By Connie Lee July 11, 2024
Despicable Me 4 is the least memorable of the franchise, but the kids will still love it.
Let’s shoot it straight: Despicable Me 4 can’t be analysed for anything more than the amount of family fun it provides – and it gives lots. Both adults and kids will get a kick out of the usual hijinks expected from Gru and the Minions, all the action, and some clever pop culture references. From a critical eye, though, the movie leaves more to be desired as it’s messily episodic and prioritizes slapstick over substance, but in this case, it’s completely fine as long as the viewers are happy at the end.
Synopsis
The latest instalment to the Despicable Me franchise features Gru (Steve Carell), his wife, Lucy (Kristen Wiig), their children, and the newest addition to their family, Gru Jr., living the good life, free of villainy. However, their peaceful home is upended after Gru’s former schoolmate/now-nemesis, Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell), escapes prison and seeks revenge against the patriarch.
Review
A lot is packed into Despicable Me 4’s 95-minute runtime, but most of the intertwining concepts are half-baked, and a few actually seemed forced and unnecessary, like with Maxime Le Mal’s storyline. Audiences aren’t given much about Maxime to really become invested in him. He was hardly on screen, and every time he was, his motivations were weak, and his antics weren’t that funny. All that’s really known about him by the end is that Gru did steal Maxime’s “Karma Chameleon” routine for a school show and even dressed up like Boy George (I couldn’t help but crack up at this).
As per usual, the Minions are the real highlights. They not only fill in the lulls of the story but often end up overshadowing Gru and his family because they’re given so much more to work with. This time around, a group of them get transformed into the Mega Minions during their stay at the Anti-Villains League headquarters and get into shenanigans while trying to be heroes. This was such an entertaining and hilarious take on the Fantastic Four that I found myself hoping that the main plot scenes with Gru or his family would hurry up so I could spend more time with the super Minions.
Of course, the thing that deserves the most props is how unapologetic this movie is with its zany humour. All of it is very physical, over-the-top, and loud but still simple, proving that the creators really understand the kids who are watching their movies. They know what works based on the past movies, and they’ve stuck to the formula here. This is perfect for the parents as they don’t have to worry about running into anything too complex that they’ll have to explain or will bore their children, and they will most likely enjoy a lot of the silliness themselves.
It’s hard to imagine how much further creators can take the Despicable Me franchise, especially after the epic musical send-off with all the villains from the past movies this sequel had. At this point, it would make more sense just to pull the plug on it. But because it’s so well-loved, that’s unlikely, and a fifth instalment might pop up in the future. If it does, I can only hope it’ll have a story that can stand up against the first two movies while still giving a raucous good time.
Star Rating
Despicable Me 4 releases in cinemas July 12
Comentarios