When most people hear the word minion, they probably picture a small yellow creature with goggles who loves bananas. This is because of the “Despicable Me” franchise, which started in 2010 and received its newest installment this summer with “Despicable Me 4.” This newest adaptation has continued the 11.3 billion dollar franchise and was released in theaters on July 3, 2024, but is now available online. After watching the films since I was young, I was pleased with the next adaptation even at an older age. This movie had me laughing out loud throughout the entire 95 minute run-time.
The story starts with Lucy and Gru welcoming a new member to the family, Gru Jr., and the troubles that they face with their new responsibilities. While struggling as a parent, Gru is faced with an old nemesis, Maxime Le Mal, who has escaped from prison and is intent on getting his revenge. This puts the family into protective custody and forces Gru to choose his priority: his family or his reputation as the best criminal mastermind. As if that is not enough for Gru to handle, he is being blackmailed by Poppy Prescott, a young neighbor girl who wants to follow in Gru’s footsteps as a criminal mastermind and forces him to teach her. These conflicts lead to Poppy being Gru’s sidekick, and together with help from his family and hundreds of minions he works to defeat his nemesis.
Overall, I would not have changed anything about the plot because it flowed well and easily made me laugh. Everyone loves a funny movie to laugh along with, and “Despicable Me 4” accomplished that. A scene that made me laugh out loud was when Agnes, Gru’s daughter, protests going under a false name for her protection. She stubbornly refuses, saying she does not lie. I thought it was hilarious because usually kids lie and get in trouble with their parents, whereas Agnus gets in trouble with Gru for not lying. I especially loved that underneath the funny scenes, the overall theme of the movie highlighted parenting struggles and family teamwork. Every family experiences trouble, and adapting to change is essential. The balance between humor and a relatable idea that Gru’s family faced made it entertaining to watch.
Besides the plot, another thing that kept me entertained was the animation. The cartoonists created visually stunning animations of wild colors and detailed characters. A great example of this was the mission in Gru’s old mansion, where they are trying to steal a device that would help them defeat Maxime Le Mal. The explosions that followed were magnificent. Then at the end of the movie, a fighting scene occurs between the minions and Maxime Le Mal. The minions fight against evil with their newfound powers, and each of their new abilities is a bright color that seems to jump off the screen. The effects of these animations on how I viewed the film as a whole raised my respect for the animators and filmmakers who had the imagination to create them.
An additional way the creators entertained the audience was by introducing new characters that made this movie different from the ones before it. Gru Jr., the new family member, is the movie’s most loveable young main character to the viewers even as he creates difficulties for his father, Gru. Maxime Le Mal, the villain of the story, antagonized Gru so they could fight to prove who was the best criminal mastermind. He stayed with the viewers long after the movie because of his cricket-like body giving them goosebumps. Introducing these new characters helps highlight the struggles of the existing characters we already know and moves the movie forward.
A final well-done aspect of “Despicable Me 4” was the voice acting. Steve Carell, who voiced Gru, did amazing when sounding hurt after Gru got punched in the face. Kristen Wiig, Lucy’s voice, correctly portrayed nervousness when her cover was about to be blown. I think these two voice actors did an amazing job portraying their characters and how they were feeling, which made the characters believable even though they were sometimes ridiculous.
After watching this hilarious movie, I think the hype is appropriate. From the funny plot to striking animations, “Despicable Me 4” gives the viewers a journey of surprise and laugh-out-loud moments. The best part is that it can be enjoyed by all ages. Long after the movie ended, I can still picture not just the banana-loving minions but also the lessons of overcoming obstacles as a family.
