Reframing the hero's journey around the story of an ambitious villain whose quest for notoriety stems from maternal approval he never received as a child, the 3-D animated film Despicable Me, with a lead vocal performance by Steve Carell, delivers a steady stream of colorful, unfussy engagement. An imaginative visual design, compelling characterizations and witty interplay between the two elevate a tale whose component parts are otherwise quite familiar. While Toy Story 3 will continue to exert a strong pull on family audiences throughout the summer, there should be plenty of room in the marketplace for this potential franchise-in-waiting, which opens Stateside July 9. For the full review, from Screen International, click here. (Universal, PG, 95 minutes)