#10: Max- The Secret Life Of Pets
Now I've never seen Secret Life Of Pets or its sequel, so bear with me. Basically a rehash of Toy Story, Max serves as the dog of Katie. But when Duke comes into the picture, he start's stealing Max's thunder, resulting in him getting Jealous with a capital J. Things get even more intense when they are caught by animal control. Max is Illumination's version of Woody, that's pretty much the most notable thing about this character. Though there's nothing super bad about that as it's not like the studio didn't even try to make the character his own. He's just not as strong or memorable as Woody (or pretty much all of the characters on this list). But like Woody Max does eventually warm up to Duke, so at least there's that.
#9: Buster Moon- Sing
Buster Moon serves as the main protagonist of the Sing franchise as well as the owner of the originally down on its luck Moon Theatre. To save it, Buster throws a talent show and goes through a fair share of setbacks. Though he can be overly ambitious, you gotta admire this dude's enthusiasm and willingness to always keep trying. As annoying as that sometimes is, you can't help but love the guy for his constant perseverance. And I won't deny that it's rather inspiring for people as well. At the end of the day, it was because of his perseverance that he achieved his goals and more. It's like he always says; the only good thing about hitting rock bottom is that there's only one way left to go, and that's UP!
#8: Lucy Wilde- Despicable Me
Lucy was not introduced until the second Despicable Me, and she wasted no time becoming a memorable character. I like how Lucy is both accomplished but still growing as she was revealed to be a newbie in the second film and was adjusting to being a mother in the third film. Her and Gru work very well together as they have an awkwardness that's just ADORABLE! Their relationship also works because we can't help but feel extremely happy for Gru having finally found someone to love after avoiding it for so long (for understandable reasons. "Gruties", seriously?). But Lucy is really good for Gru, and I'm really curious to see their dynamic after bringing a new baby into the world.
#7: Princess Peach- The Super Mario Bros. Movie
The way Princess Peach was portrayed in comparison to her original personality in the games was relatively controversial. In the games (until recently) she's portrayed as the typical damsel in distress; whereas in the movie she is more of a warrior princess. A lot of people found that annoying. While I definitely understand and somewhat agree with the hate, I would be even more annoyed if she came off as the condescending female character bullying the opposite sex for no reason. But that was not the impression I got from her at all. All I saw was a woman trying to defend her kingdom and there's nothing wrong with that, it’s her job. Peach in my opinion did not come off as unlikeable or obnoxious in any way. So as far as I'm concerned, I'm good with Peach. Also note to Bowser; she's not your type (or your species).
#6: The Once-ler- The Lorax
I feel like the Once-ler became an unusual fan favorite as I see a lot of fan videos about this character. I think the reason for that might be because the original from the TV special didn't show his face whereas this one was given a face as well as a lovable but still naïve personality. I also think that female fans of The Lorax may have developed crushes on him as well. Another thing that helped the character's appeal was his super AWESOME villain song. I'm not an environmentalist but I will say that he wasted all those trees to create something that NOBODY needs (no matter how much he claims otherwise). If he was making toilet paper or something, fine. But thneeds, seriously? Literally one of the most useless inventions of all time (even though it's fictional). But hey, how bad could he be?
#5: The Grinch- The Grinch
I watched Illumination's adaptation of The Grinch for the first time last year. I personally found it decent to watch and while I wouldn't say it's better than the live-action adaptation, it is somewhat easier to swallow than the live-action version since the residents of Whoville in this version are nicer than the ones in the live-action one (and there's no jerkface mayor). I also really like this version of the titular character. Benedict Cumberbatch was somehow a perfect fit for the character. I won't deny that everyone has been a Grinch at least once in their lives (I sure as Hell have), and I think the character (no matter what adaptation) has become more relatable as time passes. But at the end of the day, even Grinches can enjoy Christmas when surrounded by their loved ones.
#4: The Lorax- The Lorax
He is the Lorax, he speaks for the trees. The Lorax obviously serves as the titular character of the 2012 film and a voice of reason. The movie is not perfect at all, not even a little. In fact it's kind of annoying (and this is coming from someone who LOVES this movie). But there are a lot of things the movie got right (aside from the Once-ler and its AWESOME songs). I feel they did a very good job with the titular character. Like my last pick, Danny DeVito was a perfect casting for this, in fact this is probably the best casting Illumination has ever had. The Lorax is not at all an unlikeable character as his fatherly nature and need to protect those who can't protect themselves is his best quality. DeVito captured that perfectly. The Lorax is not perfect, but it is a very fun and entertaining film.
#3: Minions- Despicable Me
You can't have a list centering Illumination without speaking about the Minions. They're dumb as HELL, but it's so hard not to love them or laugh whenever they're on screen. The minions (mainly Kevin, Bob, and Stuart) get into some of the dumbest and at times weirdest situations. Whether it's getting ice cream or being turned into a purple demon. But either way, the second they enter the screen, we know we're in for a treat. There's never a dull moment when it comes to these idiots. And yes they can be slightly annoying at times, but also entertaining as HELL. I have not seen Despicable Me 4 yet (review will be out as soon as I do), but it looks like the Minions will be getting into possibly they're weirdest situation yet. As I said earlier, they're idiots. But they're our idiots.
#2: Mario- The Super Mario Bros. Movie
You know what I like about Mario; he's a fighting soul. As we see in the movie, He (along with his brother) is constantly belittled and looked down upon by almost everyone he knows (including his own father, that's gotta suck). And yes, it gets to him sometimes, but that never stops him from following his dreams and he never backs down from a fight even when it's kind of obvious he has very little chances of winning. It's hard not to root for someone like that. Also, his relationship with his brother as well as his dedication to him is really sweet. Mario might've only entered the Illumination family just last year, but it didn't take him (or any of the film's characters) very long to become one of the studio's most notable characters (though that's mainly because he was an icon long before this movie came out, but that's besides the point).
Before I reveal my top pick, here are some honorable mentions.......................
-Mario's baby brother -Illumination's Buzz Lightyear
-Nice kid -Zac Efron trying to be 12
-This elephant can SANG!
#1: Felonious Gru- Despicable Me
Considering Gru is the one that started it all, Is it really a surprise that he tops my list? That, and Gru is kind-of awesome. The former super villain had us rooting for him even before he made his full transition to hero. Literally everything about Gru makes him stand out. From his relatively scheming and moody personality, to his accent. But even though Gru is not easily amused (at all), he still has a soft side, which slowly begins to shine upon adopting 3 adorable (albeit bad) little girls. Gru is also the type of hero you want to root for despite his former villainous qualities, and it's always a triumphant moment when he wins in the end. And seeing him slowly grow as a father and become a husband is truly sweet. There’s no denying that he really deserved every victory he’s achieved. Now let's see how he does with a newborn baby.
Like always, the google slides link is down below. Thanks For Reading
Google: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1SZ-3lI2QQazY_uEnwPxslcL0qcPeOQRAeRZh3_TSflA/edit?usp=sharing
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