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Illumination has done it again, releasing one of the best 3D films in quite some time and continuing a winning streak of stellar imagery in the third dimension. Not only was the depth and dimension of the picture naturally spaced and the horizon stretching to near infinity, but there were also constant pop-outs throughout the entire running time. Limbs, faces, lasers, and particle effects all came out to the audience at a regular pace that was simply shocking in how often this happened. The standout scene was in the first ten minutes of the film when villain Maxime Le Mal extends his arm towards Gru with a cockroach in his hand, and it felt like you were in danger of getting your eyes poked out, it was so close. This will probably be the best 3D visuals of 2024; it's that good. The 3D aspect of Despicable Me 4 is simply magnificent.
Your auntie's favorite Facebook memes are back for another “movie”!
After Gru's last adventure in Despicable Me 3, where he teamed up with his long-lost brother Dru to stop the villainous Balthazar Bratt from destroying Hollywood, his life has stayed the same for the most part. Gru (Steve Carell) and his wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig) still work for the AVL (Anti-Villain League) and take care of their three adopted daughters along with a new child, Gru Jr., and all the Minions with their shenanigans. Gru's next mission? He is to attend his high school alma mater Lycee Pas Bon (a funny joke if you know French) and apprehend his nemesis, Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell), who is hellbent on using the power of the cockroach to turn Gru Jr. into a pest (how Maxime knows about Gru Jr. is never explained).
While initially successful in arresting Maxime, he escapes from the AVL prison with the help of his girlfriend Valentina (Sofía Vergara), and Gru and his family are placed into witness protection. Shenanigans ensue as Gru deals with new neighbors, Lucy gets a salon job, and the Minions' chaos. This all leads to Gru saving the day.
I remember back in 2010 (feels like VERY long time ago) being absolutely smitten with the first film in the Despicable Me franchise. Despicable Me was funny, well-animated, and quite touching in places, fully proving that Illumination has the capability of producing high-quality work on significantly smaller budgets than its competitors over at DreamWorks and Disney/Pixar. Sadly, the allure of the almighty dollar has tainted this once-promising studio (for the most part), usually delivering products made with the lowest common denominator and the highest profitability margins in mind. Despicable Me is high proof of this, with not only four films in the main franchise but also a spin-off film with its own sequel, not to mention short films, tons of merchandise, toys, and food-themed items. It's hard to review this as a "film" because it's clearly just a profit-maximizing product for Illumination, but I have to continue.
As for the story, there is practically none beyond loose threads of several side quests, with Gru's being the only one with anything resembling a through line. There is no depth to the characters, no growth (literally, the kids haven't aged!), and the villainous plot is rather tame and low-key compared to his previous nemeses' heinous acts of moon-napping, world domination, and city flattening. Lucy and the girls have very little to do, with the Minions providing most of the entertainment, as they have in the previous films since part two.
Are the Minions' shenanigans still entertaining? Sure, they're practically the saving grace, but the silly minions act is getting old, and getting old fast. The new gimmick is that the AVL has created the “Mega Minions” program that is tested in the city, and it predictably goes awry. Sadly it is the highlight of the film, but I hope this isn't a litmus test for a fully-fledged Mega Minions-based film - Ugh.
The animation is well-done, and there are some funny background gags that are fun to look out for. The cast is all having a blast, which reflects in every frame of the film. The soundtrack is filled with radio hits of the '80s and '90s, along with film references that no kid would get at all and are simply there for the adults to chuckle while their kid laughs at a goat pooping on the floor. It truly is a family film, and the families in my audience laughed, as did I a few times, but this is one that barely musters any enthusiasm from yours truly to see any more of this series. So, I guess I'll see you again in two – three years with Despicable Me 5: Minions 3 - The Search for More Money.
When we initially published this review we gave the movie a score of 6/10. The score has been updated, and lowered to a 5/10.
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