3 Lessons Kids will Learn From Despicable 3 #DespicableMe3 #MrsK3Lessons

The latest installation to the very successful Despicable Me series, Despicable Me 3, returns with the same vibrant colors, comedy, and family fun that we loved from the last films. While this isn’t exactly my favorite Despicable Me out of the series, I will say it was a lot of fun to watch/experience. Joy, my little sister, really liked it and even wanted to watch it again as soon as the credits rolled, so I do think kids will love it, and that’s all that matters, right?

3 Lessons Kids will Learn From Despicable 3:

1. Love Your Brother: In the new Despicable Me, Gru discovers that he has a brother, and at first he isn’t fond of him at all, but throughout the bulk of the film, he gradually learns to love him. This represents how a lot of siblings will learn to love one another over time. My little brother and I use to kick and bite one another when we were smaller, and as time flew by we later became best friends, we still are.

2. Don’t Turn Back To Villainy: In Despicable Me 3, we see Gru in a place where he no longer wants to be a villain and is instead: bettering himself. Dru, his twin brother, on the other hand, wants to fulfill his father’s legacy of villainy and begs Gru to teach him the evil ways. Gru knew that returning to evil hood was wrong, but he does it anyway and almost pays a huge price for doing so. I feel like this concept in a film will deliver an underlying lesson that you should stay true to what’s right. It’s like turning the other cheek. You know what you’re capable of, but is it worth the risk of hurting someone, or yourself?

3. Live In The Now, Not The Past: Despicable Me 3’s antagonist, Balthazar Bratt is literally wearing shoulder pads, dances to 80s hits, and wields a keytar all throughout the film. And if you didn’t guess by now, he’s stuck in the 80s. Balthazar Bratt, or BB for short, lives in misery because his once successful 80’s hit television show came to an abrupt end, which results in his villainous ways. Before this becomes a mini-wiki about BB, this reminds us to not grief about whatever decisions we’ve made in the past or what might’ve happened to us but to instead thrive forward in the now. This lesson may be more for adults if anything. The stuff you can pull out of an animated movie, let me tell ya.

Bonus what Steve Carell hopes Kids will take away from the movie. 

In addition to seeing the film, we had an opportunity to interview Steve Carell. Where he shared his thoughts on parenting, being a sibling and what he hopes kids will take away from seeing this film.

What does he hope kids will learn from seeing Despicable Me 3?

“Well, first, I hope they don’t feel like they’re going to see anything that’s going to teach them a lesson.  But if we can slide a couple things in sideways, that would be… The whole series is about the power of love and family…  And this family has grown exponentially over the three in different ways, the children, the spouse and the marriage, and now the siblings.  And I feel like it grows a different appreciation for all of those things… I hope that kind of thing resonates with kids”

One of the hardest things to do as parents sometimes telling our kids the truth. In Despicable Me 3 Gru has to tell one of the kids that unicorns don’t exist. During our interview, Steve Carell shares his thoughts.

“I think it is something that every parent has to navigate… Father’s Day is coming up, so I’m being reminded this week of all the foibles of being a dad one is telling them the truth, because I always want to tell my kids the truth… And I think sometimes we worry that our kids aren’t as resilient as they are and that they can handle it, and it’s–that it’s better that they ultimately understand, you know, the truth of something.  I think there’s a way to finesse that without scaring them or hurting them, or hurting them as much.”

Although Mr.Carell siblings are much older than him he could relate to the special bond siblings share.

“Well, own siblings, my siblings are five, seven, and nine years older, so there wasn’t really any sibling in close proximity age wise.  But in terms of like best friends and that fun that you have, you know, on walkie-talkies at night and–yes, I definitely related to that… And there are things that you can say and do to your brothers that you can’t say or do to anyone else in the world, and there’s stuff you can get away with because you know you’re still going to be brothers.  There’s that underlying love.”

So there you have it, my Minions, Despicable Me 3 hits theaters June 30th and is, of course, a superb viewing option for the whole family. I liked all of the contrasts of color, the humor, and of course the little banana-totting people.

Until Next Time

JJ King