Despicable Me 4’s Return To The Big Screen Feels Forced and Overstuffed
The Minions are back on the big screen, but this time it feels like they are relying on their dedicated fan base and hilariously adorable characters rather than creating a movie that feels valuable. Since the release of Despicable Me in 2014, the franchise has expanded to include six movies, including two spin-off prequels: Minions and Minions: The Rise of Gru.
While I was never a diehard Minions fan, keeping up with them felt like the rational thing to do. Who doesn’t love a good animated movie with laughs and lovable characters? However, upon hearing about Despicable Me 4, I couldn't help but wonder if it was too soon for yet another film. And I couldn’t have been more right — this film reeks of a big budget with too many ideas.
Jumping into the story, we enter a new era for our reformed supervillain Gru (Steve Carell) as he and Lucy (Kristen Wiig) welcome their baby boy into their family. Gru’s work with the Anti-Villain League takes him on a mission to catch a Frenchman harboring childhood grudges. This nemesis flaunts his supposed success and mocks Gru, but Gru, revealing his identity as an agent, finds himself outmatched. Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell), the antagonist, has turned himself into a human cockroach, making him difficult to capture. It take the entire force of the Anti-Villain League and Gru to capture him. Despite their efforts Maxime escapes, vowing revenge on Gru and his family, especially the newest member Gru Jr.
Essentially, the film is everything you saw in the trailer but extended for an hour and 30 minutes, with numerous subplots. The film’s biggest issue is its overwhelming number of storylines that lack a compelling foundation, resulting in a chaotic narrative.
The new characters introduced provide nothing interesting to the franchise. Maxime, the villain, is exactly what he makes himself into — an annoying pest that feels unkillable. His storyline is not compelling, and the concept of a cockroach-human villain feels like lazy writing. If you're going to give me a villain in a story with a guaranteed happy ending, at least make them someone I can hate or root for. Instead, he felt like a side character rather than the main antagonist.
On the other hand, we have Poppy (Joey King), the bratty teenage neighbor girl who aims to steal Lycée Pas Bon School of Villainy’s honey badger mascot to secure her enrollment. While I was initially unsure about King’s character, she becomes more interesting as she and Gru embark on their mission. However, her storyline felt like a mini-segment within the film. If her character is revisited in future films, I see potential, but, if not, her storyline was just another plot hole they tried to fill. The integration of her character felt forced.
The Mega Minions addition felt like another forced idea that didn’t land. They didn’t have a smooth entrance into the storyline and their enhancements, while cool, made the story feel all out of whack. The Minions we know and love were much more entertaining and their wildness felt like a safer bet rather than adding an unnecessary element that wasted screen time.
While not a terrible film, it is not very successful. Diehard fans of the franchise will enjoy it because it retains the integrity of its characters and has fun moments, but overall it misses the mark. If you’re looking for something fun to watch with a few gimmicks and some laughter, this is not the worst movie to add to your summer list — although its not the best either.
Despicable Me 4 is playing in theaters.
