REVIEW — “Despicable Me 4”

With Despicable Me 4, Illumination delivers familiar family fun with brief doses of supersized Minion mayhem.

While 2022’s Minions: The Rise of Gru was a huge summer blockbuster, the second installment in the Minions’ prequel series was not a true entry in the flagship Despicable Me series. Therefore, it has been seven years since Illumination have released a Despicable Me movie that continues the adventures of supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain League-agent, Gru (Steve Carrell), and his family.

The animated film follows a domesticated Gru as he must relocate into protective AVL custody after the escape of high school nemesis-turned-cockroach supervillain Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) threatens their safety.

As “Chet Cunningham,” Gru and his family, including wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig), their girls — Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), Agnes (Madison Polan) —  and newborn son, Gru Jr. must assume new identities in the upscale suburban town of Mayflower. With Maxime, his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina (Sofia Vergara), and blackmailing teen neighbor Poppy (Joey King) hot on Gru’s trail, the “Cunninghams” must rely on their cunning ways and a league of superpowered Mega Minions to protect them and save the world from a cockroach takeover.

Despicable Me 4 mines a lot of comedy from the addition of Gru’s new bouncing baby boy who relishes in tormenting his poor dad. To help, Gru’s loyal three Minions are always on hand to assist with baby changing duties with all the efficiency of a NASCAR pit crew. The film also features several hilarious moments including a semi-botched honey badger heist, a running gag with a Minion stuck in a vending machine, and another scene in a grocery store referencing Terminator 2 that is as terrifying as it is comical.

After adopting a gleefully goofy voice for his role in IF, Carrell slips perfectly back into character as the ambiguously Eastern European Gru. Meanwhile, Wiig does her signature adorable aloofness as Lucy and Ferrell’s serviceable accent for his Frenchman henchman Maxime is a hoot to hear. The film also features Steve Coogan as delightfully upper-crust British AVL-head Silas Ramsbottom as well as a couple disposable WASPy neighbors voiced by Carrell’s Daily Show counterpart Stephen Colbert and SNL’s Chloe Fineman.

It is Pierre Coffin, however, who steals the show as the iconic voice of the Minions. Unfortunately, this film only offers brief visits with the fan-favorite characters and their new Mega-sized compatriots. Director and Minions co-creator Chris Renaud does manage to pack non-stop action and Illumination’s signature subversive humor into Despicable Me 4‘s tight 1 hour and 34 minute running time. However, the series seems to be losing some of its creative steam. Not even a screenplay by Emmy winning White Lotus creator Mike White can help recapture the thrilling antics of the series’ earlier installments.

The problem is, the series primed its audiences to want more Minions. By giving them what they want, they eliminated the need for Gru and are now clearly running out of ideas for their human characters. Fortunately, Despicable Me 4 seems to wrap up Gru’s story arc nicely with a fitting musical finale for the reformed villain and his family that features appearances by all of his former foes. Moving forward, the popular franchise can now retire Gru and focus on their real money makers with, hopefully, a Mega Minions series on the horizon. 3/5

Rated PG for action and rude humor, Despicable Me 4 opens in theaters on July 3, 2024.