I Watched The First Despicable Me For The First Time In Years, And I Think This Franchise Has Been Soiled By Its Successors

How are there some movies out there that genuinely changed the game and the face of a particular movie genre for years to come? Yeah, one of those films happens to be Despicable Me.

I know, at first, you’re probably wondering, “That stupid little movie with the minions that my grandmother, for some reason, loves to post on Facebook all the time?” Yes, that movie. And trust me, I feel you, I hear you – I stand in solidarity as someone who has been barraged by Minion memes time and time again. The Despicable Me movies have reigned supreme.

But at the same time, the Minion-hype and everything else came from somewhere, right? It didn’t just pop up overnight and become a sensation. It came from the first Despicable Me film. So, since it’s been fifteen years since the first one was released, I decided to rewatch it – and I have to admit, I really think this series was ruined by its later films. Let’s get into it.

I Know That The Despicable Me Franchise Has Sort Of Become A Joke Now

So before I get into this, I know that the Despicable Me movies have become a joke now.

I don’t just mean in the “wow, they are so bad they’re good” kind of way. It’s more like the characters themselves have become memes over the years. And, I mean, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I seriously think that, due to the rise of meme culture, Shrek ended up earning a whole new slew of fans in the 2010s, which led to the upcoming Shrek 5. Meme culture can be good.

However, because the Despicable Me movies are not particularly well-received, the jokes are made worse, and the memes begin to spread more and more. Not only that, but with the rise of Minions online and how often you see them all over social media platforms, those little monsters have become a joke now, too – and not in a funny way. More like a “I want to drop-kick them over my fence” kind of way.

Either way, the movies aren’t known to be the best, but there’s something about the first film that I didn’t realize – and that it’s actually good.

The First Movie, However, Is Really Well-Done

Scratch that, it’s not just good – this film is great. Amazing. I seriously think Illumination had a good thing going with the first Despicable Me film, because this movie really does have a lot of heart that I wasn't expecting.

I’m not entirely sure how to approach this without diving too deeply into the story and spoiling it for those who haven’t seen it. But since it’s been fifteen years since its release, I’m going to feel relatively better about it. So spoiler alert.

In the film, Gru (the main antagonist/protagonist) seeks to adopt three girls in order to use them for his villainous schemes and against his nemesis. But as time goes on, he starts to care for the girls that he didn’t expect, as the battle between who will steal the moon first heats up between him and his nemesis, Vector.

That, in of itself, is a fun plot – and filled to the brim with ideas that I’m sure so many people will latch onto. But how they deliver it is what makes it fun. Steve Carell’s voice-acting of Gru is obviously excellent, and I think that even in the later films, he kills it too. But I believe him in this film just hit so much harder because he truly shows so much emotion in this relatively emotionless man. And that’s something that we all love.

However, other aspects also make this a great movie.

The Trope Of A Grumpy Man Taking On Three Girls And Growing A Heart Never Gets Old

I don’t need to be the first one to tell you that the idea of a grumpy man becoming a father figure/mentor to someone younger is a trope that everyone loves. We’ve seen it time and time again. HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us is a great example. The Mandalorian is one of the best Disney+ original shows. Heck, you could even point out Tony Stark and Peter Parker in the MCU. It’s a trope that many people, including myself, lean towards. And to have that in a kid’s movie is practically screenwriting gold.

What makes it work so well here is that it feels organic. We know for a fact that Gru adopted this girl with ill intentions from the start. Seeing that moral code shift within his mind as the film progresses, and those slow, little transformations that fully reveal how much they have affected him, makes it that much better.

When he finally saves the girls towards the end, you feel like you’ve earned it – because you’ve seen that change in his own heart. It’s like watching the Grinch’s heart grow three sizes, and when it’s so big it’s overflowing out of his chest, that’s when he saves the town, and you root for him.

That’s what it was like watching this trope fully take form – and what a way they did it.

The Minions Weren't Overdone And Were Actually Funny

This is the biggest thing that gets to me – the fact that the Minions were actually funny in the first film. It makes me remember why we all fell in love with them. Even me! I had a Minion plushie at some point.

But you want to know what makes them good? They weren’t overdone. They had their funny moments for sure, but there weren’t whole sequences dedicated to just following them and their strange noises as they messed up something from Gru. They were an integral part of the story and didn’t overstay their welcome – unlike many of the other films and their movies.

The memes really began from there. But it’s a shame that at one point, they were great, but now, I couldn’t even imagine them going back to how they once were. And hopefully we never see the Minions in live-action form.

I Wish That Each Film Was Made With This Much Care, But Guess Not Anymore

I don’t know if there will be any more Despicable Me movies. The franchise remains successful for Illumination. Despicable Me 4 killed the July 4th box office in 2024, and overall earned nearly a billion dollars at the box office. So it would honestly be surprising if somehow, it didn’t earn another film – or, at the very least, another Minions movie.

However, it’s a shame that the original film, which is so well-written and scripted, has been tarnished by its successors. I think everyone often overlooks how much the Minions have permeated pop culture, or the memes that we usually forget about, where it all began. And to me, that’s a shame, because I really do love the first film.

Honestly, I would recommend you go back and watch it, because I do think it’s one of Illumination’s best – even if the later films aren’t nearly as great. I think it might be time for another movie marathon – or perhaps just this one.