Genre: Animation/Action/Adventure/Comedy/Romance
Featuring the voices of Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell, Sofia Vergara, Joey King, Stephen Colbert, Chloe Fineman, Steve Coogan, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Madison Polan. Directors: Chris Renaud, Patrick Delage
RATING: 5.5/10
If it’s true that insanity is the act of making the same mistakes but expecting a different outcome then Despicable Me 4 is certifiably mad for dipping into the same pick ‘n’ mix of half-formed ideas as the underwhelming third film in the franchise and expecting a more coherent or emotionally satisfying experience.
Every frame of this fourth computer-animated romp feels achingly predictable and familiar, garnished with intergenerational angst borrowed from The Incredibles.
Sporadic comic interludes featuring googly-eyed Minions also seem to have run out of ideas and recycle cartoonish violence for giggles like one adorable yellow character throwing a shaken soda can into the bottom drawer of a vending machine where one of his gobbledygook-spewing brethren is trapped.
A contained explosion of fizzy pink juice leaves a sticky and sweet mess that miraculously vanishes for a subsequent visual gag.
The introduction of five superpowered sidekicks – the Mega Minions – is a merchandising dream but haphazard storytelling doesn’t support the quintet’s potential to turn the tide in favour of the Anti-Villain League (AVL).
Director Chris Renaud and co-director Patrick Delage careen between loosely interconnected vignettes, milking final droplets of goodwill from characters we have grown to love since supervillain Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) schemed to steal the moon using a shrink ray gun in the original Despicable Me.
Perhaps Gru accidentally triggered the gun at Mike White and Ken Daurio’s script and that would explain the scarcity of big laughs?
Despicable Me 4 begins with Gru attending a class reunion at Lycee Pas Bon School Of Villainy where old nemesis Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) once again steals the spotlight to collect a coveted star pupil award from Principal Ubelschlecht (Chris Renaud).
During his acceptance speech, Maxime reveals he has transformed himself into a human-cockroach hybrid to take advantage of the insect’s indestructability.
Gru sours the celebratory mood by coordinating Maxime’s arrest on behalf of the AVL.
“Mark my words, I will exterminate you!” shrieks the captured supervillain.
Sure enough, Maxime escapes justice and plots his revenge against Gru, wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig), their girls Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Madison Polan), and cherubic toddler Gru Jr.
Silas Ramsbottom (Steve Coogan), former director of the AVL, escorts Gru and the clan to a safehouse in the sleepy town of Mayflower.
The new arrivals clumsily adopt fake identities to blend in with well-to-do-neighbours including Perry and Patsy Prescott (Stephen Colbert, Chloe Fineman) and their teenage daughter Poppy (Joey King).
Meanwhile, Gru struggles to bond with Gru Jr.
“Of course he loves you. He just doesn’t show it on his face, or with his body language,” Lucy assures her husband.
Despicable Me 4 is the weakest instalment of the highest grossing animated film franchise in history but still manages a few moments of mild merriment.
The 94-minute running time is a blessing for families with short attention spans and the quality of the animation is exemplary, particularly in frenetic action sequences.
Hopefully, the final curtain falls here.
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