Despicable Me 4 sees the return of Gru and his family as well as the much-loved/hated minions. Photo: Illumination.
2010 was a very important year for a couple of reasons. Julia Gillard was elected Australia’s first female Prime Minister, One Direction burst onto the scene, and the iPad was invented.
But, above all, only one creation from that year has stood the test of time. Minions!
In the 14 years since the creation of The Minions, there have been three mainline movies, a spin-off, a prequel, billions of dollars in merchandise sales and countless internet memes, yet, aside from all that, we have a new movie featuring the little overall-wearing, goggle-faced, gibberish-speaking, yellow creatures to talk about.
The newest film in this smash hit franchise, Despicable Me 4 brings the beloved film series back to the family of Gru, his wife Lucy, his three adopted girls and his newborn son Gru Jr.
The blended family is more than happy enjoying their lives with their countless minions and completing the mundane things that normal families need to do. Unfortunately for Gru, this peace is short-lived as a villain from his past vows to seek revenge and, by doing so, forces Gru, his family and five new minions with superpowers back into the fray.
I must admit, I don’t much care for the Despicable Me movies, but I’m also willing to accept what they are and I understand why people enjoy them.
With that said, I think this movie is a solid entry into the franchise.
One of the biggest improvements I’ve seen in this franchise is the quality of animation. In the lead-up to this one, I binged the three other main films and, without a doubt, Despicable Me 4 is the best-looking. It’s crisp, the colours pop and the wacky caricature nature of the character’s designs give this world a unique vibe that separates it from other studios like Pixar.
The story is also a lot stronger than some of the other films, especially the middle two. There’s a lot more heart, a few laughs and the introduction of Gru Jr gives characters interesting dynamics.
On a slight downer, I do think Gru’s three girls become more and more forgotten as the films continue and this one does very little to change that trend. It’s unfortunate as they were the soul of the original film but it’s clear the franchise has moved past them.
In terms of the Minions themselves, I find them easier to digest in this movie than in their two spin-off films. Having them as side characters instead of the leads stops them from becoming so overwhelmingly exhausting.
Personally, nonsensical language and slapstick can be a bit much, so having it sprinkled throughout the film and not the focus helps the movie push forward while also providing plenty of laughs.
I had a solid time with Despicable Me 4. It’s a solid family film, maybe not as hard-hitting as the likes of Inside Out 2 or as visually impressive as Kung Fu Panda 4 [both released this year], but there are far more offensive and annoying movies released in the past 12 months.
If you’re looking for a fun 100 minutes at the cinema that everyone in the family can enjoy, Despicable Me 4 is a perfectly fine choice.
Despicable Me 4 is currently showing in cinemas across the country.
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