

Movies Like Despicable Me
Gru is a supervillain determined to prove he’s the greatest by stealing the Moon. To pull off his plan, he adopts three orphaned girls—Margo, Edith, and Agnes—intending to use them as part of his scheme. However, as Gru bonds with the girls, his cold, villainous exterior begins to melt.
Ranked by shared directors, cast, themes, genre, and era — not just generic recommendations.

Despicable Me 2
Direct sequel with Gru, the girls, and the same supervillain-turned-dad heart.

Despicable Me 3
Same franchise continuing Gru's family and villain antics.

Despicable Me 4
Latest entry in the same series with the full Gru family.

Minions
Spin-off built around the same minions and supervillain world.

Minions: The Rise of Gru
Origin-story prequel about young Gru and the minions.

The Boss Baby
Another Illumination-style family comedy mixing villainy, schemes, and unlikely family bonds.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman
Adoptive-parent-and-kid bond with goofy science antics in a similar 3D-animated comedy register.

The Boxtrolls
Orphan-meets-monsters family comedy with a cackling villain that lands in the same kid-friendly zone.

Monsters vs Aliens
Goofy 3D animated sci-fi comedy with broad slapstick villain energy of the same era.

The Lego Movie
Hyper-kinetic family comedy with a lovable hero versus a cartoonish supervillain.

Horton Hears a Who!
Steve Carell-led family animation with warm humor and heart very close to Despicable Me's tone.

DC League of Super-Pets
Lighthearted superhero/supervillain animated comedy aimed at the same family audience.

Hotel Transylvania: Transformania
Family-of-monsters animated comedy with a similar 'lovable bad guy' premise.

Shrek
Foundational gruff-outsider-with-a-soft-heart animated comedy that Despicable Me clearly riffs on.

Shrek 2
Same vein of irreverent family comedy with a reformed-bad-guy hero.

Toy Story 2
Top-tier family animated comedy with a chosen-family heart that maps to Gru and the girls.

The Wild Robot
Unlikely-caretaker-adopts-a-young-charge story with strong emotional payoff.

GOAT
Modern animated family comedy with underdog heart, though no villain/adoption parallel.

Cars
Same-era CG family comedy where a self-absorbed lead is softened by community, but no villain plot.

Megamind
Same-year animated comedy literally about a supervillain who turns good — the closest tonal twin to Despicable Me.

The Incredibles
Animated superhero/supervillain family comedy with the exact mix of action, humor, and family bonds.

Hotel Transylvania
Gruff monster-dad raising his kid in a comic villain world — direct tonal cousin to Gru.
How Good Is Despicable Me?
Ratings across IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and TMDB, plus our verdict.
Where to Watch Despicable Me
Streaming, rental, and purchase options across 40+ countries.
United States
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Frequently asked about Despicable Me
Common questions people search for, with answers written by us at MoviesPack.
What movie almost ruined Disney?
The 1985 film The Black Cauldron is widely cited as the movie that almost ruined Disney; its troubled production, large budget, and weak box office nearly led the company to shut down its animation division.
Why does Gru adopt the three girls in the first place?
Gru adopts Margo, Edith, and Agnes purely as a tactical move to infiltrate Vector's fortress. The girls sell cookies for their orphanage, and Vector has a weakness for them, so Gru uses the adoption to get the girls inside and plant a shrink ray heist device. His intention from the start is to return them to the orphanage once the plan is complete.
What is the shrink ray and why does Gru need it so badly?
The shrink ray is a device stolen from a secret research lab that can reduce objects to a fraction of their original size. Gru needs it to miniaturize the Moon so he can steal it — the culmination of his lifelong dream to pull off the greatest heist in history. Vector steals the shrink ray from Gru first, which forces Gru to pivot to using the girls as unwitting couriers to recover it.
Does Gru actually shrink and steal the Moon?
Yes — Gru successfully miniaturizes the Moon and pockets it. However, the shrink ray's effect is temporary and the Moon begins growing back to normal size while still in his possession, pulling him helplessly upward. He is ultimately forced to let it go, and it expands back to its normal orbit, making the heist a technical success but a practical failure.
Why does Gru change his mind about abandoning the girls?
Over the course of the adoption, Gru genuinely bonds with the girls through bedtime stories, theme park trips, and their unfiltered affection for him. The turning point is reading Agnes's book 'One in a Million,' which mirrors how he has come to see the three of them. When Vector kidnaps the girls to trade for the Moon, Gru abandons the heist entirely and races to rescue them, revealing his transformation from self-centered villain to a father figure.
What happens to Vector at the end of the film?
When the shrink ray's effect reverses and the Moon expands back to full size, Vector is still holding it and is carried up into space. The final post-credits scene shows him stranded on the Moon's surface, still orbiting Earth with no apparent way to return. His fate is played for dark comedy rather than given a definitive resolution.
Recent Updates
New Trailer: Despicable Me
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