Despicable Me 4: Movie Review

Cast: Steve Carell, Will Ferrell, Kirsten Wiig, Sofia Vergara, Steve Coogan, Stephen Colbert, The Minions
Director: Chris Renaud, Patrick Delage

The latest Despicable Me outing feels less of a coherent narrative and more a series of moments thrown together in service of a family movie rather than a compelling reason to continue the series.

Though given the preternatural popularity of the Minions, who readily crop up in this, it's perhaps no surprise that it ends up as amiable - but not essential - fare.

This time around, Steve Carell's Gru is juggling fatherhood with his three girls and a new baby boy. But when his former nemesis Maxime Le Mal (Ferrell) breaks out of prison swearing revenge, Gru and his family are forced into the witness protection programme in a dreary new town.

Compelled to fit in, Gru finds life difficult to adapt to - as do the rest of his family, and his beloved Minions.

Despicable Me 4 isn't a bad family film - but a lack of an emotional centre this time around hinders proceedings a little. Fertile ground such as a bond between Gru and his son is teased early on and then left wanting; hints over how they don't fit into the neighbourhood offer limited returns as well - and most scenes appear to be punctuated by a cut away to the various Minions factions. From a group of super-powered Minions through to Minions invading the Anti-Villain League HQ via the original trio, it feels like many of the scenes are being tested for spinoff potential.

That's no bad thing if you're a fan of the zany antics - and most of the younger end of the audience will find themselves amused as ever, but one can't help shake the feeling this is deja vu.

Equally Maxime Le Mal's evil desire to channel the cockroaches as his underlings comes to nothing as the creatures fail to proffer potential as Minions opposites. It just feels like much of what could have been strong emotional and comedic ground is thrown to the wind.

Most families won't care - and the film has the good grace to only last 90 minutes. But with this fourth outing, you can't help but feel it borders dangerously close to outstaying its welcome - maybe any future installments need to go back to basics, strip out the overstuffing and just focus on what made the series so essential early on.