MOVIE REVIEW: Director AR Murguadoss introduces us to Sudalai (SJ Suryah) with a brutal crime that happens under Shiva's (Mahesh Babu) watch. Murguadoss's main protagonist and antagonist and the conflict between them look inspired from filmmaker Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight.

3.5 / 5 Stars

Director AR Murugadoss, the man with an extraordinary box-office track record, teams up with Prince Mahesh Babu for the very first time for a bilingual in Telugu and Tamil. The expectations that Spyder entices is massive after ARM's previous Tamil hits and has the film satisfied its targeted audience or not?  

Mahesh Babu plays an Intelligence Bureau officer who goes against the government norms to protect people from harm's way. How one failure leads him to a menacing psychopath serial killer, and how he encounters him is all Spyder is about. Mahesh Babu's performance in his first straight Tamil film is decent, just that he could have been little more expressive. Though it looks fairly straightforward, the way it is narrated makes it look complex and dynamic.

SJ Suryah finds a meaty role with ample screen time and voluminous scope to prove his acting skills. ARM has made no compromise in establishing SJ Suryah's character knowing that it would be the USP of the film. SJ Suryah’s introduction scene, in particular, was terrifying and well-structured. Rakul Preet looks cute, and her romance portions with Mahesh works in parts. At places, it looked fresh, but at places, some may find it distracting.  

The movie wastes no time to get going, as it grabs the attention of the crowd from the very word go. The narration doesn’t look to stagnate one bit, as the director keeps throwing in enough surprises one after another which is also layered with some riveting and pulsating action sequences for the audience to consume. But towards the end, it gets a little boring. With good performances and a brisk screenplay, this movie offers solid, no-frills drama that not contrived though it deals with a larger than life subject.

AR Murugadoss has manoeuvred his resources with utmost perfection creating both suspense and an emotional impact which result as a decent thriller, but has he completely satisfied his fans compared to his previous films is up for debate.

Spyder will be remembered for the breathtaking battle between Mahesh Babu and SJ Suryah. One of the sequences follows a similar pattern of 12 man shootout scene from Thuppakki but this one might appear artificial to a few sections of the audiences. Some CGI moments could have been done with more care, such tacky graphics could have been avoided in a big film like Spyder.

Santhosh Sivan's camera adds grandeur to the film. The roller coaster and the hospital fight scenes were captured well. Harris Jayaraj’s re-recording is effective and the highlight score would be the theme track for SJ Suryah. The stunt sequences composed by Peter Hein is another major attraction to Spyder especially the theme action scene, but the song placements is a concern. Beyond a point, the film gets a little too heavy with gore, and one might feel the climax could have been executed better. Apart from these minor issues, Spyder will entertain you decently if you are an action film lover.

Verdict: SJ Suryah's performance and AR Murugadoss' touch makes Spyder a decent thriller

‘Birth of the Dragon’ Reveals Bruce Lee’s Most Controversial Fight

One of the most dramatic and controversial fights of Bruce Lee‘s career did not take place on the silver screen or even in front of a cheering crowd but rather behind closed doors, a private Man on Man contest between martial arts masters. Believed to have stemmed from a conflict over Lee teaching Chinese martial arts to Caucasian men, the tension escalated to the point that Lee and instructor Wong Jack Man came to blows in a bout for honor. A new trailer for Birth of the Dragon sets up this story in dramatic fashion.

To be clear, this film isn’t a straight biopic of Lee’s life and career but rather takes inspiration from this legendary fight. It took place before Lee’s Hollywood star status really took off, though he had already been acting in Chinese films from an early age. A couple of years after this match, he would star as Kato on both The Green Hornet and in a few episodes of Batman before embracing his feature film status. Also of note, Birth of the Dragon originally premiered at TIFF 2016, but this is a new cut of the film.

George Nolfi directs from a script by Stephen J. Rivele and Christopher Wilkinson. Phillip Ng, Xia Yu, Billy Magnussen, Jin Xing, Jingjing Qu, and Simon Yin star, with Martial Arts Supervisor Corey Yuen overseeing the all-important fight sequences. Look for Birth of the Dragon in theaters on September 22^nd

Here’s the official synopsis for Birth of the Dragon:

In 1964, Bruce Lee took on Wong Jack Man in one of the most controversial fights of all time. Watch the trailer for Birth of the Dragon, the film inspired by this true event.

