Repeat after me: It’s the journey, not the destination.

That’s something to keep in mind when you’re taking the little dudes out to see some — any — animated movie in the theaters these days. And so it is with Despicable Me, the latest animated adventure to hit the big screens in, of course, 3D. I [...]]]> by Richard

Repeat after me: It’s the journey, not the destination.

That’s something to keep in mind when you’re taking the little dudes out to see some — any — animated movie in the theaters these days. And so it is with Despicable Me, the latest animated adventure to hit the big screens in, of course, 3D. I will say, though, that this movie’s journey is well worth embarking on, especially if you’re being dragged by or dragging little dudes to the theaters to escape the heat.

There was, however, one very large drawback to which I’ll return in a moment.

Gru, voiced by Steve Carrell, is a super-villain in a world without super heroes. These villains run schemes financed by the Bank of Evil, formerly Lehman Brothers, and must compete with each other for the best plan, to get the best backing, to make the most return on investment. A worthy lesson for the little dudes.

To make his latest scheme — to steal the moon and hold it for ransom — Gru needs the shrink ray, recently stolen by his nemesis, the younger and better-funded villain Vector. Unfortunately for Gru, he can’t seem to get inside Vector’s impregnable home. Nothing can. Until, that is, three little girls selling cookies waltz right in and Gru gets an idea.

The frosty Gru, with plenty of mommy issues of his own, decides to adopt the little girls so he can use them as a way into Vector’s hide out. Sure, a somewhat impractical plan, but in a world where people actually plot to steal the moon, why not?

Margo, the practical oldest sister, Edith the tom boy and Agnes the unicorn lover all go to live with Gru. I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by telling you you the little girls melt Gru’s icy heart and they all fall in love with each other. Still not a spoiler to say that Gru loses the girls and must win them back while also foiling his nemesis.

Come on, dudes. Of course that’s what happens.

But it’s the way it happens. There’s Agnes’s fascination with unicorns, Edith’s love of their beds made from possibly disarmed bombs and, especially, the Lorax shirt Margo wears. They’re just cute kids.

fluffy

The girls really do win over the audience and Gru. His concern for the girls and eventual love of them softens his character, but doesn’t completely change it. It’s a nice bit of writing.

Filmed in 3D, the movie does a pretty good job of taking advantage of that technology. In this case, I’d say you should probably splurge for the third dimension. It works well. Minion-on-minion violence really works in 3D.

Overall, I’d give it five dudes out of five. It’s a good summer movie and Hyper Lad couldn’t recommend it highly enough. Even Zippy the Monkey Boy came out smiling.

Now to the downer. I was forced to actually sit through a trailer for the upcoming (and I shudder to write this) *ugh* Smurf *ugh* movie. Ack! I mean, I lived through this in the ’80s. Do I have to survive it again? I’ve got an idea: Let’s start a petition to strangle this horror in the crib. No Smurfs! Haven’t the children suffered enough already?

Related posts

• Dude, Where’s My Eggo? (0)
• Brain Death And How To Live With It (0)
• Accidental Hero (0)
• These Are Not The Droids You’re Looking For (1)
• Not-So-Rosy Outlook (0)

As you’re reading this today, I’m probably on the road again. Today I’m shipping the last of the little dudes off to a camp of some kind. Hyper Lad is off for his fifth year at the Y’s Camp Cheerio.

This is his first year at camp by himself. In his previous years, Sarcasmo and Zippy [...]]]> by Richard

As you’re reading this today, I’m probably on the road again. Today I’m shipping the last of the little dudes off to a camp of some kind. Hyper Lad is off for his fifth year at the Y’s Camp Cheerio.

This is his first year at camp by himself. In his previous years, Sarcasmo and Zippy the Monkey Boy were both there. Since then, though, first Sarcasmo and then Zippy the Monkey Boy have aged out of the camp. Leaving not-so-little Hyper Lad as the only Jonesboy there.

He said he’s a bit nervous and a bit excited to be on his own. Personally, I can’t wait.

