Despicable Me 4, the fourth main installment and sixth overall in the franchise, continues to deliver its dependable brand of entertainment. This time, the film follows Gru and Lucy as they welcome Gru Jr., who loves to annoy his dad, while also dealing with a new adversary, Maxime Le Mal, and his femme fatale girlfriend, Valentina.
The film leans into a series of episodic plots rather than a cohesive narrative, giving it the feel of a collection of TV show episodes stitched together. Despite the marketing hype about the a few minions becoming superheroes, their screen time is limited to what’s shown in the trailers. The villain, Maxime Le Mal (voiced by Will Ferrell), is also underused and doesn’t leave a lasting impression, and the original children have little to no role in the story.
Among the various subplots, I particularly enjoyed Lucy’s brief foray into hairdressing and the underdeveloped tennis storyline, despite their abrupt conclusions. New characters, like teenage neighbor Poppy Prescott, blend fine enough into the familiar ensemble, and the Minions prove more effective in smaller doses this time around. There are also cameos from past villains that add a nostalgic touch.
There’s nothing particularly memorable in this installment to distinguish it from its predecessors, and its box office success raises questions about whether simply repeating familiar formulas is sufficient for today’s audiences, or if children deserve more creativity and innovation. Growing up with classics like The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, and Shrek 2, I can’t help but feel that today’s kids deserve more than variations of minion antics. Still, Despicable Me 4 manages to be more enjoyable than films that focus solely on the Minions. See you in a couple years, Despicable Me 26!