Set against the backdrop of 1960s San Francisco, BIRTH OF THE DRAGON is a modern take on the classic movies that Bruce Lee was known for. It takes its inspiration from the epic and still controversial showdown between an up-and-coming Bruce Lee and kung fu master Wong Jack Man – a battle that gave birth to a legend.

Magalir Mattum movie review: Magalir Mattum is a film about three college friends who meet each other after a long period. Directed by Bramma, the film stars Oorvasi, Bhanupriya, Saranya Ponvannan and Jyothika.

3.5 / 5 Stars

How often have we celebrated women around us in real life? How often have we seen a film celebrating women? Here is Jyothika’s Magalir Mattum, for us, which is one such rare films, that wants the world to celebrate women.
 

Three best friends (Saranya Ponvannan, Oorvasi, Bhanupriya) who got separated after their school days, reunite once again after 36 years, with the help of Prabha (Jyothika). Prabha decides to take the trio on a three-day trip, and the film is all about the moments and incidents that these women encounter during this journey.

Jyothika is seen more like another character, than as a lead. She has effortlessly pulled off her character, which is full of energy and cheer. Her characterisation is so strong, something that every woman would want to be. This would be one of the memorable films in her beautiful career. It is a hard task to pick the best out of the three women, as all three have given their true best. Saranya Ponvannan scores the best, in the COOKER scene, and it is an evident proof to show why she is an ace actress. Oorvasi makes it a fun watch with her gimmicks, and dialogue delivery, while Bhanupriya pulls it off through her emotions. Even the smallest of the characters is impressive, and the director has extracted only the best, from the performers. Special mention to the person who played Bhanupriya’s elder son Karthik (Pavel Navageethan)

Right from the word go, the film starts with the story, and at any point of time, it doesn’t deviate. We are introduced to the three friends and their school days, which leads to the present, and the film flows on the right path. Even the minuscule detailings are noteworthy, like each color representing each woman; red for Bhanupriya, green for Oorvasi and blue for Saranya Ponvannan, and people who know about color language can connect more to these characters. 

The film’s writing is very much confined, focussed and strong, and that is when you remember that this film is written and directed by Bramma, who gave us an impactful Kuttram Kadithal. You get to meet different characters through the journey of Magalir Mattum, who give you various experiences. Even after coming out of the film, the characters, Prabha, Goms, Rani, Subbu, stay in your heart. The director doesn't preach and that is the best part of Magalir Mattum. While you travel through the movie, you understand and realise about the women around us and their lifestyle. 

Ghibran’s songs and background score is an inevitable part, and he is a strong boost for the film. His music elevates the scenes to a different level, and he continues to prove his efficiency. Manikandan’s visuals are worth mentioning, and his vision to use multiple long shots is seen, which is also suitable, supplementing the film’s mood. C.S.Prem’s edit is neat and crisp, with the right type of inserts and cuts between current portion and retro portion.

Director Bramma has proven once again that he is a talented filmmaker with a strong content and a noble motive. Kudos to him, for making a celebratory film like this, which is fully surrounded by positivity and feel good moments, though the film dealing a serious subject. After seeing a dark approach to filmmaking from Bramma in Kuttram Kadithal, here is the lighter way through Magalir Mattum. Last, but not the least, Suriya’s 2D Entertainment have once again delivered a quality product after 36 Vayadhinile and 24. Watch out for the surprise cast in the end.

On the flip side, the film's travel is predictable and a section of the audience might slightly feel the ending not as natural as the rest of the movie.

Thupparivaalan movie review: Mysskin's 'Thupparivaalan' is heavily indebted to Sherlock Holmes series in terms of its settings. The director has been unapologetic in borrowing the characters from the world famous detective series and has tried to make them his own.

3/ 5 Stars

Director Mysskin is back with yet another crime thriller with Thupparivaalan and this time he chooses an action hero as his lead. Not just Vishal, the film is packed with a bandwagon of stars like K Bhagyaraj, Prasanna, Vinay, Simran, Andrea, Anu Emmanuel and others.

Thupparivaalan might look like it is inspired by few popular crime stories like Sherlock Holmes. However, you still need to give credit to Mysskin for adapting a Holmes type film to suit the local audience. Mysskin has developed a gripping plot and narrated in a style of his own.

What if a trademark Mysskin protagonist meets Benedict Cumberbatch (Holmes)? That is how Vishal’s character sketch looks to have been framed. He wears a sober face and has a wacky mannerism. You could probably see a lot of Mysskin in Vishal. It is a difficult role to pull off, and Vishal has done full justice to it.

