Gru and the minions are back in the latest series installment.
Despicable Me 4 was released worldwide July. 3 as the sequel to 2017’s Despicable Me 3. This is the fourth main movie and the sixth overall installment in the Despicable Me universe – which includes two Minions movies.
The film directed by Chris Renaud (The Secret Life of Pets, Minions), stars Steve Carell returns as Gru, and is accompanied by Kristen Wiig as Lucy, and Will Ferrell as criminal Maxime Le Mal.
In this entry, Gru continues to balance his life as an agent for the Anti-Villain League with that as a family man – and new father. The action kicks off when he attends a reunion at his childhood school. It’s here where Gru reunites with and arrests adversary Le Mal for illegal villainous activity.
But it wouldn’t be a movie if it ended here, as Le Mal escapes prison and seeks to get back at Gru and his family. Whisked away to witness protection, Gru must face not only Le Mal, but his concerns as a father to his new baby – who he thinks hates him.
Of course, what would this movie series be without some hijinks from the Minions?
The fan favourite characters undergo a procedure to acquire superpowers and we are introduced to the Mega Minions.
At this point, the movie’s plot demonstrates how formulaic and predictable the storyline has become. Of course, animated movies are not usually held to a high artistic standard. As others have noted, we should not look for logic or even coherency with this film.
Nevertheless, having fun should not necessarily be at the expense of well-developed characters, fascinating plotlines and unexpected twists. Unfortunately, for those who expect more, writers have seemingly settled for slapstick humor, tired gimmicks and a predictable story.
It is obvious that Despicable Me has a loyal fanbase who support these movies no matter what.
With the current tendency of Hollywood for adapted screenplays and franchise movies, we must expect less risk-taking for new ideas and more films with guaranteed success at the box office.
As for the Despicable Me franchise, fans can expect more with Minions 3 which is scheduled for release in 2027.
