Chris Renaud’s film is amusingly wild, but not groundbreaking

title: Despicable Me 4

director: Chris Renaud

Voice cast: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Miranda Cosgrove, Stephen Colbert, Sofia Vergara

Where can you watch?: In cinemas

reviews: ***

In the ever-expanding universe of Despicable Me, we’re at the fourth installment, which can only mean one thing: more Minions, more Gru, and a plot thinner than Gru’s hairline. This film tries to juggle more subplots than a soap opera, and while it occasionally gets it wrong, it does so with a charming awkwardness that might make you smile, or at least grin.

Our favorite ex-villain Gru (voice: the ever-enthusiastic Steve Carell) is now a full-fledged member of the Anti-Villain League and must juggle his professional life with his personal life, which now includes a newborn. The film begins with Gru arresting his old school nemesis Maxime Le Mal (voice: the ever-playful Will Ferrell) at a meeting of their villain school. Maxime’s latest plan is to transform himself into a human-cockroach hybrid, which, while innovative, is just as bland as it sounds.

As usual, the plot serves as a backdrop for loosely connected vignettes. Gru and his family, including baby Gru Jr., move to a posh suburb to hide from Maxime, who is escaping prison with the help of his wife, the underemployed Sofia Vergara, and his army of bugs. The new setting provides plenty of humor as the family falls in with the elite.

Lucy (Kristen Wiig) works at a hair salon, which leads to a hilariously disastrous first day in which a customer chases her through a grocery store. Meanwhile, the girls – Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Madison Polan) – struggle to adjust to their new lives. Margo tries to fit in at her new school but fails, while Agnes’ refusal to embrace her new identity leads to a stalemate in a karate class with an untrained instructor. These scenes feel more like sitcom episodes than parts of a coherent movie, each with its own setup and punchline.

Gru’s storyline, which involves a rebellious but caring neighborhood teen named Poppy (Joey King) who blackmails him into stealing the villainous school’s mascot (a honey badger), is one of the few that feels like it belongs in the Despicable Me universe. The scene where Gru must improvise a heist without his usual tools, relying instead on baby clothes, is a delightful reminder of the character’s roots.

Love them or hate them, the Minions are mostly limited to background jokes, and some become clumsy superheroes. Their antics provide genuine laughs and prove that sometimes less is more.

The film’s pace is reminiscent of a saccharine Minion jumping between subplots without much cohesion. It’s harmless fun, but lacks the momentum of previous films. New villain Maxime seems underused and spends most of the film in a holding pattern until the final act.

Overall, this movie is like a Minion stuck in a vending machine: amusingly frantic, but not groundbreaking. Fans will enjoy the gags, even if it lacks a coherent story. Grab the popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the Minion mayhem. Just don’t expect the movie to stick in your mind after the credits roll.

Published on: Friday, July 5, 2024, 16:35 IST