Bhagyaraj gets to don a completely different role to what we have seen him do over the years, and he has one or two scoring situations to showcase his talent. Prasanna as Vishal's friend comes throughout the film and has supported the lead well. Actors like Simran, Jayaprakash and Aadukalam Naren come and go to infuse tension elements to the script.

We know Mysskin films are emotion driven and he really stamps his class when he perfectly knits a clever crime plot along with an impactful sentimental subplot. But Mysskin has tried his hands on a full-on commercial film here. It is more on suspense and less on emotional quotient. So it doesn’t convey the much-needed pain. You don’t feel excited or sorry for any of the characters which distance yourself from getting attached to the script.

You don’t see anything so force fitted in the film except the Andrea escape scene which wasn’t made convincingly and could get you feel that it was a compromise made for commercial purposes.It is evident that Mysskin has a fascination towards violin. You could find that violin is not just an instrument used, but it is also a character that the director uses to convey his thoughts.

Thupparivaalan is a mainstream product that keeps the audience at bay from the word go with plenty of suspenseful moments. But at one stage, few could vaguely understand where the plot is heading, and from there on, it might look less engaging, but the climax balances it in the end.

The action scenes were very well constructed. There are 3 to 4 solid action blocks that could go well with the masses. The love portions may not work for some since it is between 2 weird characters that you don’t get to see often. The cinematography and music go hand in hand to uplift Mysskin’s vision.

"For better or for worse, in some ways for worse, the world didn't change, the world headed even more in the direction I was writing from," Stephen Schiff says. "So [the movie] does feel timely, and I'm glad it feels timely."

Michael Cuesta's American Assassin is based on a book of the same name by Vince Flynn, who wrote an entire series of thrillers about counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp. But there are some key differences between Flynn's novel and the movie starring Dylan O'Brien as Mitch.

"The movie's very different from the book," screenwriter Stephen Schiff says of the changes made for the big-screen version. "There's no bomb in the book. There's no character like Ghost in the book. Most of what's in the movie is not in the book."

Perhaps most significantly, the tragedy that motivates Mitch, which in the book was the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, has been updated to the film's opening terrorist attack on the beach.

"We weren't going to go back to [the Lockerbie disaster] so I had to really create something contemporary that would be as huge and as terrible, which I think the movie conveys," Schiff adds. Still, the movie does portray the same "coming-of-age story."

"One of the things that I really felt in the whole Vince Flynn series was, if you go through all the books, he becomes a very experienced, powerful adult. You get a sense of [the beginning of] that in the book American Assassin and I wanted to convey that sense very strongly albeit through different means in our movie. I kind of wanted to do that idea justice. And I hope we did," Schiff says. "That guy on the beach at the beginning is a boy and that guy at the end is a hardened — even though he's boy-ish in many ways — he's American assassin."

Schiff, who serves as a writer and executive producer on FX's The Americans and whose film-writing credits include the Wall Street sequel Money Never Sleeps and the 1999 Michelle Pfeiffer starrer The Deep End of the Ocean, talked to The Hollywood Reporter about what attracted him to this project and the timeliness of a number of plot points, which have echoes of recent terrorist attacks and geopolitical issues.

How did you get involved with this film? I know it's been in the works for a while and took on a few different incarnations.

Yeah, well that's true. There were some previous scripts, and people worked on it and had various ideas for it over the years. I was approached two or three years ago, 2015 maybe. And I looked at the scripts and the book and the character and the idea of basically launching something like this, because there were a lot of books and a lot of places to go and there were a lot of changes that needed to be made, and I saw something in it that surprisingly interested me. In the approach that Vince Flynn took to the character and to all of his characters, he gets inside their heads and you watch them go through these very dire situations and you see what's inside the traditional CIA secret agent tough guy. I was struck by the idea that you could get inside the feelings that these people have and even though you would be experiencing their extraordinary competence and skill and speed and energy and athleticism and fearlessness, you'd also see what's behind that. You'd see fear, vulnerability, indecision, emotion, conflict — all of the things, all of the drama that goes on inside them as well as the drama the action scenario sets up. And trying to find that and do that really interested me. [There was also a desire] to make it feel really gritty and down to earth that we're on now, and the challenges of that interested me.

