One of the movies everybody knew would be a massive hit this past summer was Despicable Me 4. The latest entry from one of the most popular animated franchises out of Illumination was a guaranteed win within its demographic, but it’s a sequel I had medium expectations for. I’ve always been positive about the first two movies based on how fun they turned out. But when talking about Despicable Me 3 and the two Minions movies (Minions, Minions: The Rise of Gru), those are prime examples of realizing they are made explicitly for children who’ll get more enjoyment. Because of that, they aren’t good, and they question how each made over a billion dollars worldwide. Because of my lukewarm feelings about these three, skipping this in theaters was the only option. Did I make the right call? Absolutely, since it’s really a sequel nobody asked for, it doesn’t need to exist except to make money at the box office.
What’s the Story: Supervillain-turned-father Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) is living the life with his wife Lucy (voiced by Kristen Wiig), his adoptive three daughters- Margo (voiced by Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (voiced by Dana Gaier), and Agnes (voiced by Madison Polan)- and the latest addition to the family, baby Gru Jr. But they must go into the witness protection program after Gru’s rival from school Maxime Le Mal (voiced by Will Ferrell) escapes from the Anti-Villain League prison and has plans not only to turn people into cockroach-human hybrids and to kidnap his son. Relocated to the town of Mayflower, Gru must do his best to keep up with the Joneses, while some Minions take special serum to participate in a project to become the “Mega Minions.”
The thing about Despicable Me 4 is knowing full well that it isn’t aiming to be high art when it revolves around supervillains. You get some fun animation that even updates the character designs to look better than when we were introduced to them 14 years ago (which was how old I was when I saw the original). That alone is worth some credit for improving over time. Time has passed, and similar to Shrek Forever After, it’s clear that they’re running out of ideas on a creative level. It should’ve been at least exciting seeing Gru going up against a new enemy for potential domination, but it’s one part of the plot that needs to be more focused on.
The storyline this time wasn’t all that engaging because there were so many of them that it was hard to focus on what was important. Not only are Gru and his family hiding, but he is also trying to get his son to love him, teaming up with an aspiring teenage villain, Poppy (voiced by Joey King, who was pretty good), to steal a honeybadger, or whatever the Minions are up to in their wacky antics. It never felt like an actual movie since it felt like sketches put together to last a fast-paced 94 minutes. So much of my time was spent questioning where it’s all going, and it wraps up rather quickly, ending with a random sing-along to one of my all-time favorite songs. Most of the marketing centered on the “Mega Minions,” and the side story proved those moments unfunny when it made fun of superheroes only to be terrible at saving lives with their powers.
Even the voice work isn’t enough to ride home about. Carrell reprising Gru was fine; it’s safe to assume he’s probably tired of putting on the voice. The same goes for Wiig and Cosgrove, who are wasted in their characters. As a matter of fact, the kids don’t get to do much, either. As for the newcomers, Ferrell has done better voicing bad guys, from Lord Business in The LEGO Movie or MegaMind, when there’s little in caring for Maxine. A lot of the humor will work for little kids, while adults do not find them funny. The only time it almost got me to crack to smile was from a karate instructor.
If I had a kid and had to pick between this and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 to place in front, they’d have a better time sitting through the latter. With director Chris Renaud and screenwriter Ken Daurio returning along with Mike White, it’s all becoming too repetitive, losing what made the first two charming. Maybe it’s time to wrap things up, but knowing people’s love for these movies, we’ll eventually get a fifth movie in the next few years.
Overall, Despicable Me 4 won’t win over those who dismissed the previous installments. But despite being entertaining for the young audience, adults will grow tired of the predictable slapstick humor and messy plot structure to keep the interest alive.
DC's Take 