Despicable Me 4

"Despicable Me 4," the latest installment in the beloved animated franchise, delivers more of the same zany antics and heartwarming moments that fans have come to expect. Gru, voiced by Steve Carell, returns with his lovable Minions in tow, ready to embark on yet another wild adventure.

The movie introduces a few new characters, adding fresh dynamics to the familiar mix. The plot, while somewhat predictable, is packed with enough humor and action to keep viewers entertained. The Minions, as always, steal the show with their slapstick comedy and nonsensical chatter, providing plenty of laughs for both kids and adults.

However, "Despicable Me 4" struggles to break new ground. The storylines feel recycled at times, and the emotional beats, though effective, lack the impact of earlier films. The animation quality remains top-notch, and the voice performances are consistently strong, ensuring that the film is enjoyable even if it doesn't quite reach the heights of its predecessors.

Overall, "Despicable Me 4" is a fun, family-friendly movie that offers a good time, despite its familiarity and lack of innovation.

Despicable Me 4 starts off strong with an opening scene that had me hooked, especially with Pharrell Williams' catchy song setting the tone. The Minions, as always, are a delight, and their interactions continue to be one of the film's highlights.

The new villain, Maxime Le Mal, feels more formidable than previous adversaries, raising the stakes for Gru and his family. Gru's lines seemed odd at first - stupid and foolish - but they actually serve a purpose in the story, which I found interesting. The Karate Sensei character, however, came across as overly foolish and didn't add much to the film.

While the film introduces some original ideas, the execution falls flat. Despite this, the writing effectively explores themes like manipulation, teamwork, and the blurred lines between superheroes and supervillains, which I appreciated.

The film maintains its wholesome moments, and I loved the introduction of the mega Minions. The chase scene with Lucy was a fun watch, keeping the energy high. The OST remains true to the series, staying consistent with its predecessors. There are a few pop culture references sprinkled throughout, though I felt the film could have done with a couple fewer of these.

The ending of the film is satisfying, and I believe it wraps up the story well. If this is the conclusion of the series, it's a fitting end. Strong 7/10.

I think this falls into the same mistakes that the third one did. It was still classic Minion fun, but it didn't have a story to tell. In fact, in this one there isn't really a story. The story was just loosely tied together. In fact, it's multiple different things tied together, to make a mess of a story. That being said, I still had fun. I thought that the different bits and pieces we got was the fun to be expected with this franchise. For me, it still had a little bit of the charm from the first two. It isn't completely lost yet. The growth of Gru and his son was cute, but that was just about as interesting the movie got. I still had a lot of fun with the Mega Minions, I hope we can see more of them in the future. This franchise will forever be a guilty pleasure of mine.

Despicable Me 4 is operating on fumes. Just like last time it's a bunch of random side plots that just gets it to feature length (credits included). Still, even when these films are operating at a lower level they really understand not to waste your time with another 90 minutes of zany, erratic slapstick that peaks whenever the Minions are on screen, which once again is not enough.

Steve Carell sounds less like Gru and more like himself with every new instalment but he's still the sole voice actor holding the whole thing together and in this one, he's broader than ever. Will Ferrell and Sofia Vegara very quickly earn the title of worst villains in this franchise (Minions films included) with grating vocal performances that go for caricature in very annoying fashion.

The Minions remain really funny even in small doses despite the fact that there's nothing here as memorable as their big musical number in 3. The Mega Minions are by far the best idea this one has as it allows the film to poke some fun at superhero movies and keep their dynamic fresh. They should've been in it so much more instead of being relegated to a small handful of scenes.

Chris Renaud's direction certainly gives the film a lot of energy with the hyperactive pace which can barely stay still. The opening offers the false promise of this one having some genuine stakes before quickly pivoting away from that and turning the film into the cinematic equivalent of a sugar rush which helps to keep things moving at speed even when the jokes aren't landing.

Gru, Lucy, Margo, Edith, and Agnes welcome a new member to the family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, and the family is forced to go on the run.

For what it's made for, it's a pretty good film. It's designed to provide entertainment, laughter, and a mental escape, and it definitely succeeds at that. The story is of course a bit lacking and the sequence of events are pretty predictable yet still filled with humour and action. When you watch a Minions movie or 'Despicable Me,' you look for the comedy, and although this one is filled with joke, unfortunately not all of them were good ones. Another observation: as we progressed from the first installment to this one, the minions' role has become less significant, which disappoints me since they were the reason I initially enjoyed these films. The voice cast remains incredibly strong, with accents and tones perfectly enhancing the movie's comedic aspect.

Score:6.5/10.