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‘Unlocked,’ a New Spy Thriller, Same as the Old Spy Thrillers

The spy thriller “Unlocked” is an apt and not entirely unentertaining demonstration of the adage “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” The movie has a female lead (Alice Racine, played by Noomi Rapace) as its intrepid, smart, lethal spy, so that’s something. Instead of Cold War chess moves in the mode of “Funeral in Berlin,” it serves up the ostensible threat of Islamist terror. Racine is an undercover C.I.A. agent posing as an employment counselor in London. She’s loath to do fieldwork because she feels responsible for not thwarting a terrorist strike in Paris years ago. But she’s pulled back in by the prospect of a horrifying biological attack. She needs to interrogate — “unlock” in spy-speak — a courier whose message could set the plan in motion, or stop it.

And here the movie goes very old school, piling on spy thriller tropes: double crosses; chases; a stock taciturn white-haired would-be assassin (who, conveniently enough, can’t quite draw a bead on our heroine); an eager recruit who might as well be nicknamed Dead Meat; and dialogue like “I’m thinking I’m the only friend you’ve got.”

I suppose this went down easily enough for me because I grew up with this kind of stuff, and can surrender to it as a kind of cinematic comfort food. But still. For those not so inclined, the entertainment value could conceivably be derived from the brisk, no-nonsense direction by Michael Apted, and the talents of what they used to call “an all-star cast” — in this case, Michael Douglas, Toni Collette, John Malkovich and Orlando Bloom.

-New York Times

POTENT HUMOR, SOLID PERFORMANCES

 3.5/5 Stars

STORY: 'Shubh Mangal Saavdhan' is a remake of the Tamil film 'Kalyana Samayal Saadham' made in 2013. The story revolves around Mudit Sharma (Ayushmann Khurrana) and Sugandha (Bhumi Pednekar) who fall in love and plan to get married. But the twist in the tale comes when the groom discovers that he suffers from erectile dysfunction. 

REVIEW: Is it possible to create a Hindi film around the 'touchy' subject of erectile dysfunction without being downright crass about it? Turns out that it is, and quite a funny one at that. This is because the lead pair has an affable chemistry between them - an absolutely essential element when dealing with such a private 'Gents problem' (as the film calls it). The whole premise would fall flat without them playing so well off of each other. Ayushmann and Bhumi are able to recreate the magic of being together on-screen, even if their characters aren't exactly new or challenging to either actor. But it works, so there's no need to fix it. Additionally, they're surrounded by a group of talented supporting actors who blend in seamlessly without being too overbearing. This makes the comedy work exactly how and when it's meant to without stooping to raunchy humour.

However, Seema Pahwa deserves a special mention. She has nailed down the traditionally modern mother in the recent past (as seen in 'Bareilly Ki Barfi'), and can clearly continue to make her career based on that oxymoron. There's a scene where she tries to teach her grown-up daughter Sugandha about the birds and bees by drawing comparisons to a popular Arabian folk tale. It works on multiple levels by being hilarious and heartwarming at the same time, as we see a mother making an honest and uncomfortable attempt to give her daughter a crash course in sex-ed - albeit a little too late. This scene itself shows writer-director R.S. Prasanna's ability to balance comedy with sincerity, and the film works largely because of this.

But, much like Mudit's character, the film is unable to perform when it matters the most - the climax. For some reason, the screenplay resorts to an unconvincing turning point towards the end, followed by a few more absurd sequences, including a seemingly forced cameo before going flat out overboard. It's quite the disappointment, and while that doesn't negate the undeniable effort put in by the cast, it makes you wonder why the narrative suddenly went limp. That aside, 'Shubh Mangal Saavdhan' keeps you entertained long enough to make it worth a watch.

Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson's foul-mouthed chemistry makes this high-concept action comedy a pleasant late-summer surprise.

Vivegam - An action film with international flavour in making style

After delivering the super hit 'Veeram' and the blockbuster 'Vedalam' director Siva has teamed up with Ajith for the third time for 'Vivegam' which is much much bigger in scale as well as pre-release expectations. Let's see how the film has come out.

Vivegam is the story of Counter Terrorist Wing Agent Ajay Kumar aka AK ( Ajith) who destroys the ploy of traitors to cause many man-made earthquakes and kill a lot of innocent people across countries. He achieves this huge mission as a lone Survivor of a near dead attack. How he does that and who are his enemies are the things that needs to be watched in theatres

First things first, 'Vivegam' is not just a mass movie. It is packed with true international flavour and the story as well as narration is something new to Tamil cinema The film warrants keen watching as the story involves a lot of high technology concepts and details of international security agencies. Full credits should go for the lavish spending of producers Sathya Jyothi Films, visuals by cinematographer Vetri and fantastic Art direction. Especially the biggest credit for this should go to the production team. The film has the gloss required for an international film and in that aspect the producers have lived up to the expectations over the banner which has been producing good quality films over the past 3.5 decades.

