Film Name: 神偷奶爸3 / Despicable Me 3
To this day, if you told me there was another Totoro in the world exactly like the one we know, I wouldn’t accept it. The same goes for Gru. This “villain”—who sought revenge against society due to childhood trauma, yet found love for life again through three innocent little girls—is irreplicable and irreplaceable. Even if he had a twin brother, even if they looked exactly alike, such a replacement would be utterly devastating.
In a way, I quite like the contrast between Gru and Dru, the twin brothers. One has flowing blond hair, the other a shaved head and shabby appearance. One loves white, the other always wears black. One is filthy rich yet hollow inside, the other an ordinary working stoner with an emotionally rich life. The contrast between them should stay at this level of complementary comedy, not attempt to have Dru replicate Gru.
After hundreds of episodes, Lupin III remains the same master thief—still infatuated with Fujiko Mine, still toying with Inspector Zenigata like a puppet. He’s both a thief and a knight-errant, and that’s the Lupin we adore. Likewise, we want Gru to remain eternally “despicable”—teaming up with the Minions for ‘evil’ yet magnificent feats like stealing the moon, deeply loving his family, and exposing the world’s so-called “justice” for the hypocrisy it truly is.
As a killing technique, Mutsu Enmyō-ryū is passed down to only one heir at a time. The sole exception was when twins inherited it simultaneously, inevitably leading to a life-or-death duel. The lone ranger’s story is always a battle against a world he neither wants to blend into nor can escape. Once a clear adversary emerges, the story’s theme shifts from seeking to confronting. Despicable Me follows the same pattern. Its core theme is Gru’s quest to find meaning in life—from children to a lover to brotherly bonds. Though the love surrounding him grows, it serves only as a foundation for his convictions, not a reason to abandon them. Once the brotherly conflict is established, the subsequent plot devolves into superficial exploration of this adversarial theme.
In my review of the first Boonie Bears film, Treasure Hunters, I noted that the character most deserving of the treasure didn’t receive it. Who deserved it most? The antagonist—a man abandoned by the world who should have been redeemed by its love. Only then could such a story radiate positive energy. “Despicable Me 3” employs a similar setup: a former child star, once celebrated by the world, seeks revenge after fading into obscurity. For such a “villain,” the film should offer a helping hand rather than a complete takedown.
Just as “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” satirizes America’s social welfare system, “Despicable Me 3” pokes fun at Hollywood’s cold-heartedness amidst its humor. How much resentment must the director harbor toward Hollywood to dream up a gag where bubblegum blows the entire industry skyward? Perhaps Hollywood’s star-making process truly mirrors the Dru family’s pig farming. All the glitz and glamour of Hollywood pales in comparison to the heartwarming presence of that goat with just one horn. Even if it’s not a real unicorn, it embodies the little girl’s simple hopes and dreams for life.
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