Despicable Me 2

Already one of the biggest box-office hits of 2013, this fast-paced sequel to the 2010 Despicable Me reunites with the same writers and directors, and Steve Carell again lays on the thick East European vowels as the voice of Gru, the not-so-despicable villain-turned-doting dad who is lured out of semi-retirement by a top-secret organisation that needs his help to track down the evil mastermind behind a sinister world domination plot. The sequel is not quite in the same league as the Toy Story franchise in terms of emotional depth and adult-friendly humour, but not far behind either. With its brightly coloured toybox palette, delightfully silly minion characters, superbly crafted computer animation and quick-fire comic dialogue, the film is hugely enjoyable and full of inspired touches, including a spectacular opening sequence in which a giant flying magnet steals an entire Arctic research station.