical conversation about this film tends to orbit, is Trey Parker, the co-creator and writer of South Park, voicing the villain Balthazar Bratt. It is an unusual piece of casting for a mainstream family animation, and how well it pays off is very much a matter of what you make of the film as a whole.

By this point in the franchise, Despicable Me 3 feels less like a movie and more like a feature-length toy commercial with a loose plot stapled on. Gru’s identity crisis, the long-lost twin brother, the return of the Minions (again), and a disco-themed villain, it’s all stitched together with the bare minimum of logic and emotional weight. The animation is slick, sure, and the kids are still annoyingly cute, but the spark that made the first film charming (the oddball antihero turned reluctant dad) has long since fizzled into formula. That said, the only reason this gets a 2.5* instead of a hard pass is Trey Parker. Yes, that Trey Parker (co-creator of South Park) voicing the absurdly named villain Balthazar Bratt, a child star from the '80s who never moved on. And honestly he’s the entire reason to watch. His commitment to the bit (the ridiculous costume, the synth-heavy theme song, the petty, wounded ego) is weirdly inspired. It’s clear he’s having fun, and that energy lifts the film whenever he’s on screen. Unfortunately, that’s not often enough. The story drags, the Gru-and-twin-brother dynamic never lands, and the Minions’ subplot is just noise. It’s more of the same: predictable gags, recycled bits, and a plot that exists only to get from one set piece to the next. There’s no real heart, no surprise, no reason it needed to be made. But Parker’s performance (silly, self-aware, and strangely heartfelt in its own way) adds a layer of satirical charm the rest of the film lacks. Without him, this would be utterly forgettable. With him? Just barely worth a watch. Barely.

I think that about sums it up, really. Parker is genuinely the best argument for sitting through this one, and the fact that the film so consistently sidelines its most interesting element in favour of the twins subplot and yet more Minion antics says everything you need to know about where Illumination's priorities lie. There is a version of this film built around a properly developed Bratt that might have been something a bit special, silly and sharp in equal measure. Instead, we get what we get: polished but unremarkable, funny in patches, and coasting on goodwill the series has been steadily spending since the first one ended. Kids will not mind. The rest of us will manage. Just about.

Rating: ★★½  | Year: 2017  | Watched: 2025-08-06

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Trailer

▶ Watch the official trailer for Despicable Me 3 (2017) on YouTube

Where to watch

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Related on Movies With Macca

More from Kyle Balda: Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) · Minions (2015)
More with Steve Carell: Beautiful Boy (2018) · Despicable Me (2010) · Little Miss Sunshine (2006) · Dinner for Schmucks (2010)
More from the 2010s: Wonder (2017) · Beautiful Boy (2018) · The Witch (2015) · What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
More action: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · The General (1926) · Hand of Death (1976) · Daredevil (2003)
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