Film Review - Despicable Me 4

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures.

Despicable Me 4 is a statement to the world of cinema. It doesn’t matter how mediocre your film is, if it has Minions… the children will come.

Supervillain-turned-secret agent Gru (Steve Carrell) and his family are forced to relocate to the quiet suburban town of Mayflower after his old villainous classmate Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) swears revenge and vows to hunt him down. Gru takes this opportunity to bond with his newborn son while the rest of his family tries blending into suburban life. Oh, and a bunch of Minions get superpowers.

Despicable Me 4 is the weakest film in the series as Illumination has officially turned this IP into a franchise of diminishing returns. Directors Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage have created a visually stunning film. The animation has never looked better. It’s a shame that such a colourful and dynamic film feels so flat and empty throughout its runtime as the ensemble of characters feels like wasted caricatures. The film’s screenwriters, Ken Daurio and The White Lotus’ Mike White deliver a script that puts aside focus on narrative and character development in exchange for comedy. And Minions. 

Illumination knows that Despicable Me 4 is for children. The film is loaded with visual gags that kids will love and has funny one-liners that will make parents chuckle. But, to keep the audience’s attention, the film has more plots than it can handle which causes it to fall apart. For example, while Gru and his family have their storyline about adjusting to their new identities, Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, are on a revenge quest that feels very separate until the film’s end. Gru is also forced to mentor and go on a side adventure with a supervillain prodigy in the meantime. Also, the Minions are in a workplace comedy when a group of them acquire powers and become ‘Mega Minions’. All of these plots are happening in tandem over 95 minutes. 

While extremely tiring if you’re over twelve, the film should be commended for the ensemble cast it’s assembled. Carrell’s exaggerated Eastern European accent is iconic at this point for the younger generation of filmgoers. But now Ferrell gets a fair chance to battle him over whose animated accent is the most ridiculous. With the additional voices of Kristen Wiig, Sofia Vergara, Steve Coogan and Stephen Colbert, Illumination builds on their reputation for attracting strong talent. But everyone knows that the Minions will always be the stars of the Despicable Me franchise. The filmmakers find new scenarios and gags to throw them in which is still surprising after all this time. Those Minions can always provide the easiest laughs and that’s not entirely bad.

Despicable Me 4 is a fun time at the cinema for kids but inevitably exhausting for adults. 

Despicable Me 4 is screening in cinemas from Thursday 20th June. For tickets and more info, click here.