Film review: Despicable Me 2 - Steve Carell and Kirsten Wiig star in a sequel devoid of humour and invention

(U) Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud, 98mins

Palmed off on kids: Steve Carell voices Gru in 'Despicable Me 2', a sequel with nothing for adults

There were laughs to be heard during this sequel to the 2010 digimation hit, but they were exclusively emanating from members of the audience below the age of 10.

The rest of us suffered in silence as Steve Carell reprised his turn as pointy-nosed Gru, now reformed as foster-parent to three girls and a purveyor of jellies and preserves. He gets himself into another jam when recruited by the Anti-Villain League to hunt down a criminal mastermind and a dangerous serum. Kristen Wiig voices Lucy Wilde, his sidekick.

The film’s metamorphic jokes and slapstick have a Looney Tunes energy – not the same thing as humour or invention. Kids will love the Minions, those one-eyed, egg-shaped creatures that speak a weird nonsense lingo, though again, there’s not much to tickle adults.