The biggest problem of the film is its predictable story and screenplay. Yes the story itself retains the international flavour as promised by the makers. But the way that has been used wants us to forget the logic and completely suspend disbelief. The introduction of concepts such as Secret Society controlling the entire world needs better detailing and lacks even the basic understanding of such groups.A purported international war has been reduced as a mere fight between over powerful and clever hero and villain in this film. Especially in the second half the logic takes a complete beating. The way certain things such as a satellite bomb provide for unintended fun. Many happenings in the second half cat and mouse game between the hero and villain can be termed as an attack on the sense of the audience.

Having said these. Siva has to be credited for packing the film with enough mas moments that will satisfy Ajith fans. The emotional quotient in the form of husband-wife relationship also works to an extent. But it is comical to see the heroine literally singing a song during the climax fight between the hero and the villain. Siva has also done a spectacular job in the dialogue department as usual. The mass dialogues of Ajith are spot on while the general ones are also powerful.

‘Vivegam’ will please Ajith fans and action film lovers. Others may have to get satisfied with the style of making and production values that make it a Tamil film with a true international flavour.

Ajith has given his best and he is the perfect choice for an international agent. He looks fit and the phenomenal hard work for the same is quite evident.The life threatening risks he generally takes for the stunt sequences have reached over the top in this film and in that sense he has given something no other actor could have given for this character. The AK character has been written with ample features that reflect the real life persona of Ajith and that itself may be a treat for his die-hard fans. But the film does not pose any challenge for him in acting and performance. Not even as much as 'Vedalam' did. Fans who wish to enjoy his performance other than stunts and dialogues cherishing his real life persona, will have to get satisfied with some lighter moments he shares with Karunakaran in the first half.

Kajal looks homely and ravishing and her character plays a vital part in the film but her characterisation as a submissive wife who sings carnatic songs and plays Veena makes it highly stereotypical. Vivek Oberoi has got a multi- dimensional character and it will be a solid debut for him in Kollywood. Karunakaran does his part well and provides some lighter moments. The much hyped Akshara Haasan's role is sadly reduced to a cameo.nirudh's bgm packs the punch for a mass hero action film like 'Vivegam'. In most places the presence of the music is not overbearing and that itself is a appreciable aspect of his work The already hit songs are optimally used and pictured well. Vetri's visuals bring in the much needed international flavour Stunt sequences are simply awesome. Milan's Art direction is another big plus for the film and plays a vital role in bringing the international feel to the film.

Verdict: Watch 'Vivegam' for its international flavour, Ajith and the action sequences.  2.5/5 Stars

The discovery of Gru's twin brother Dru pushes the Minions to the margins in an amusing but over-stuffed sequel to Illumination's hit franchise.

On the surface, the “Despicable Me” cartoons appear to be sendups of the James Bond franchise, but beneath that slick, spoofy exterior, they’re really marshmallow-centered affirmations of good old-fashioned family values. In the original, reformed super-villain Gru (Steve Carell) agrees to reprioritize his life around his three newly adopted daughters. Then, in the sequel, Gru met soul mate Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig) and got hitched. And now, in what might have been titled “Predictable Me 3,” Gru discovers his long-lost twin brother, Dru, giving the superficially surly character even more reasons for group hugs.

The fact that Gru has lost his job with the Anti-Villain League and that Dru desperately wants to get into the villainy racket is mostly just incidental in a series that’s starting to feel less like 007 and more like “The Brady Bunch” with every outing. And lest you assume that “Despicable Me 3” somehow marks the poignant finale of a predetermined trilogy (one that has already earned more than $1.5 billion worldwide, not counting merchandising or the “Minions” movie’s additional billion), think again: The movie wraps in the most open-ended way possible, paving the way for a seemingly infinite number of sequels — which could actually be the sense in which this series most resembles the Bond movies.

