Gru and his minions bring lots of laughs (and storylines) in Despicable Me 4
FILM REVIEW
Despicable Me 4
2.5 out of 4 stars
Rudy S.
Headliner Chicago
Despicable Me 4
2.5 out of 4 stars
Rudy S.
Headliner Chicago
Despicable Me 4 comes to theaters just in time for the holiday weekend. Let's start with the positive: This franchise has been around since 2010, so many kids grew up on minions and watching Gru's adventures. This will feel like seeing an old friend during their summer break. Although we had 2022's Minions: The Rise of Gru, we haven't had a Despicable Me film since 2017.
In the film, a feud is reignited between Gru (voiced by Steve Carrell) and childhood nemesis Maxime (voiced by Will Ferrell) over a misunderstanding that involves 80's icon Boy George. Since 1985, Maxime has held a vendetta against Gru and the class reunion sets up the perfect firestorm for revenge to happen. Maxime is taken into custody and then escapes, that's when Gru and his family have to go into witness protection in the suburbs. After Gru & company get new suburban identities, we see how each deal with their imposter syndrome as they try to assimilate to their new lives. As all this is happening, we get all the silliness of the minions as they try their best to help out.
The film is a mix of minion mayhem, new adventures, life lessons and creepy crawlers. I don't want to give any spoilers away, but there's a lot going on in this film and some parts of the script feel a bit underdeveloped, because of all the storylines. Gru tries to impress the wealthy neighbors, and gets more than he bargained for with their aspiring villain daughter. Poppy (voiced by Joey King) uncovers Gru's real identity, and then he's blackmailed into an evil plan while the risk of uncovering his true identity. I wish there was more Gru with his daughters, more Valentina (voiced by Sophia Vergara), and less cockroaches. The film does have its fun moments and creates a great launchpad for spin-off films or series.
We can't forget about one of the most important new characters and that's Gru Jr. and his addition to the family. Gru Jr. definitely steals the scene many times and parents with newborns might identify a little too closely with his shenanigans. No matter your age or mood, the minions and their time on screen can bring a smile to anyone's face. The film is a quick 95 minutes and fun way to spend an afternoon at the movies this summer.
We can't forget about one of the most important new characters and that's Gru Jr. and his addition to the family. Gru Jr. definitely steals the scene many times and parents with newborns might identify a little too closely with his shenanigans. No matter your age or mood, the minions and their time on screen can bring a smile to anyone's face. The film is a quick 95 minutes and fun way to spend an afternoon at the movies this summer.
Despicable Me 4
opens in theaters nationwide on Wednesday, July 3
Voices include;
Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Sofia Vergara, Stephen Colbert,
Miranda Cosgrove, Chloe Fineman, Steve Coogan, Chris Renaud, Dana Gaier
opens in theaters nationwide on Wednesday, July 3
Voices include;
Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Sofia Vergara, Stephen Colbert,
Miranda Cosgrove, Chloe Fineman, Steve Coogan, Chris Renaud, Dana Gaier