Movie review: ‘Despicable Me 4’ is exactly what you’d expect
“Despicable Me 4” is another solid entry to a franchise that seemingly is all gas and no brakes. The film is exactly what you’d expect, so if you enjoy the other movies this one will be no different.
‘Despicable Me 4’ Official Synopsis
Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina, and the family is forced to go on the run.
Have fun with it
To my grave, I will say “Despicable Me” (2010) is one of the best animated movies of the past 20 years. When the franchise started to branch out, they lost me for a second. I enjoyed “Despicable Me 2” (2013), but “Minions” (2015) and “Despicable Me 3” (2017) were not my favorite. At the time, I wasn’t fully on board with the extreme popularity of the Minions.
It wasn’t until a random trip to Universal Studios in 2021 that I suddenly understood, like that meme of Danny DeVito crying and saying, “I get it.” That was me. So when “Minions: The Rise of Gru” (2022) came out, I had a whole new outlook on the franchise, specifically the Minions. While “Rise of Gru” isn’t some masterpiece of an animated film, you’d have to be some type of Debbie-Downer not to have fun with it. “Despicable Me 4” is no different.
Charm sets the film apart
“Despicable Me 4” isn’t amazing by any means and probably won’t be in conversation for Best Animated Film at the Oscars, but, like “Rise of Gru,” what sets it apart from any other run-of-the-mill animated film is the charm of the franchise. The reason people continue to rush to the theaters to see these films is their consistency. No matter if it’s a spinoff or a direct sequel, you know walking into a “Despicable Me” film what you’re going to get, and that’s perfectly fine because you’ll still have a good time.
The new additions of Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) and Poppie (Joey King) are fine. They don’t get much setup and are just thrown at you as new characters, which is fine but very forgettable. The standouts, of course, are the Minions, as well as the addition of Gru Jr. The combination of the two was probably the best part of the whole film. I could’ve watched a 90-minute film of just that.
Final thoughts
“Despicable Me 4” is a perfect family movie for the Fourth of July holiday weekend and when the inevitable sequel comes out, I will be sat.
SCORE: 3/5
“Despicable Me 4” is rated PG and is in theaters July 3! There are no post-credit scenes.
‘Despicable Me’ in theme parks
Just over a year old, Minion Land at Universal Studios Florida is the perfect place to scratch that itch for more Minions. Join the Vicious 6 for Villain-Con Minion Blast, or head down the street to eat at Minions Café to have some Minion Tots! Minion Land is also where you can meet Kevin and Bob in their new Anti-Villain League suits from “Despicable Me 4.”
Want to sign up to become a Minion? Despicable Me Minion Mayhem (which opened on today’s date in 2012) allows guests to see if they have what it takes to be one of Gru’s Minions. What could go wrong? Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem rides are located at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood.
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