But here’s a word of advice for the talented folks at Illumination that might have come in handy before they undertook this outing: As happened with “Shrek” and various other cartoon franchises before it, Gru’s ensemble is starting to feel a bit bloated, and before moving forward, the studio might want to shed a few characters, starting — blasphemy of blasphemies! — with the Minions, who now officially have Nothing To Do. (Nota bene: Whether out of wisdom or contract considerations, Russell Brand’s Dr. Nefario spends the movie frozen in carbonite, which is a step in the right direction.)

In theory, the Minions are the reason these movies make millions, and it should tell you something that the little yellow guys succeed in delivering two fart jokes before the Illumination logo has even cleared the screen. They’re the irreverent comic relief in a series that’s robustly funny in its own right. And yet, like the acorn-obsessed Scrat in the “Ice Age” movies, the Minions’ scenes have broken off from the main storyline, their antics now unfolding as little added-value vignettes in parallel to the plot at hand.

Meanwhile, the central narrative concerns Gru’s discovery of Dru (both voiced by Carell, though the latter’s accent assumes an even weirder, Tommy Wiseau-like lilt). It should be noted that the surprise-twin thing is the kind of device that surely makes even soap-opera writers blush — but then, that’s half the joke in a franchise that’s self-aware enough to realize that it’s taking tired clichés and turning them upside-down and inside-out. Where the first “Despicable Me” movie seemed to be winking at the audience in open acknowledgement of what it was stealing from other sources, this third installment is all but rolling its eyes at us (as in a lame bit where Gru and Dru pretend to be one another, à la “Parent Trap,” knowing full well that they’re the only ones who find it funny).

Along the same lines, the running gag about the movie’s new villain — a disgruntled former child star named Balthazar Bratt (voiced by “South Park” co-creator Trey Parker) — centers on how out-of-touch he is with the audience. A relic of the ’80s, when everyone knew him from a show called “Evil Bratt,” Balthazar wears shoulder pads and pump sneakers, tossing bubble-gum bombs and break-dancing his way through heists. But when he runs the tape of an old episode for ideas, the joke is meant to be how hopelessly corny it all was, right down to his tired “I’ve been a bad boy!” tagline.

This ever-so-slight change in tone may be too discreet for “Despicable Me” fans to pick up on, but upon closer inspection, it represents a dangerous shift toward ironic detachment. While these movies are allowed to be as silly as they like, what made them so delightful was the fact the filmmakers took the underlying sentiment seriously, treating even those warm-fuzzy family moments with sincerity. Here, we’re allowed to “Awwww” when littlest-daughter Agnes tells step-mother Lucy, “I love you, Mom,” but when Gru makes the same admission to his brother, it’s the Minions who “Awwww,” throwing up a comedic buffer of sorts. We haven’t gotten there yet, but the instant these movies stop caring about their characters, we’ll stop caring as well.

For the moment, both the filmmakers and audience remain invested, which allows writers Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul (who’ve been with the series since the beginning) to splinter the story into half a dozen strands. While Balthazar manages to steal the world’s largest diamond — wearing a fat suit modeled after France’s biggest movie star, in a joke clearly concocted by the movie’s Paris-based Mac Guff team — Gru and Lucy set out to thwart him and earn back the respect of new boss Valerie Da Vinci (Jenny Slate). While Gru and Dru make up for lost time, Lucy attempts to bond with the three little girls, who each have subplots of their own, the funniest being Agnes’ obsession with locating a real, live unicorn.

And then there are the Minions, who have grown disgruntled with all of Gru’s do-goodery. Following the lead of Mel (their Braveheart?), they agree to go on strike, making it clear they miss the days when they assisted in evil heists. What the Minions really want is another villain to serve, which means the movie has to keep cutting back to them as they seek out mischief en masse — whether crashing a “Sing”-style talent competition or making trouble in prison.

Yes, “Despicable Me 3” is unwieldy, but it mostly works, as co-directors Pierre Coffin (who also voices the Minions) and Kyle Balda never lose sight of the film’s emotional center, packing the rest with as much humor as they can manage. The jokes comes so fast and furious, the movie can hardly find room for Heitor Pereira’s funky score, and though Pharrell Williams has contributed five new songs to sell soundtracks (including the sweet “There’s Something Special”), the movie hardly needs them. While the movie ends with an enticing teaser for “Spy vs. Spy”-like action to come (for those who remember Mad magazine’s constantly feuding rivals), its biggest laughs come from the retro dance-fights between Gru and Evil Bratt — and for that, it’s hard to beat Madonna’s “Into the Groove.”

-Variety