As soon as I heard Guns N’ Roses in the first trailer I saw for Despicable Me 4, it had me hooked! Ok, to be fair, I have loved the other movies, both Despicable Me and Minions so I was probably always going to go and see this. After how good Inside Out 2 was though, expectations were super high for this latest installment in the franchise.
How to Download Despicable Me 4
Despicable Me 4 was released on July 3, 2024. You can expect to be able to download or stream the film from a digital platform about two months from that date on Peacock TV, Netflix, or other digital platforms.. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like the film check out all the other movies from this franchise: Despicable Me (2010), Despicable Me 2 (2013), Minions (2015), Despicable Me 3 (2017), and Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022).
The Movie Review
At the end of the day, if you like the Despicable Me franchise, you will like this. Those who have never taken to Gru, his family, and of course, The Minions, keep on walking, this is not for you. However, I found it to be a fun time, it plays things very safe and I got pretty much what I expected, but I had a smile on my face the whole time and came out of the theatre really happy with what I had seen.
A New Villain Emerges
The plot this time around sees a new villain come calling for Gru! Maxime Le Mal who is voiced by Will Ferrell was arrested because of Gru and now he sees him as his rival. Maxime along with his special lady, Valentina are on the hunt for Gru and as Gru is a new father thanks to the birth of Gru Junior, the family needs to go on the run and figure out what to do.
Family Dynamics at Play
You get a lot of family drama here. The stuff you see with Gru and Gru Junior in the trailer is even more funny in the context of the movie, Gru Junior is so awesome and I just love his grouchy face when he is with Gru. You also have the stuff with Lucy and the girls too and like the other movies, family is a big part of the heart of the story in Despicable Me 4.
The Minions are of course here again and they are hilarious as always and there may or may not be a new surprise with The Minions, no spoilers here, but the vast amount of merch for the movie will probably spoil it for you. How can you not get a kick out of The Minions? The stuff they do to each other always makes me laugh and while you do see most of the best bits in the trailer, it is still going to make you smile and laugh in the actual movie.
Fast-Paced Fun
Despicable Me 4 comes in at just over 90 minutes and this is a very fast-paced kind of movie. There is no screwing around here, ok, there is lots of screwing around, but the plot does not have any filler. It goes from one zany moment to the next, with a bit of heart here and there. The slapstick humor is in full force and at the end of the day, this is pretty much exactly what you would expect and want from a movie in this franchise.
I do not see how anyone who has seen the other movies could sit down, watch this, and complain it is the same thing again! This franchise is not going to change and to be honest, I do not think I would want it to. I Like Gru, I like the girls, Lucy and The Minions and this movie gave me what I wanted and expected. However, this time we have Will Ferrell as an over-the-top French cockroach guy causing trouble!
