Despicable Me 2: How This Dad Identifies with Gru

By Kenda - June, 14th 2013

Being a dad is like being a double agent. My husband constantly switches between the guy that takes the boys to a ball game and ice cream afterwards….to the guy that ‘ruins’ our teenager’s social life because he asks him do yard work instead of hanging with his friends. It’s a constant tightrope walk between loving and teaching. As much as adults know those two things are synonymous – the thought often escapes our children.

My husband enjoyed Despicable Me so much that he was more than happy to pose (with his best ‘Gru grimace’) in the Gru t-shirt Universal Pictures sent him for Father’s Day. He can identify with Gru. After all, Gru really just wanted to be respected, looked up to as a leader by his ‘minions’ and yes, maybe a tad bit feared. He had to give directions, make sure jobs were done correctly and also ensure that his team was taken care of. Sounds like a typical day in the life of a dad. (Well…except for the weapons and world domination… But you get what I’m saying.) I think fathers everywhere deal with the same conflicting emotions. They want to be Mr. Fun, the buddy, the pal. But, they also know that they must be the leader and sometimes make the tough choices. And yes, sometimes the ‘minions’ don’t like them as much afterwards.

Knowing you have to sometimes play the ‘bad guy’ is tough. Especially since every dad wants to be a hero. Luckily, in Despicable Me 2 we’ll see Gru get his big chance to do just that! This time Gru is asked to help fight against a new, mystery super villain. He’s given a whole slew of fancy gadgets and, of course, the Minions (my favorite part!) are ready to lend a hand.

As if stopping world domination wasn’t hard enough, Gru will also have to deal with his girls growing up. That’s a hard task for any dad.

Don’t miss Despicable Me 2 – in theaters July 3rd