Is DM2 anti-Hispanic?

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but I think your entire argument is horribly flawed.

First, I disagree that the son was a "villain" in the movie. He was Margo's first teenage crush who broke her heart. That doesn't make him a "villain", it makes him a teenage boy. Yes, he's Mexican. That is because his father is Mexican and is also a suspect Gru is investigating. It's a plot device.

Where was the gratuitous nasty comment about grooming habits in the movie? Are you seriously saying that because the character of "El Macho" has a chest full of hair that it was saying Mexicans have bad grooming habits? I think you're really reading a lot into that scene that's not there.

Let's look a bit closer at "El Macho." When Gru is telling the flashback story of "El Macho", he is clearly a villain that Gru thought very highly of and even seemed to idolize a bit. Even after the reveal that "El Macho" is still an active villain, you don't get the sense that he's a terrible guy- he's trying to take over the world because he's a Supervillain, it's what they do. He is also shown to be charitable, as he sincerely offers to let Gru share in taking over the world.

"El Macho" is also shown to be clever and resourceful by succesfully framing the other shop owner. The head of the AVL comes off as much worse and bufoonish, as he just blindly falls for the ploy and calls off the investigation. Yet, I did not leave the movie thinking that its message was all Englishmen are buffoons.

Actually, if there is a group that is typecast and villified in this movie, it is WASP women, as the one insipid neighbor is constantly trying to set up Gru, and when he finally goes on his date, that woman is a terribly vapid, superficial person who says "I don't like anything fake" when she clearly has had tons of plastic surgery done.

It frankly scares me that you are in a position of influence in a community. The world has enough hate and evil out there without imagining and creating more that is not there. Putting myself in your shoes, you are free to tell your congregation that you don't recommend the movie, but I think the large majority of them will disagree with you.

Demand Disney make an Avengers/Muppets Crossover now!

Sir, take it easy. I am hispanic myself and I loved the movie. I was at a theater with a mostly hispanic population and we all laughed our heads off with the mexican jokes.

These stereotypes have existed in many movies for decades. I didn't find it insulting at all.

I don't think the movie is anti-hipanic just ignorant. A hispanic (mexican) dancing salsa like it was part of his culture. Salsa music is part of the latino culture not hispanic.

Maybe you just wanted to get insulted?

Most tween relationships don't last and I really think DM2 was pretty smart to show how quickly tweens fall in and out of love.

El Macho and the chicken was totally adorable. I watched DM2 in a theater with a very varied demographic, including Hispanic/Latino people and they were laughing.

Hi Father Dennis

While I sympathize with your situation, my question for you is rather simple. Who would you have as the villain in movies from now on? It seems to me the only "safe" group is straight white American males. Everyone else would have a reason to cry discrimination. The only reason that straight white American males are a safe choice is that they don't have public figures who play a race/gender/orientation card at the drop of a hat. Of course if things keep going the way they are, straight white American males will become a minority and maybe they'll get representation!

Seems like a pretty dull world if PC rules dictate who the bad guy could be.

Hi Father Dennis. Just for the record. I'm Mexican and live in Mexico. Just came back from the movie and absolutely nobody felt offended. It's a fun story. It's a cartoon. Just tell the kids they should take it for what it is. A movie. A funny one at that. Stereotypes are everywhere and more likely than not, they will run into them during their lives. As for Eduardo being "unclean" I think maybe you're reading too much into it. Dr. Nefario's fart gun was far more "unclean". For what is worth I thought El Macho's villa looked really cool. The sombrero made of nacho crust was fun too. Granted I'm not much in touch with Hispanic-living-in-the-US sensibility but I'm sure they have a sense of humor and won't take it too seriously.

Hi

I'm from Mexico city and I just saw this movie for the second time and I do have a couple of observations for this movie.

This is a depiction of mexicans living in the US and how you people see the entire mexican culture, now, I won't blame you beause you are not supposed to know every little detail of another culture and if the mexicans living there are your only reference then yes "El Macho" and his whole character is what you now to be mexican.

I didn't like the fact that AGAIN Hollywood pushes the Cinco de Mayo thing as if it was a big national holiday. Here we don't give two s...cents about it, there a parade organized by the goverment and that's pretty much it, it's not our independence day or anything of such, ours comes in september but nobody in your country seems to wanna change that, as in "nobody that is mexican or the mexican embassy or Mr. Obama want to change that".

Wearing a luchador mask was a thing here a couple of years ago but it got boooooring and now we leave that to actual luchadores. It was funny to see El Macho with that outfit and it made me think that the directors of this movie are from france and for some reason french cinema buffs seem to love "El Santo" movies and perhaps it was an homage.

The hair issue...meeeh there are hairy men here and others not so hairy like any other country.

The Latin lover tween..i agree with whoever said that it was more a tween/teen thing than a "mexican" thing

The Nacho hat is entirely your thing!!! we don't have them here!! and i want one!!

The whole decoration of El Machos lair, Eduardo's house and Restaurant was a bit much but. I don't like the whole "ooh mexicans live in last century houses" since Mexico City is like any other big city in any other country and other cities look like that, but i get it, it was for "gag issues".

The Movie is good, it lacks more story but it works for little kids, i went to both an early morning screening and a late night screening and kids were calm and laugh when they had to laugh but i swear that they could have stayed for another show right through the middle of the night without complaining.

So, again, if this is the type of behavoir the mexicans in the states show you then the problem is not with you thinking the movie is "cliché or racist" it's their problem for not showing a more modernize mexican way.

Dennis, I see your point. I know it's "only" a kid movie but I'm concerned that kids, without proper post-movie discussion with their parents, let those kind of stereotypes sink in. Just like the female character, presented as competent and able to handle herself until she becomes the love interest and is then reduced to the damsel in distress to be saved. it feels like a 70ies movie.

Not trying to read too much into it because I'm sure the team behind the movie was doing nothing more than to act on the stereotypes they have lived with but I wouldn't take my kids to see the movie without explaining a few things afterwards. I'm not entirely sure Hispanic families wouldn't be offended, nor that they shouldn't be, so maybe you're right about passing on that one.

For every lie I unlearn I learn something new - Ani Difranco