Despicable Me 4 released in the United States on July 3, 2024
, and marks the sixth entry overall in the Illumination franchise
. Despite receiving mixed critical reception for its thin and disjointed plot, the film was a massive commercial hit, grossing $972 million worldwide against a $100 million budget. Film Summary DESPICABLE ME 4 – Review by Valerie Kafrin
July 2, 2024 July 5, 2024 Valerie Kalfrin Chris Renaud, Despicable Me 4, Illumination Entertainment, kristen wiig, Patrick Delage, Alliance of Women Film Journalists
Despicable Me 4: A Gru-some New Adventure
The Minion-mania continues in the latest installment of the beloved franchise, Despicable Me 4. The film follows the adventures of Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), the lovable and notorious supervillain, as he faces new challenges and excitement.
The Plot Thickens
Picking up where the previous film left off, Gru is still reeling from his newfound role as a father to Margo (voiced by Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (voiced by Dana Zahredka), and Agnes (voiced by Elsie Fisher). As he navigates the ups and downs of family life, Gru receives a cryptic message from his long-lost brother, Dru Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), who has been secretly living a life of villainy.
As Gru reconnects with his brother, they concoct a plan to take down a new, high-tech villain known as "The Archon" (voiced by Cillian Murphy), who has been terrorizing the city's diamond trade. Alongside their trusty Minion friends, Gru and Dru must use their combined skills to outsmart The Archon and save the day.
New Faces and Returning Favorites
The film welcomes a new character, Luna (voiced by Zendaya), a tech-savvy and feisty young woman who becomes Gru's unlikely ally. The Minions, of course, are back in full force, providing their signature brand of humor and chaos.
Themes and Tone
Despicable Me 4 balances action, comedy, and heart, delivering a film that's both entertaining for kids and nostalgic for adults. Themes of family, brotherhood, and self-discovery are woven throughout the story, adding depth to the franchise.
The Verdict
Despicable Me 4 is a deserving addition to the franchise, delivering on the promise of more Minion mayhem and Gru's lovable grumpiness. With stunning animation, a talented voice cast, and a story that's both silly and sweet, this film is sure to delight audiences of all ages.
Rating: 4.5/5 Minion bananas
Runtime: 95 minutes
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family
Release Date: Summer 2024
Get ready to join the Minion fun and experience the next chapter in the Despicable Me saga!
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Gru had spent his life fighting supervillains, but he wasn’t prepared for his greatest challenge yet: The Diaper Change of Doom.
In the quiet suburbs, the world’s favorite reformed villain was living a double life. To the neighbors, he was just "Felonius," a man with a questionable accent and a very round physique. But inside their high-tech suburban fortress, things were chaotic. Gru Jr. was born with his father's scowl and a toddler's talent for destruction. 0;92;0;a3; 0;ea;0;79;0;a3; 0;baf;0;cd; The New Rivalry
The peace shattered when Maxime Le Mal, a cockroach-obsessed villain from Gru’s past, escaped prison with a vendetta. 0;4f8;0;4d2; Maxime didn't want world domination. He wanted to turn Gru’s family into insect hybrids.
The Anti-Villain League (AVL) forced the family into a 0;e0;Witness Protection Program. The Mega Minions
To combat this new threat, the AVL selected five Minions for a top-secret experiment. Silas Ramsbottom injected them with a "Mega Serum," creating the Mega Minions: Dave: Super strength (and zero coordination).
Tim: Elastic limbs (mostly uses them to reach snacks).0;550; Mel: A literal laser eye (dangerous during a sneeze). Jerry: Indestructible rock skin. Gus:0;8b; The power of flight (but keeps hitting windows).
The experiment was a disaster. Instead of saving the city, the Mega Minions accidentally destroyed a skyscraper while trying to save a cat that wasn't actually stuck. The public turned on them, and the "heroes" were forced into early retirement. The Heist of Mayflower
While Gru tried to blend in at the local country club, his neighbor’s daughter, Poppy, recognized him. She didn't want to turn him in; she wanted to be him. She blackmailed Gru into helping her pull a heist at the Lycée Pas Bon, the elite school for villains.
The mission? To steal the school’s mascot: a cranky honey badger. Gru used his old gadgets. Poppy used her teenage cunning. The honey badger used its teeth on Gru’s bottom.0;41; The Final Showdown
Maxime eventually tracked them down using a giant cockroach-shaped ship. He kidnapped Gru Jr., transforming him into a half-human, half-roach hybrid.
