I’m so disappointed. This film had everything going for it; excellent cast, good pedigree and some neat trailers. Unfortunately it lacks one crucial ingredient: soul. In this day and age with Pixar pumping out smash-hit after smash-hit, who could go wrong with another animated feature? There are good guys and bad guys, a story and some jokes, but nothing that binds any of it together. This is a lifeless mess, and all the more depressing because of it.

Despicable Me has a rather simple premise, and one that should have been its key. Gru, master villain extraordinaire, adopts three young girls in order to steal a shrink-ray. As he then proceeds to steal the moon, he inevitably bonds to his new charges.

In reality however there are a few cheap laughs, clichéd action pieces and the sentimentality is so un-obvious as to be worthless. In the hands of a proper writer this could have been a tear-jerker to rival Up. Instead you have such a predictable ending as to be worthless.

Children may enjoy the film, but there is none of the humour adults have come to expect, small tidbits snuck in to keep them entertained. Maybe one for DVD, but not worth the 3D admission price at a cinema.

My rating: 4/10