Rating 7/10
Despicable Me 4 is crafted as a saga that crescendos to an eagerly anticipated but predictable showdown. Along the way, there are offshoots and random asides to make you laugh. Most have nothing to do with the main story. The movie is unfocused. However, it is hilarious. I laughed a lot.
As an undercover agent for the Anti-Villain League (AVL), Felonious Gru (Steve Carell) attends a high school reunion. There, he clashes with former classmate Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell), an arrogant Frenchman who has enhanced himself with cockroach body parts. After Gru has Maxime arrested, Maxime escapes with the aid of his girlfriend Valentina (Sofía Vergara) and reveals a sinister invention: a gun that transforms people into cockroach hybrids. His next target is Gru’s infant son, named Gru Jr. (Tara Strong) naturally.
For this reason, AVL director Silas Ramsbottom (Steve Coogan) relocates Gru, his wife and fellow AVL agent Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig), and their adorable children. They are placed under witness protection for their safety. In their new town, Gru teams up with neighbor Poppy Prescott (Joey King) after she blackmails him. The aspiring lawbreaking daughter of Perry (Stephen Colbert) and Patsy (Chloe Fineman) wants his help to pull off a heist. As a result, Maxime discovers their location and kidnaps Gru Jr. Father must now get his son back, but in order to rescue him, Gru might need some assistance.
Despicable Me 4 has been loosely fashioned as the bare bones of a narrative on which to hang a lot of silly setpieces. For example wife Lucy assumes her new identity as a hairstylist at a beauty parlor when the family is relocated. The fact that she knows nothing about working in a salon inspires an amusing gag. The assistance Gru gets from the Minions in a tennis game against Perry Prescott, entertained more than any scene in this year’s other tennis picture, Challengers. Later, in another departure, the AVL augments five Minions as Megaminions with superpowers to combat rising threats. However, the Megaminions’ mission goes awry as their lack of control and coordination leads to significant damage in a nearby city. The initiative is called off. Are these detours necessary? No. Were they funny? Very.
The tale frequently diverges from the central plot, showcasing vivid animation that consistently delights. These episodes are designed to elicit laughs with absurd scenarios. While the zany moments are sure to captivate kids, they include elements to engage adults as well. Gen X parents will find their nostalgia engaged, with the inclusion of hits from their youth. “Karma Chameleon” and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” are featured in talent competitions. These and other comedic bits deliver the required humor in a fast-paced farce that flies by in a refreshingly brisk 94 minutes. This slapdash approach from the director of the first two films, Chris Renaud, with a screenplay by The White Lotus creator Mike White and franchise veteran Ken Daurio, can feel like a thin plot lacking focus. I could say the same of the Marx Brothers and Monty Python or movies like Airplane! and Austin Powers. As a comedy, Despicable Me 4 succeeds in entertaining the audience, and its aimless nature ultimately adds to its breezy charm.
07-04-24