In a climactic battle atop a construction site, Gru realized that the only way to reach his son wasn't through gadgets or fighting—it was through dad jokes and peek-a-boo. The "villainous" baby’s love for his father broke the transformation. With a final assist from the clumsy Mega Minions, Maxime was flattened and sent back to jail. 0;7a;0;1c5;
💡 Key Takeaway: Even a Mega-Laser-Eye can't fix a family crisis, but a little bit of loyalty (and a lot of Minion nonsense) usually does the trick. 0;7a;0;c4; If you’re interested, I can: List the funniest new gadgets from the film Compare the Mega Minions' powers to the Avengers0;221; Give you a spoiler-free review of the soundtrack Let me know how you'd like to explore the movie further!
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The Chaotic Charm of Despicable Me 4: A Balancing Act of Family and Frenzy Released in July 2024, Despicable Me 4
serves as the fourth main installment (and sixth overall) in Illumination’s juggernaut franchise. Directed by Chris Renaud and co-written by Mike White and Ken Daurio, the film continues the saga of Gru, the world’s most beloved supervillain-turned-agent, as he navigates the complexities of a growing family and a persistent past. While critics have noted its fragmented narrative, the film remains a testament to the franchise's enduring "banana-flavored" magic. A Fragmented Plot: One Film, Many Stories
The core conflict of Despicable Me 4 centers on Gru (Steve Carell) being forced into witness protection after his high school rival, the cockroach-obsessed Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell), escapes prison seeking revenge. This premise uproots the family to the posh suburb of Mayflower, where they struggle to blend in under new identities like "Chet" and "Blanche".
However, the film is frequently described as an "anthology" or a collection of "loosely connected sketches" rather than a singular, cohesive story. Major subplots include:
Gru Jr. and Fatherhood: Gru’s struggle to bond with his new biological son, who seems to delight in his father’s misfortune.
The Mega Minions: An experimental program that transforms five Minions into super-powered heroes—a clear parody of Marvel and the Fantastic Four—only for them to cause more mayhem than they solve.
Poppy’s Heist: A teenage neighbor and aspiring villain, Poppy (Joey King), who blackmails Gru into helping her pull off a heist at his old school, Lycée Pas Bon. The Franchise Formula: Gags Over Growth
By its fourth entry, the Despicable Me series has firmly established a "winning formula" that prioritizes slapstick humor and visual gags over deep character development. Reviewers from sites like Rotten Tomatoes suggest that while the film doesn't "take risks" or "break new ground," it successfully delivers the "effective slapstick Minion mayhem" that fans expect.
Technically, the film maintains Illumination's high standards. Critics have praised the "beautiful animation" and "expressive" character designs, particularly when viewed in IMAX. The voice cast also remains a highlight; Steve Carell's iconic Slavic-accented Gru continues to be "endearing," and Will Ferrell's Maxime Le Mal provides a "lively" and "energetic" performance. The Verdict: A Sugar Rush for Families
Ultimately, Despicable Me 4 is a "serviceably sweet" entry that acts as a "perfect kid’s film". While it may feel "overstuffed" or "hollow" to adults seeking a narrative on par with Pixar’s best work, its relentless pace and "squeaky slapstick" ensure it remains a fun distraction. It is a film that "coasts on its success," proving that as long as the Minions are around to cause comedic chaos, the franchise’s "cash cow" will continue to chug along.
For more in-depth critical takes, you can explore reviews on The Hollywood Reporter or Empire, which offer varying perspectives on the film's "chaotic melange" of plots.
Seven films into the franchise (if you count the Minions spin-offs), Despicable Me 4 arrives not with the fresh, subversive punch of the 2010 original, but with the comfortable, slightly chaotic hum of a well-worn family appliance. On its surface, the film is a glossy, fast-paced spectacle of purple goo, avocado-shaped nemeses, and Mega-Minions. But beneath the fart-joke-and-gadget veneer, DM4 wrestles with a surprisingly resonant question: What happens when a man who defined himself by audacious evil is forced into the most mundane, domesticated existence imaginable?
The Ultimate Identity Crisis
The core of the film’s depth lies in Gru’s forced relocation to the tony, artificial suburb of Mayflower. Under the witness protection alias “Chess McGill” (a name dripping with unintentional irony), Gru isn’t just hiding from the villainous Maxime Le Mal; he’s hiding from himself. The sleek, black turtlenecks are replaced by pastel polo shirts. The underground lair becomes a beige garage. The army of Minions is reduced to a single, eccentric houseplant.
This isn't merely a plot device; it’s a profound deconstruction of Gru’s masculinity. In the first film, his villainy was a performance for his mother’s approval. In the sequels, it was a reluctant tool for family protection. Here, he is stripped of the performance entirely. He must be a good neighbor, a high school career day chaperone, and a husband who installs sprinklers. The film’s central tension is Gru’s quiet desperation to reconcile the “Gru” of legend with “Chess,” the suburban schlub. His covert training of the neighbor girl, Poppy, isn't just plot progression—it’s Gru’s therapy, a desperate clinging to his former self in a world that demands he be boring.
