Despicable Me 3 premieres in theaters on Friday, and it could be a sanity-saver for parents cooped up with kids on a rainy day this summer. But if you've only seen the first movie, you might be confused about some big changes concerning Gru, the main character voiced by Steve Carrell. Here's how to stream Despicable Me 2, so you're not completely caught off-guard: If you have cable, you're in luck, because DirecTV has Despicable Me 2 on demand for free. It's also streaming for free on Verizon FiOS, as well as Charter and Time Warner.
If you're not a cable subscriber, you'll have to be willing to spend a few bucks. You can rent Despicable Me 2 on Amazon for $3.99, or buy it for $9.99. You can also buy it for the same price on iTunes if you're more of an Apple TV person. If you want to cheap out a bit, you can rent the standard definition version on YouTube for $2.99, because honestly, children's eyesight isn't fully developed until they're about 7 years old, so what do they know about 1080p, anyway? Better to save that buck so you can upgrade your popcorn at the theater.
The first Despicable Me saw supervillain Felonious Gru soften thanks to his adopted daughters Margo, Edith, and Agnes. It's a familiar trope; the adoption started out as a con so that Gru could gain access to a rival's fortress, but wouldn't you know it, he accidentally falls in love with the kids, and ultimately chooses them over his big chance to make a name for himself in the villainy game. The films ends with Gru as a still mildly-bad guy with a heart of gold.
In the sequel, Gru grows as a good guy, both on the job and off. He's recruited by the Anti-Villain League and partnered with Agent Lucy Wilde, voiced by Kristen Wiig. By the end of the movie, he's a full-time AVL employee and married to Lucy. But don't assume that he can't still get up to some high jinks! Despicable Me 3 features an evil twin and a villain so hopelessly stuck in the '80s, he actually lives inside a giant Rubik's Cube, according to the A.V. Club. The twin is Gru's brother, Dru. The villain is Balthazar Bratt, voiced by Trey Parker, not be confused with Benjamin Bratt, the actor who voiced the villain from Despicable Me 2. Confused yet? Don't overthink it! Just enjoy the Minions' capering while you listen to Pharrell Williams' "Happy" over and over and over again, until your mind is erased for good.
