- Director: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
- Year: 2013
Overview
Gru is a retired supervillain who is adjusting to life as a father to his three adopted daughters. He is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to help investigate the theft of a chemical serum called PX-41, which turns creatures into mindless monsters. Gru is partnered with an energetic agent, Lucy Wilde, and they go undercover in a shopping mall. They discover that a former villain, El Macho, is behind the theft and plans to use the serum to conquer the world.
Takeaways
Gru going from a supervillain to a dad shows how his focus has shifted from trying to take over the world to just raising his girls. The PX-41 serum is a nasty chemical that turns the normally goofy Minions into purple monsters, which El Macho wants to use for his own schemes. The Anti-Villain League tries to handle things, but they don't have the real-world experience Gru does. In the end, Gru's insider knowledge of how bad guys think is exactly what lets him stop the threat and keep his family safe.