The New Nemesis as Existential Threat
Maxime Le Mal (voiced with reptilian glee by Will Ferrell) is more than a cockroach-mutated French supervillain. He is the ghost of Gru’s past made flesh—a flamboyant, grudge-holding artist of evil who refuses to adapt. Maxime doesn't want to steal the moon or shrink Las Vegas; he wants revenge for a high school talent show slight. He is pure, unadulterated, petty villainy. Despicable Me 4 released in the United States
In contrast, the Anti-Villain League (AVL) wants Gru to be a model citizen. Maxime, therefore, represents the seductive danger of refusing to grow up. He is the midlife crisis on two legs (and four insectoid ones). Gru must defeat him not just with gadgets, but by proving that domesticity hasn't dulled his edge—that a father’s protective ferocity is a fiercer weapon than any freeze ray.
The Poppy Paradox: Mentorship as Salvation
The most intellectually interesting addition is Poppy Prescott, the wannabe villain next door. She is a meta-commentary on the franchise’s own fandom. Poppy worships Gru the way audiences worship the Despicable Me lore. She has scrapbooks of his heists. She idolizes the freeze ray. She wants to be the villain of 2010.
Gru’s mentorship of Poppy is the film’s emotional core. He is forced to confront his legacy through her starry eyes. Is he proud of the man who stole the moon? Or is he something better? By teaching her that villainy has rules (and that family is the ultimate heist), Gru performs a crucial act of narrative therapy: he reframes his past not as a criminal record, but as a set of skills for creative problem-solving. Poppy isn't just a sidekick; she is the audience surrogate, and Gru’s reluctant acceptance of her proves he has finally made peace with his former self.
The Minions as Postmodern Chaos Agents
The B-plot, featuring five Minions transformed into superpowered “Mega-Minions,” is often dismissed as juvenile chaos. But read differently, it is a brilliant satire of the superhero industrial complex. One Minion becomes a stretchy Mr. Fantastic; another, a rock-skinned Thing; a third, a laser-eyed Cyclops. They are the Id unleashed—pure, destructive, nonsensical power with zero moral compass.
Their rampage through Mayflower, ending with one Minion literally burping up a blue whale, is a deliberate critique of the MCU-era demand for bigger, louder, more consequential action. The Mega-Minions are what happens when power is divorced from purpose. They don’t save the day; they simply exist, breaking physics and zoning laws with equal abandon. Their eventual reversion to gibberish-speaking goo-balls is a relief—a return to manageable, relatable chaos after a brief, terrifying flirtation with godhood.
Conclusion: The Domestic Abyss
Despicable Me 4 is not a great film in the traditional sense. It is overstuffed, its pacing is frantic, and its emotional beats are often swallowed by visual noise. But as a case study in franchise longevity and the hidden anxieties of middle age, it is fascinating. Gru cannot go back to being a supervillain. The world (and Lucy, his patient wife) won’t allow it. But he also cannot fully embrace the PTA meeting.
The film’s resolution—Gru defeating Maxime using a combination of suburban traps and old-school cunning—suggests a fragile synthesis. He is not the man he was, and not yet the man he fears becoming. He is a father, a mentor, and a recovering evil genius. In the end, Despicable Me 4 is a deeply weird, often hilarious meditation on the fact that for many men, the most terrifying villain they will ever face isn't a French cyborg with cockroach powers. It’s the quiet, soul-crushing banality of a neighborhood barbecue. And sometimes, the only way to survive it is to freeze your neighbor’s lawn jockey.
The 2024 film Despicable Me 4 marks the fourth main installment and the sixth overall entry in Illumination's highest-grossing animated franchise. Directed by Chris Renaud and co-directed by Patrick Delage , the film continues the story of , his growing family, and the ever-present Plot Overview The story follows
(Steve Carell) as he balances fatherhood with his work as an undercover agent for the Anti-Villain League (AVL) . After arresting his high school rival, Maxime Le Mal
(Will Ferrell), Gru and his family are forced into witness protection when Maxime escapes prison with his girlfriend (Sofía Vergara).
Living under fake identities in the suburb of Mayflower, the family faces several challenges:
: Gru struggles to bond with his new infant son, who initially seems to despise him. Poppy Prescott
: A teenage neighbour (Joey King) and aspiring villain who blackmails Gru into helping her with a heist. Mega Minions
: Five Minions are selected for an AVL experiment that grants them superpowers, though they often cause more destruction than good. Cast and Key Characters The film features a mix of returning and new voice talent: Steve Carell Kristen Wiig as Lucy Wilde Will Ferrell as Maxime Le Mal, a cockroach-obsessed villain Sofía Vergara as Valentina as Poppy Prescott Pierre Coffin as the voices of the Minions Themes and Critical Reception Despicable Me 4 (2024)