Despicable Me

2010 / 95 min PG

Despicable Me

Superbad. Superdad.

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641,840 votes
FLM.RED
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FLM.RED / After the credits

He steals the moon then rushes home

Spoilers for the 2010 film: Gru’s plan, the three girls, and the ballet recital he misses.

Painted cover of Gru, the three girls and Minions beneath the moon, with the film title and FLM.RED.
Despicable Me · Cover illustration / FLM.RED
Open the recap & discussion — spoilers

Gru wants to become the world’s greatest villain. When a rival steals a pyramid, he sets his sights on something considerably larger: the moon.

Cookies and a shrink ray

Gru needs a shrink ray held by his rival Vector, whose fortress is difficult to enter. He notices that three orphaned girls, Margo, Edith and Agnes, can get inside to sell cookies. Gru adopts them as a way to reach the device; the film makes his selfish starting point clear.

Life interrupts the plan

Caring for the girls brings Gru bedtime stories, outings and responsibilities he had not planned for. At an amusement park he starts having fun with them, even as the heist remains his goal. Margo is protective, Edith mischievous and Agnes more readily trusting; their relationships with him grow through ordinary moments.

A ticket in space

The moon heist falls on the same day as the girls’ ballet recital. Worried that they are distracting Gru, Dr. Nefario arranges for the orphanage to take them back. Gru lets them go. He succeeds in shrinking the moon, but the recital ticket floating out in space reminds him of the girls. He rushes back only to find the performance is over.

The thing he is willing to trade

Vector has kidnapped the girls and demands the moon. Gru hands it over, but Vector refuses to release them, so Gru and his allies rescue them. The shrinking effect wears off, the moon returns to its size, and Vector is left stranded on it. Later, Gru watches a ballet performance arranged for him. The ending does not undo his original manipulation; it shows him beginning to take responsibility for the bond he has formed.

After watching

  • When did you begin to believe Gru genuinely cared about the girls?
  • How does his missing the first recital affect the ending for you?

A different prize

The moon is the achievement Gru wants the world to notice; the ballet ticket reminds him of three people waiting for him.

Keep the conversation going

Why does Gru adopt the girls?

He initially plans to use their access as cookie sellers to enter Vector’s fortress and retrieve the shrink ray.

The story

Overview

Determined to prove he's the world's greatest supervillain, Gru hatches an audacious plan to steal the Moon. To pull it off, he adopts three orphaned girls—Margo, Edith, and Agnes—intending to use them as pawns in his scheme. But the unexpected bond they form forces him to question the criminal life he's always known.

In front of the camera

Cast

Illustrated portrait of Pierre Coffin

Pierre Coffin

Tim the Minion / Bob the Minion / Mark the Minion / Phil the Minion / Stuart the Minion (voice)

Through the lens

Images

Follow the connection

Where to go next.