Despicable Me 4 Review: Same Old Laughs, Lacking Depth and Story
Despicable Me 4 Review
Introduction
I went into this film not particularly excited to see
it simply because from the trailers, it just seemed like more of what we've
seen for the last 14 years without anything new to offer. Did the movie win me
over, or was I right in my expectations? Let's get started with the review.
Despicable Me 4 Trailer :
Family Movie Night
I went to see the movie with my two girls and their
friend from across the street last night, and all of them seemed to have a good
enough time with it. Caris, in particular, the 5-year-old, came home very
excited about a sequence in the movie where everyone sang and danced, which
tends to happen in these movies. But really, that's what this movie is
for—it'll entertain children but doesn't have much more to offer beyond that.
Catering to Fans
If you just love these characters and think this
franchise is funny, you'll probably have a good enough time with it. There are
enough jokes that land, and you get to spend more time with this set of
characters. They do cute and charming things, and there are plenty of jokes
that land. But that's about it.
Lost Plot and Character Development
I feel like this franchise has completely lost its
basic premise. We started off with a supervillain exploiting children and, in
the process, realizing he actually cares about them and becomes a father to
them. But where do you go from there? By the time you get to this movie, he's
no longer despicable; he's just a spy and, for most of this film, a suburban
dad. We've lost the plot and what this franchise is really about.
Thin Main Plotline and Overloaded Subplots
The movie itself has a very thin main plotline that
really just bookends the film. It's about someone that Gru went to high school
with who feels scorned by him. The whole middle hour and 15 minutes of the film
is just subplot layered on top of subplot, standalone scenes layered on top of
another subplot. Gru himself has three different subplots: one about how he
can't connect with baby Gr, another about being a suburban dad who doesn't know
how to fit in quite right, and one about him being blackmailed. He has three
different subplots plus the main plotline, and everyone else has a subplot as
well.
Disconnected Scenes
You just have this huge chunk of the film that is
cutting between these disconnected things: what's going on with the minions and
the experiments being run on them, what's going on with the little girls as
they take karate class, what's going on with the mother as she gets a job at a
salon that she might not be qualified for. Everyone has a subplot, most of them
going absolutely nowhere with no meaningful consequence on the main plotline.
They're just there to fill gaps, and the gags work well enough if that's all
you care about. If that's all you need, this movie will entertain you and
you'll get enough out of it.
Lacking Compelling Story and Character Growth
If you want anything more from it, it simply doesn't
have anything else to offer. There's no compelling story, no character growth,
and no emotion. You don't have a villain changing and learning that he actually
cares about these girls, with those heartwarming moments. You don't really have
any of that. It's just a series of gags for 90 minutes, and then the credits
roll, with more gags during the credits.
The Franchise Feels Played Out
As for me, the franchise just feels played out. It
doesn't have anything else to offer me. Whatever was interesting about it, I
got out of the first movie and a little bit out of Rise of Gru. I've had some
fun with some of the other ones as well, but by this point, I'm just kind of
tired of the bit. I've already seen it, and it doesn't have anywhere else to go
with the plot or the characters. So it's just superficial jokes and not much
else.
Final Thoughts
Real quick, before I give you my final thoughts,
remember to share your opinions down below in the comment section. Also, come
back in a few days; I'll rank all of the Despicable Me and Minions films. If
you want to hear my thoughts on all the Illumination films from a year back,
you can check it out in this video somewhere around here.
Conclusion
As much as I've been hard on the film in this review,
the film itself is harmless. There are a few too many literal poop and pee
jokes, and it's a bit more crass and juvenile in that sense. But besides that,
it doesn't do anything offensive. There are a lot of solid jokes, and since
these movies are comedies, being able to make me laugh is really important for
their success. But it's only successful on that one level.
If I'm in the mood to watch a movie in this franchise,
I'll watch the first film, Rise of Gru, or a different film because it just
feels tired at this point. If all you need is a laugh because of the minions,
you will get that and probably have a lot more fun with this movie. I needed a
little bit more, and I didn't get it.
Summery
Despicable Me 4 feels like more of the same, failing to
offer anything new. While it entertains children with cute and charming
moments, it lacks a compelling story, character growth, or emotional depth. The
film is bogged down by a thin main plot and multiple disconnected subplots that
go nowhere. Despite some solid jokes, the franchise feels played out and
superficial. If you love the characters and just need a laugh, you'll enjoy it.
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