The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
Dec 13, 2002Santa Seeks a Wife
The first of two sequels to The Santa Clause with Tim Allen as Santa Claus, this benefits from a bigger budget
Ken Daurio
Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
Apr 21, 2008Dr Seuss Adaptation/Animation
Animated adaptation of the Dr Seuss book is an amiable effort that captures a certain zaniness but ultimately seems to be forcing Seuss's slim original to inhabit the formula of the modern animated film
Despicable Me (2010)
Jul 17, 2010Animation/Comic Travails of a Super-Villain
An animated effort about a mad scientist and three orphans. One entered this with zero expectation only for it to unexpectedly emerge as a side-splitting and completely charming pleasure
Hop (2011)
Apr 14, 2011Talking Easter Bunny
A film about the Easter Bunny that comes remarkably devoid of any significance of the meaning of Easter and only consists of the usual smartass talking animal antics
The Lorax (2012)
Mar 6, 2012Dr Seuss Adaptation/Animation
Animated Dr. Seuss adaptation that emerges as occasionally cute but little that rises above formula. The original story holds a pro-environmentalist message that is laid on with a trowel in the film
Despicable Me 2 (2013)
Jul 2, 2013Animation/Comic Travails of a Super-Villain
Despicable Me was a charming lightning in the bottle hit. Here Illumination Entertainment merely recyclethe familiar and already the cute sweetness and gags of the original are starting to feel like processed formula
The Secret Life of Pets (2016)
Nov 21, 2016Animation/Talking Animals
I really enjoyed Illumination Entertainment's debut film Despicable Me but thereafter they just seemed to slip into formula and following what every other animation studio is. Despite low initial enthusiasm, they regain their form here, doing nothing radically out of the ordinary but producing a modestly engaging work
Despicable Me 3 (2017)
Sep 9, 2017Animation/Comic Travails of a Super-Villain
Despicable Me was a delightful debut for Illumination Entertainment but has come close to making the studio a one-hit wonder they have milked that one hit for all they can
Despicable Me 4 (2024)
Aug 16, 2024Animation/Comic Travails of a Super-Villain
More from the world’s cuddliest super-villain and those manic ritalin-deprived kids that are the Minions. Is there are life and creativity left in a franchise that has been milked for six films now?