It turns out the lead character of Despicable Me is Russian. And he doesn’t get killed by an American! Can Hollywood make a single movie that isn’t just telling us how terrible the USA is and how great countries like China and Russia are where you can’t even go to the bathroom without permission from the president. In the movie, they allowed a person with a foreign accent to adopt children. What kind of lesson is this teaching our kids? Source

Despicable Me, Americans vs. Russians

No wonder that in the central conflict of Gru vs. Vector — essentially a replay of the Cold War arms race — the sympathy goes not to the power-mad young American, who seems like a deranged version of Bill Gates, but to the old man with the Soviet-bloc voice and the Euro-couture of turtlenecks and jaunty scarves. Source

#1 "Inception" directed by Christopher Nolan took the top box office spot during the weekend, bringing in a healthy $60.4 million in estimated gross box office receipts.

Leonardo DiCaprio & Marion Cotillard

#2 "Despicable Me," in its second weekend, was No. 2 with a strong showing of more than $32.73 million in gross receipts.

#3 "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" was third with more than $17.37 million.

Nicolas Cage & Monica Bellucci

#4 "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" was fourth with $13.5 million;

Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson

#5 "Toy Story 3" was fifth with more than $11.74 million;

Tom Hanks is the voice of Woody

#6 "Grown Ups" sixth with $10 million;

Chris Rock

#7 "The Last Airbender" seventh with $7.45 million;

Noah Ringer

#8 "Predators" eighth with $6.8 million;

Alice Braga as Isabelle in Predators

#9 "Knight & Day" ninth with $3.7 million.

Tom Cruise & Cameron Diaz hard at work

#10 "The Karate Kid" rounded out the top 10 with $2.2 million.

Jackie Chan

Source

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse has been knocked off the top of the North American box office after one week by animated 3D film Despicable Me.

"Despicable Me" wasn't such a bad guy after all, it seems, opening at the top of the box office with an estimated $60.1 million.

The first 3-D animated movie from Universal Pictures stars Steve Carell as the voice of Gru, a bumbling villain with plans to steal the moon -- until three adorable orphan girls enter his life. Jason Segel, Russell Brand and Julie Andrews are among the star-studded voice cast.

Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal, said Sunday that "Despicable Me" far exceeded the studio's expectations for opening weekend. Source