Not suitable under 6; parental guidance to 8 (violence, scary scenes)
This topic contains:
Children under 6 | Not recommended due to violence and scary scenes |
Children 6-8 | parental guidance recommended due to violence and scary scenes |
Children 8 and over | OK for this age group |
This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.
Name of movie: | Despicable Me 2 |
Classification: | PG |
Consumer advice lines: | Mild animated violence |
Length: | 98 minutes |
This review of the movie contains the following information:
Despicable Me 2 opens with a top-secret research laboratory in the Antarctic being stolen by a giant flying magnet that sucks the laboratory up into the air and whisks it away. The film then cuts to reformed super-villain Gru (voice of Steve Carell), who now uses his talents to keep his three adopted daughters, Margo (voice of Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (voice of Dana Gaier) and Agnes (voice of Elsie Kate) entertained. Gru’s legion of yellow minions are also taking on babysitting and house cleaning duties and helping Gru develop his legitimate business - a new line of delicious jams and jellies.
Gru’s new life is turned upside down when he is kidnapped by secret agent Lucy Wilde (voice of Kristen Wiig), who whisks him away for a meeting with Silas Ramsbottom (voice of Steve Coogan), the head of the Anti-Villain League. Silas informs Gru that a top-secret serum which can transform cute little rabbits into ferocious monsters has been stolen from a research lab in the Antarctic by an as yet unknown super-villain. The serum is believed to be hidden somewhere in a shopping mall with the super-villain responsible masquerading as one of the shop owners. Silas wants Gru to team up with agent Lucy Wild and go undercover as owners of a cupcakes shop, with Gru using his skills to determine which shop owner is the super-villain and then recover the serum.
It doesn’t take Gru long to recognise the owner of a Mexican restaurant, a man called Eduardo (voice of Benjamin Bratt) as the super-villain El Macho. El Macho’s master plan involves stealing Gru’s minions and using them for his own evil purposes. It is up to Gru and Lucy to stop El Macho and save the minions.
Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.
Super-villains; family relationships
Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.
Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.
Despicable Me 2 contains frequent over-the-top cartoon style slapstick violence and peril but no death, injury or blood and gore. Younger children may imitate some of the violence. Examples include:
Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.
In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children under the age of five, particularly in the 3D version. They include:
Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.
Younger children in this age group may also be scared by some of the above-mentioned scenes.
Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.
Children in this age group are unlikely to be scared by anything in this film.
Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.
Nothing of concern
None of concern, but some associated merchandise.
Despicable Me 2 contains occasional low-level romantic suggestions and inferences. Examples include:
The film contains some mild romantic activity and comical cartoon nudity. Examples include:
There is some use of substances in this movie, including:
Despicable Me 2 contains some mild name calling and toilet humour. Examples include:
Despicable Me 2 is an animated family comedy, full of clever humour and likely to appeal to both school-age children and adults. The film brings back most of the main characters from the first Despicable Me film as well as a host of new ones. Children under 6 may be scared by some of the violence and by scenes of creatures transforming into monsters after being injected by serum. These are more intense in the 3D version.
The film promotes the importance of family and having a life partner. Gru continuously demonstrates his love for his children through his willingness to place their needs over his own and his constant care for them.
Parents may wish to discuss the pre-teen romance and flirting behaviour shown between Margo and her boyfriend.
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Content is age appropriate for children this age
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Content is not age appropriate for children this age
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