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Universal, whose animation arm’s lagged laughably behind cartoon cool kids Pixar and DreamWorks forever (see tepid entries like Balto, Curious George and The Tale of Despereaux), has a monster in its pocket with Despicable Me, which nets that elusive in-between all but guaranteeing feature-length grins from tykes and parents alike. It’s a 3-D feature that’d work just as well projected flat onto a greasy pizza box — screenwriters Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul didn’t invent the bad guy-as-good guy gambit, but they’ve certainly figured out how to tailor it to those too young to enjoy Payback. Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) is a vaguely accented supervillain settled into the doldrums of suburbia — when he’s not plotting large-scale heists with the help of his LEGO-like “minions” and senile sidekick Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand), he’s freeze-raying soccer moms to cut the coffee line and flattening sensible sedans while parallel-parking his terrormobile. But Gru learns that organized evil, just like any other lucrative American industry, is susceptible to ageism — he’s denied a loan necessary to finance his theft of the moon because lenders prefer the younger, flashier Vector (a zany, unrecognizable Jason Segel). An elaborate revenge plan leads Gru to adopt three children (their ringleader voiced by Miranda Cosgrove) from a girl’s orphanage, and it’s not long before their broad abandonment issues begin mirroring the icy-hearted baddie’s own ragged relationship with his vile mother (Julie Andrews). Despicable has the rare distinction of being defined by its inclusive storyline and good, clean laughs instead of its all-star cast, all of whom seem more interested in shaping funny characters than merely building up their respective vocal brands. —Drew Lazor

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Official Site: www.despicable.me

Rating:	PG
Director:	Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Cast:	Jason Segel, Steve Carell, Russell Brand, Will Arnett, Julie Andrews, Danny R. McBride, Kristen Wiig, Jack McBrayer, Jemaine Clement
Release Date:	July 9, 2010 (Nationwide)
Running Time:	95
Distributor:	Universal Pictures
Producer:	Chris Meledandri, John Cohen, Janet Healy
Genre:	Animation, Family
Advisory:	for rude humor and mild action