Rating: PG

In this newest addition to the “Despicable Me” franchise, Gru and his family must navigate a new town and new family dynamics. After watching the film, it’s saddening to see that the pitfalls that plague the mainline series remain. Sure, the minions are still funny, but they’ve lost the heart of the original. Instead of truly focusing on Gru’s relationship with his family, it’s only included passively in the shallowest of ways. Instead of developing Gru’s relationship with ANY of his daughters, he spends more screen time with a new character that isn’t related to him. Even the addition of Gru Jr. doesn’t lead to any meaningful character development for our protagonist. 

As disappointing as the film is, I do think that there is a good takeaway, mainly the outreach of Gru to his son. For some context, Gru desires a relationship with his son, who in turn resists every gesture of love from his father. God throughout Scripture constantly reaches out in love to His creation, with frequent rejections. Despite this, God hasn’t given up. If you have not accepted His love for you through Jesus, then I hope you do today. 

Blue Ribbon Baking Championship

Rating: TV-PG

Platform: Netflix

Award-winning bakers from across the USA are brought together to “bake it out” for $100,000 and the coveted Blue Ribbon. While similar to “The Great British Baking Show,” this take on the formula incorporates surprise challenges and simpler techniques. 

Harold and the Purple Crayon

Rating: PG

When Harold and his magic crayon leave his fantasy world of imagination and creativity in search of the narrator, silly and wacky hijinks ensue. While the film is entertaining with an interesting message, unambitious writing and unfortunate innuendo bring down a decent experience.