Term Paper Outline: Despicable Me Analysis

Intro
Animated Feature Film:  Despicable Me
Thesis: In the universe of Despicable Me, physics does not reflect the principles of the natural world.

Body
1.  Advanced Materials; for certain events to occur, extraordinary materials would have to exist that do not in the known world

-1st scene: bus stops abruptly on sand dune - but shouldn't be enough traction - assuming extraordinary tires

-amount of rebound on the inflatable pyramid - potential energy to kinetic energy off (launches kid) - must be   highly elastic material

-Structure in Gru's lab that lifts him to the ceiling in front of the moon - feeble and wouldn't support platform -    unless, of course it is an extraordinary material.

-In the vacuum of space Vector's soft plastic bubble helmet would pop - must be some crazy material not  known to man

2. Impossible Maneuvers and Inaccuracies
-When the minion aboard Gru's plane is shooting at Vector's plane using the plane's weapons, the control is shaking with each shot - wouldn't happen

-When Gru and the girls are riding roller coasters on the pier, the roller coaster accelerates while going up hill 

 not how roller coasters work

-Gru gets frozen from the head down but has the ability to waddle around in the giant ice cube

-Sound in space- nope

-Dr. Nafario's electric scooter makes a vroom sound - wouldn't make the sound of an internal combustion  exhaust.

-Heat-seeking missiles are heading toward Gru, he simply jumps on them to avoid being hit.

-Next, Gru punches a launched shark which then flies in the other direction - The shark would weigh at least    3x what Gru weighs so he would not remain in place.

-Gru's arm would be ripped off when he is caught mid free-fall by hanging minions.

3. Concepts of gravity, mass, height, and volume have lots of fluidity & dimensions
-Gravity changes in some dream-like sequences - ex the girls running with the shrink ray - they are sort of    floating

-minions seem to change sides between scenes

-anti-gravity serum that minion drinks: he starts to float off and then accelerates upward, flying away

-minion shakes a 2 liter soda bottle in the store, opens it, and then it flies in the opposite direction, pulling the  minion with it.

-small guns and squid launcher conceal much larger components (and squids) in no visible compartment.

Inconsistencies

-The shrink ray shrinks Gru's plane and its contents, but not Gru or the minions - this could be explained if the  shrink ray could only shrink inanimate objects, but a minion is later shrunk and so it is inconsistent.

-In Vector's plane, the shrunken moon starts to grow - at about the size of a softball, it crushes a mug, but  when it is bigger than Vector it does not kill him...I suppose this could go under advanced materials too in  the  case of extraordinary flesh and bone.

Conclusion
-In Despicable Me, the laws of physics are pushed to make for comedic effect and excitement. Although some inconsistencies seem less intentional, there is enough deviation from real world physics that the film feels like a different world, and makes it entertaining to its audience.