What would happen if a super-villain were forced to raise three adorable little orphan girls? Well according to Universal's funny new animated film, "Despicable Me," the answer is simple, the same thing that happens to anyone who raises a child ... they struggle! The result is a funny, entertaining and touching family film that features first-rate animation and also offers excellent 3D. The actors are all perfect in their roles including Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand and Miranda Cosgrove but especially the great Julie Andrews ("Marry Poppins"), who plays the mother of the evil genus.

The script is unique and gives an interesting perceptive to the idea of super-villains, creating three-dimensional characters on the screen in more ways than one. In fact, Carell's Gru is about as real a character as we've seen on the screen this summer and the actor paints him as a misunderstood mad scientist, a cross between Lex Luthor and Dr. Evil. But it's Gru's interaction with the children that wins you over in emotional, heartfelt scenes that make the film enjoyable for children and their parents alike.

In some ways the movie is a reverse "The Incredibles" showing us the other side of the coin and in a way, humanizing an often stereotyped character: the villain! By making Gru vulnerable, in several different ways, the character is relatable to the audience rather than just being a two-dimensional (albeit 3D) character. Another interesting character is Gru's rival villain, Vector voiced by Segel, who is basically a Fan-boy gone wild. The character is fun and frightening at the same time and allows Segel to really ham it up with style.

Also fantastic in the movie is Russell Brand who tones down his usual persona and actually delivers a nuanced performance that focuses on the character rather than his standard shtick. But the runaway characters from the film might just be Gru's "minions," an army of little yellow dudes, some with only one eye, who are tailor-made for a line of their own toys. These little guys steal scenes left and right with their ridiculous mishaps and funny one-liners. By far they will be the breakout characters from the film that kids will be talking about this summer.

The film begins by introducing us to Gru (Carell), a hapless super-villain whose bumbled master plans have left him as the laughingstock of the evil community. After another botched scheme the evil bank which funds super-villains, led by Mr. Perkins (a terrific Will Arnett), threatens to no longer invest in Gru's evil ideas. But Gru is able to convince Perkins to give him one more chance to unleash the master plan he has been dreaming of for years ... stealing the moon! But in order to do that, first he must steal a shrink-ray to use in his scheme. But when his evil rival, Vector (Segel), steals it from under his nose he begins a quest to take it back.

After several thwarted attempts, Gru decides to recruit three orphan girls, Margo, Edith and Agnes (Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier and Elsie Fisher) to help him infiltrate Vector's lair. Except Gru begins to find that raising three demanding young girls is a lot harder than anything he's done before. Eventually the girls begin to warm his heart and even help him come to terms with his relationship with his own mother (the incomparable Julie Andrews). But when his plans and the orphans' safety becomes in jeopardy, Gru must decide what's more important: ruling the world or the love of his three girls?

The film is overflowing with originality and the 3D actually works well in this movie rather than feeling like an unneeded gimmick added on to make an extra buck. It accents the story well and helps illustrate the fantastic action. The film's directors, Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud do an excellent job of balancing the humor of the film with the more tender moments. The screenplay by Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul is not only original, but also captivating from beginning to end. It's the film's script that makes the movie work and brings the characters alive in such a magical way. In the end, Despicable Me is a fun, imaginative, interesting, entertaining and touching film that will keep kids and parents glued to their seats.