Despicable Me 3
Despicable Me 3 is an animated comedy film, the fourth installment in the Despicable Me franchise, released in 2017. The movie centers on Gru, a former supervillain who has transitioned into a secret agent for the Anti-Villain League, alongside his wife Lucy and their three adopted daughters. The plot unfolds as Gru is fired from his job and subsequently discovers he has a long-lost twin brother, Dru, a flamboyant millionaire with a desire to embrace his family's villainous heritage. The brothers, with their respective families, team up to stop Balthazar Bratt, a former 1980s child star turned supervillain, from enacting revenge on Hollywood. Targeted at a family audience, the film maintains a lighthearted, comedic tone, blending action, adventure, and themes of family, brotherhood, and finding one's purpose. It features various action sequences, cartoon violence, and rude humor, consistent with its PG rating. While generally considered suitable for older children and families, parental guidance is recommended due to some intense scenes and mild suggestive content.
Concerns
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
MediumThe film contains a minor, implied reference to gender identity or sexual orientation, with one source describing Gru's twin brother, Dru, as "vaguely gay." There are no explicit LGBTQ characters or themes presented in the film, and the content is subtle and open to interpretation by viewers.
One review describes Gru's twin brother, Dru, as "vaguely gay," attributing this interpretation to his flamboyant personality, his scarf, and his large mansion. This is an interpretation by a reviewer rather than an explicit canonical statement within the film itself.
Violence
MediumDespicable Me 3 features frequent cartoon violence, including action sequences with weapons, fighting, and significant property destruction. While often portrayed comically, it includes large-scale destruction and threatening villains, though typically without graphic injuries. This content may be intense for very young children.
Balthazar Bratt, the villain, uses a giant robot that shoots laser beams, causing significant urban destruction in Hollywood, including collapsing buildings. Lucy engages in a bar fight, using martial arts to attack multiple individuals. Characters use various weapons like guns, bombs, torpedoes, and poisoned arrows, but no graphic injuries are depicted.
Romance and Sexual Content
MediumThe movie includes mild sexual references and crude humor, primarily through innuendo and suggestive jokes. These instances are generally brief and presented in a comedic, non-explicit manner, though some involve references to body parts or implied romantic situations. There are also scenes of partial nudity where private parts are covered.
Mild innuendo occurs when Gru's mother is shown swimming with two male attendants. A minion points to a statue of one of Gru's ancestors and explicitly says 'Gru with boobs'. There are scenes with partial nudity where Gru and Balthazar Bratt lose their clothes, but private body parts are covered by bubblegum or other objects.
Substance Use
MediumThe film includes minor instances of substance use, primarily depicting adults drinking alcohol in a bar setting. This is shown briefly and without glamorization, but does include a scene of an individual who appears to be drunk. Tranquilizer guns are also utilized in action sequences.
Two young girls, Margo and Agnes, briefly enter a bar where men are seen drinking alcohol. A drunk man is explicitly shown being thrown out of a bar. Additionally, characters are incapacitated through the use of tranquilizers in action scenes.
Scary & Intense Content
MediumDespicable Me 3 contains several intense and potentially frightening scenes, particularly for very young children. These include large-scale destruction, threatening villains, and moments of peril for the main characters, often presented in an animated, comedic style but still capable of causing unease.
Balthazar Bratt, the main antagonist, uses a giant robot to terrorize Hollywood, causing significant destruction and collapsing buildings which can be frightening. In a tense scene, Bratt disguises himself as Lucy to kidnap the girls, leading to their fright when his true identity is revealed. Characters are also shown in dangerous situations, such as driving a car too fast and falling off a cliff.
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumThe film features elements of disrespect and rebellion, primarily through the antagonist Balthazar Bratt's motivations and actions, as well as the Minions' brief stint in jail. Themes of defying authority and rules are present, often for comedic effect or as plot drivers.
Balthazar Bratt's entire villainous plot is an act of revenge against Hollywood for canceling his childhood TV show, demonstrating significant rebellion against perceived societal authority. The Minions rebel against Gru after he loses his job, leading them to go to jail and later escape to pursue villainy.
Profanity
LowThe film contains mild coarse language and rude humor, consistent with a PG rating. This includes name-calling and some toilet humor, but no strong expletives are used. The Minions' gibberish can occasionally include recognizable, albeit childish, rude words.
The film includes mild coarse language and name-calling such as 'barf-bag,' 'stupid,' 'idiot,' and 'loser'. There are also several instances of toilet humor, including flatulence jokes. One minion is heard explicitly saying 'boobs' while gesturing toward a statue.
Witchcraft & Occult
LowThere is no explicit content related to witchcraft, sorcery, occult practices, or demonic themes in Despicable Me 3. The movie focuses on sci-fi villainy and animated action rather than supernatural elements, with minimal or no religious symbolism.
The movie contains no explicit depictions of witchcraft, sorcery, magic rituals, or overt occult practices. There is one brief, subtle visual reference to a 'yin and yang' symbol, which is not central to the plot or discussed in dialogue.
Anti-Christian Themes
LowDespicable Me 3 does not contain explicit anti-Christian themes or content that mocks Christian beliefs or symbols. Religious references are minimal and not presented in a derogatory way, with one instance even showing a positive religious gesture.
The film does not portray any anti-Christian messages or criticisms. One scene includes a brief depiction of a bedtime prayer. A minion is also heard exclaiming 'Hallelujah' in a context of relief or excitement, which is not an anti-Christian theme.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
Ages 7+ with parental guidance. The film is rated PG for action and rude humor, which includes cartoon violence, some suggestive jokes, and intense scenes involving a large robot and peril. While older children (10+) may find it suitable, the content may be too frightening or complex for children under 7, necessitating parental discretion for younger viewers.
Additional Notes
Reviewers note that while the movie is generally 'more of the same' as its predecessors in terms of humor and tone, some found there to be 'a lot more booze and sex' than in earlier installments, suggesting a slight intensification of these elements. There were no significant differences found across theatrical, extended, or director's cuts, or major shifts in overall franchise tone across this specific installment. The film includes a brief reference to Gru's parents' divorce which might be sensitive for some children.
Related Reviews
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