Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig are joined by Joey King, Stephen Colbert, and Chloe Fineman in the latest franchise edition, which was co-written by Mike White.
In Despicable Me 4, the latest episode in Illumination Studio's successful franchise, Gru (a winning Steve Carell) tackles the subtle villainy of suburban life. Something about Mayflower's charming aesthetics just doesn't feel right. Perhaps it's the near-identical cottage-style homes, all painted the same shade of eggshell white and outfitted with clean pools; or perhaps it's the people, an affluent and entitled group keen on excluding the stranger. Whatever the cause, the mood is definitely wrong.
Despicable Me 4, directed by Chris Renaud from a screenplay by The White Lotus author Mike White and franchise staple Ken Daurio, is a trustworthy sequel to this financially stable series. A new setting, new adversary, and new characters, including Gru and Lucy's newborn Gru Jr., provide enough entertainment and shenanigans to satisfy previous fans.
The plot can feel like a confused melange stretched too thin at points, but White, who penned the Illumination bird charmer Migration, improves the overall narrative by inserting doses of his constant fascination with the rich's social rules. The Minions have a hilarious B storyline that becomes one of the film's strongest threads, and a superb voice cast keeps the film interesting and snappy.
Despicable Me 4 unfolds with a dramatic confrontation (thanks to clever angles and tense music by composer Heitor Pereira) between Gru and a new villain, Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell). The couple's history dates back to when they were students at Lycee Pas Bon, the renowned school for budding bad guys. They reunite for their school reunion, which, regardless of the length of your rap sheet, is nonetheless plagued with old tensions, awkward encounters, and not-so-subtle competitive small chat.
At the soirée, Maxime, a cockroach obsessive, unveils his new invention, a device that endows him with qualities of the near-indestructible vermin. Gru, newly reinstated to the Anti-Villain League after the shenanigans of Despicable Me 3, only attended the reunion to arrest Maxime, which he does after the latter’s dramatic presentation.
Maxime, assisted by his insect army and wife (SofÃa Vergara), escapes the Anti-Villain League's maximum security prison. Before his jailbreak, he sends a video message pledging to "exterminate Gru." AVL chief Silas Ramsbottom (Steve Coogan) is understandably alarmed, so the organisation relocates the Gru family, which now includes Gru Jr., a newborn, to Mayflower. Gru, Lucy (Kristen Wiig), Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Madison Skyy Polan) take on new identities. When Agnes, in particular, objects to the concept of lying about her name (she is now Brittany), Gru jokingly advises her to consider it "high-stakes pretending."
The new identities are difficult to sell, and some of Despicable Me 4's most memorable sequences revolve around the family's struggles to fit in at Mayflower. Gru replaces his characteristic dark clothing and scarf with khakis and pink polo shirts. He is now a part-time solar energy salesman and stay-at-home dad. Lucy becomes a world-class beautician and works at the stuffy salon on Main Street. Margo enrols in a new junior high school, where the popular girl, Poppy (an amazing Joey King), reigns supreme. Meanwhile, Agnes and Edith join a karate class led by a frightening instructor (Brad Ableson). This endeavour results in several innovative moments, including a rather high-stakes grocery pursuit involving Lucy and the girls.
The group gives intriguing vocal performances, with Carell and King leading the way. Carell's performance as Gru keeps the villain's characteristic irritation while also evoking the sensitive enthusiasm of rearing his new infant. Trying to bond with Gru Jr., who rejects his paternal affection, becomes the top goal for this father. The other aim is to make friends with the country club family next door, who appear to have no interest in their neighbours. Perry (Stephen Colbert) treats Gru with disdain, and their exchanges reveal the underlying brutality of this suburb. Patsy (Chloe Fineman) is nicer, inviting Gru and Lucy to the country club for cocktails and tennis.
It’s Poppy, their daughter, who proves to be the most obviously sinister and therefore interesting. The teen quickly figures out that Gru is a villain (why the AVL didn’t scrub the web remains unclear) and uses that information to blackmail him. The stakes of their reluctant partnership — Poppy enlists Gru to help her with a heist — are low, but it does offer a new adventure as well as the genuine character development that most of the Despicable Me films lack.
While the Grus adjust to a quiet life, Maxime hunts for them. He and his wife get into their own frenzied adventures, but this part of the narrative feels underdeveloped at times. Maxime plans to abduct Gru Jr. as payback, which is a far cry from the early threats of extermination, but still evil. Running a brisk 95 minutes, Despicable Me 4 doesn’t leave enough time for Maxime to enact his plans in a way that packs an emotional punch.
The Minions' fate includes some truly hilarious moments and highly realistic animation. Silas recruits the group of yellow beings to train as the AVL's finest operatives. A chosen set of them are subjected to an experimental therapy that transforms them into Super Minions. Their training sequences, both at AVL headquarters and in the city, continue the history of Illumination animators having fun with Loony Tunes-style pieces. They also, perhaps paradoxically, ground Despicable Me 4, which may be disorienting with its twists and turns. When in doubt, trust the Minions.
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