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The sixth overall entry in Illumination’s Despicable Me franchise is exactly what you’ve come to expect from the series, thankfully with more laughs and a creepy villain. Directed by Chris Renaud (Despicable Me) and Patrick Delage, Despicable Me 4 sees a handful of Minions gain superpowers while Gru and his family hide from a dastardly villain. The main cast all return, with Steve Carell (The Office) voicing Gru, Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids) voicing Lucy, Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly) voicing Margo, Dana Gaier (Despicable Me) voicing Edith, Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa) voicing Silas and Pierre Coffin (Despicable Me 2) voicing the Minions.
Joining the cast in this entry are Will Ferrell (Elf) as Maxime Le Mal, Sofía Vergara (Modern Family) as Valentina, Stephen Colbert (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) as Perry Prescott, and Joey King (The Kissing Booth) as Poppy Prescott. Despicable Me 4 sees villain and former schoolmate of Gru, Maxime Le Mal, swear vengeance against our hero after he helps capture the cockroach-themed antagonist as a member of the Anti-Villain League. Once Le Mal breaks out of his prison, Gru and his family – including the new addition, baby Gru Jr. – go into hiding.
Do We Need Another Despicable Me?
Going into Despicable Me 4 it’s easy to wonder if we need this many entries in the franchise. But, each iteration has managed to be a gradual improvement on the last, and the same can be said about Despicable Me 4. The story is less convoluted, yet most of the main characters have interesting side stories. The movie opens with Gru going to his school reunion. The previous films already touch on Gru’s school life, and introducing an academy of villainy naturally expands the film’s world. The new characters are fun, and Gru Jr.’s relationship with Gru is a standout.
It’s a short, well-paced movie with a good story that feels natural. It’s filled with visual gags and some wordplay, and it’s one of the funnier movies in the franchise. While most of the jokes are for children, the writers – Ken Daurio (Despicable Me) and Mike White (The White Lotus) – threw in plenty for parents to laugh at too. Some of the more adult-facing jokes are when the movie wades into parody. Sure, children might recognize the scene referencing Spider-Man 2, but the adults will laugh at the reference to Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
When the family goes into hiding, the Anti-Villain League turns a handful of Minions into would-be superheroes, dubbed the Mega Minions. They are obvious references to Marvel superheroes, Doctor Strange, The Thing, Cyclops, Mister Fantastic, and possibly the Hulk. There are plenty of jokes told through the use of their powers, and if you’ve seen any of the Marvel films you’re probably going to get a few chuckles out of them. Despicable Me 4 is consistently fun, which makes the 95-minute runtime a breeze.
A Visual and Audible Delight
The voice acting in Despicable Me 4 is fantastic, and Carell has more to do as Gru as he balances his new identity with his new child’s obvious dislike of him. Wiig is also great with multiple frantic sequences that allow her to show off her affable yet panicked performance. Ferrell matches Carell’s voice with a wonderful French accent, making Maxime a great counterpart to Gru. The only letdown amongst the cast is Vergara who doesn’t get much to do, so she plays a mundane one-note femme fatale.
The soundtrack is phenomenal, and not just because of the Pharrell Williams music. The Terminator 2 theme is used to comedic effect. There are some other throwbacks too, with Culture Club’s “Karma Chameleon” and Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” used in scenes. Heitor Pereira and Williams return for the soundtrack and while the songs do stand out, the score never feels out of place. The film sounds as vibrant as it looks, and you might have a hard time keeping kids in their seats.
Illumination has done a terrific job with the animation as always, with the characters – especially the Minions – feeling malleable. It’s a bright movie even though there are several scenes in darker rooms, as well as ones that take place at nighttime. The vibrancy of the colors tends to stand out more against darker backdrops. Even in scenes without many of the Minions, the settings and characters still manage to look beautiful.
Despicable Me 4 Isn’t a Perfect Movie
Even though the story is good, there are still some letdowns. Maxime Le Mal is a great villain who works well against Gru, using his childhood as an anchor. Yet, he has a cockroach theme that feels wasted by the end of the movie. There’s seemingly no reason for the cockroaches at all. Some of the side plots also feel unfinished or rushed, which feels all the more unimportant with how final the film feels. It probably won’t be the last one in the franchise, but Despicable Me 4 does feel like it.
But, the side stories are really the film’s savior. Even though the main storyline can feel kind of empty, the rest of the family dealing with their new identities while hiding is a great source of growth and humor, as is Gru’s relationship with his new child. Overall, this is the type of movie you’ve come to expect from the Despicable Me franchise. But, depending on your sense of humor, this could easily be the one you like the most.
It’s a great animated film not free of issues, but it’s full of humor and fun without ever doing anything egregious or boring. You should absolutely take your kids – or a friend if you don’t have children – to see Despicable Me 4 in a theater.
Despicable Me 4 is releasing in theaters on July 3, 2024.
Despicable Me 4
Despicable Me 4 is a wonderful animated film that feels like a natural improvement of the franchise in terms of humor, vibrancy, and scale.
Pros
- A good story with plenty of side stories for your favorite characters.
- Funny with a good mix of visual gags and satire.
- Vibrancy in both the soundtrack and the animation.
Cons
- The villains feel a little one-note and gimmicky.
- Some side characters feel slightly underused.
