Gru and his family are forced into witness protection in Despicable Me 4. Gru (Steve Carell) is in danger when his newly caught archnemesis Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell), a flamboyant human-cockroach hybrid, escapes from prison and vows revenge with his girlfriend Valentina (Sofía Vergara). Anti-Villain League head Silas Ramsbottom (Steven Coogan) relocates Gru, his wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig), adopted girls Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Madison Polan), and newborn baby Gru Jr to a safe house.
Assuming the identity of Chet Cunningham, a solar panel salesman, Gru attempts to befriend his new neighbour Perry Prescott (Stephen Colbert) and his wife Patsy (Chloe Fineman). However, Prescott’s teenage daughter Poppy (Joey King) quickly discovers Gru’s true identity. As an aspiring villain herself, Poppy blackmails Gru to help her with a heist.
Despicable Me 4 Synopsis
Despicable Me 4 is the fourth film in the long-running Despicable Me franchise, directed by franchise filmmaker Chris Renaud and co-director Patrick Delage. The film is arriving seven years after 2017’s Despicable Me 3 and two years after the 2022 prequel/spin-off Minions: The Rise of Gru. Gru’s new family life with a newborn son is interrupted when his family have to go into hiding from the new villain Maxime Le Mal, voiced by Will Ferrell.
In the film’s primary subplot, Gru’s Minions (Pierre Coffin) are sent to become agents of the Anti-Villain League. Silas Ramsbottom tests out a new super serum on five of the Minions, turning them into the superpowered Mega Minions. The Mega Minions become a core element in the fight against Maxime Le Mal.
My Thoughts on Despicable Me 4
Over the last fourteen years, the Despicable Me franchise and their two Minions spinoffs have become signature series for the Illumination animation studio. Admittedly the films are somewhat formulaic, with each film introducing a new insane villain, a soundtrack by Pharrell Williams, and an increased focus on the comic antics of the Minions. However, for children and those in touch with their inner child, the result is still entertaining.
Will Ferrell’s villain of Maxime Le Mal is positioned in the film as being a true archvillain of Gru, right down to having his own Minions in the form of sentient cockroaches. Despicable Me 4 also makes fun of the superhero trend, and subsequent fatigue, with its introduction of the Fantastic Four-esque Mega Minions. The film features a montage of the Mega Minions attempting to solve crimes, though ends up causing a lot of collateral damage.
While you should never say never regarding a successful franchise like this, Despicable Me 4 seems to be setting itself up as the final film of the franchise. Part of the reason I think this is a multi-character sing-a-long of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” that concludes the film, which features the return of characters from all the previous Despicable Me and Minions films. The scene comes across as a curtain call saying goodbye to the franchise. However, even if it is not the final film Despicable Me 4 is still an enjoyable entry in this franchise.