Due to scheduling problems, Hyper Lad’s trip to camp will give us the only little-dude-free time of the summer. For approximately two days. On Tuesday, Sarcasmo will be returning from New Orleans and his time spent helping to rehabilitate houses and neighborhoods that still suffer damage from Hurricane Katrina.

Of course, since he’s basically mythical (in that he seems to have grown unnaturally accustomed to staying in the family room and his room most of the time) it’ll probably still seem a bit like we’ve an empty nest, but I will have to cook for him, so I’ll know he’s there. Not least because all the snacks in the pantry will be disappearing at a prodigious rate.

Next year, we’ve really got to coordinate the schedules a little better, I’ll tell you that much. Considering what we’re having to spend to get them out of the house, the least they could do would be to allow us a little time by ourselves.

Of course, when I say that, I really mean just me since She Who Must Be Working will be, oddly enough, at work most of the day.

Still, it should be interesting practice for that day, only six years into the future, when Hyper Lad is off to college and I have to find something constructive to do.

Related posts

• Summer Camping (0)
• Cheers (0)
• Another Ending, Another Beginning (0)
• Accidental Hero (0)
• Zipping Around (0)

My neighbor is an extremely talented and successful artist. She draws loads of cool stuff, all of it gut-bustingly funny. Well, she makes me laugh.

The other day, we were out walking our respective dogs in the soon-to-be-filled-with-houses open space near our street when we got to talking about dirty jobs. No, not the television show. [...]]]> by Richard

My neighbor is an extremely talented and successful artist. She draws loads of cool stuff, all of it gut-bustingly funny. Well, she makes me laugh.

The other day, we were out walking our respective dogs in the soon-to-be-filled-with-houses open space near our street when we got to talking about dirty jobs. No, not the television show. Dirty jobs that get done in each family.

Like, for instance, eating all the burned french fries or crisped-up gingerbread cookies. Now, who is it that does all these things? Of course, it’s the dudes in the household. The dads.

And that got us to thinking about other jobs we dudes get to add to our resumé.

1. Spider patrol. For some reason, right behind cockroaches, spiders are the worst enemy of most ladies of the house. I even had to deal with a spider for Speed Racer, who’s never been all that fond of bugs. Unlike Zippy the Monkey Boy, who would pick up any bug and practically cuddle it to death, Speed Racer likes to keep a little distance — ike the length of a marathon or two — between him and bugs. I was busy so I couldn’t help him, but I was able to point the little eight-legged freak out to Buzz the living garbage disposal. Good dog.

2. Unclogging toilets. Do I really have to go into this one? Let’s just say that I’ve been quite glad my two oldest are getting older and I can teach them the joys of the plunger. You know what I’m saying.

3. Finding out why the garbage disposal won’t work. I know about this one. I’ve spilled gallons of water under the sink while unhooking pipes and searching for clogs. And what is the result of all this diligent effort? Appallingly smelly, jellied brown goop. Sorry. Need to move on. Bad memories lead to bad flashbacks. Don’t need that now.

4. Changing light bulbs. What? They’ve never heard of standing on a chair to reach something higher than they are? Apparently not.

5. Taking out the garbage. Which, fortunately, is not my problem any more. It’s why we had the little dudes after all. Now all I have to do is supervise, walk along behind and clean up any mess and generally make sure things are done to a minimal level of acceptable.

6. Making sure all the lovely, little lace doilies line up correctly on the kitchen appliances they’re covering. Or maybe that’s just me.

7. Cleaning up after the dog. I really need to get an appliance for that one. I’ve been carrying plastic grocery sacks with me to pick up the, ah, presents. Works pretty well until you notice there’s a hole in the bag and that squishy feeling isn’t just in your stomach. And you’re still a good fifteen minutes from getting back home.

That’s all for me. What are your ideas? What dirty jobs do we dudes get saddled with, just because we’re dudes?

* Heh. He said doody.

Related posts

• Hidden Talents: The Stinkening (2)
• Dog Training (0)
• These Are Not The Droids You’re Looking For (1)
• Not-So-Rosy Outlook (0)
• One More Knock On The Head (2)