"Despicable Me 4" introduces Gru's mischievous son Gru Jr. and the escape of the notorious criminal Maxime Le Mal, with Steve Carell reprising his role as Gru, joined by Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Will Ferrell as the new villain.
Gru and his family relocate under new identities, struggling to fit in while evading the insect-powered villain.
The film introduces new characters like the sharp teenager Poppy, who blackmails Gru, and multiple plotlines.
Critics argue the film bombards the audience with convoluted subplots. A partial list of these includes a heist, the introduction of Mega Minions with unpredictable powers, and a BTS cameo.
While catering to children with slapstick, the movie attempts to engage adult audiences with family themes.
The Minions have been a highlight of the franchise since their introduction in 2010, raking in $4.6 billion and spawning sequels and spinoffs, with their vocabulary evolving to incorporate words from various languages in each film.
Children, aged 8 and 6, enjoyed the transformation of Minions, the bad guy, and made comparisons to other movies like "The Incredibles."
While familiar and formulaic, the film manages expectations and is expected to do well at the box office as family-friendly entertainment. It is rated PG for action and rude humor, with a runtime of 95 minutes, and features a new song by Pharrell Williams.
Critics argue that Illumination's recent movies, including the Despicable Me and Minions franchises, have prioritized profit over coherent narratives and character development, shifting towards sketch-based bits and slapstick comedy at the expense of quality storytelling.
Sources: Manila Bulletin, ScreenCrush, Rendy Reviews, The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, ExBulletin, Screen Rant, The Hollywood Reporter, That Hashtag Show, The Playlist, SuperHeroHype, The Nerds of Color, Nerd Reactor.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
