Where to go and what to do with the sequel of a movie that got its traction from an evil villain turned into lovable hero? That’s the ultimate challenge faced by the makers of Despicable Me 2 which picks up where the original left off -- with former(?) super-villain Gru (Steve Carell), tending to his three adorable adopted girls. Where does black-hearted Gru go now that we know he is capable of becoming a good father and leaving the exciting world of villainy behind? Where do the filmmakers go now that they’ve painted themselves into a proverbial storytelling corner? Minions. Yes, more minions.

And that’s exactly what we get for a large part of the film’s next 90 or so minutes -- a return to the sugar-coated silliness of the cute and cuddly yellow minion characters who keep the audience in stitches with their scene-stealing mischief and giddy mayhem. In most cases, such a flagrant storytelling cover-up would be a major filmmaking no-no, but the little guys are just so darn cute they deserve every minute of precious screen time.

That’s not to say, however, writers Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul don’t give a valiant go at creating a heartfelt story as the film’s central playground. It’s just that the story they tell this time around seems surprisingly chaotic and disjointed with long stretches of yawn-inducing life lessons in the middle. It’s clearly just a cover for the numerous opportunities to have fun and make people laugh and giggle when the minions come back on the screen. And the few heart-touching human moments scattered throughout are greatly appreciated as well, including one Gru shares with his young adopted daughter Agnes (Elsie Fisher), as she lovingly describes imagining his bald head as an egg with a chick popping out.

In Despicable Me 2, we see what the post-villainy life is like for Gru and the girls. He’s figured out how to support his new family by starting a cottage industry in his laboratory. He’s retrofitted the lab to makes jellies and jams.

But Gru jumps on the opportunity to get back in the super-spy game when Anti-Villain League (AVL) representative Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig) comes calling. She works for AVL Chief Ramsbottom (imagine the fun to be had with that name by the Munchkin-speaking minions) who recruits Lucy and Gru to go undercover with hopes of rooting out the source of a purple monster-making serum that poses a serious threat to world peace.

The trail of suspicion leads to a local mall where things become quite complicated as Gru and Lucy stage their operation from a cupcake store while spying on their prime suspects who include Eduardo (Benjamin Bratt), whose secret identity may be the most ruthless, dangerous macho villain there ever was, and shopkeeper Floyd (Ken Jeong) who may have a very dark side. This is the potty-break point for the kiddos in the audience as the story seriously sags in this middle portion and may be a bit overly complicated and sometimes too scary for the younger tots. But thankfully, we know things will get back on track just as soon as the minions hit the screen again.

The lovable little buggers are slated to get their own movie next year, but as with most things Hollywood does these days, the result will likely be too much of a good thing and a huge buzz kill to the current minion high. But until then, there’s Despicable Me 2 that -- while not as good as the highly original first movie – appears to have found an entertaining balance of genuine human emotion and witty minion magic.

(Released by Universal Pictures and rated “PG” for rude humor and mild action.)

Review also posted at www.franksreelreviews.com.