Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Gru and Lucy and their girls—Margo, Edith and Agnes—welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru also faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina, forcing the family to go on the run.
Despicable Me 4 is a largely formulaic entry in a franchise that has run out of fresh ideas. The plot recycles familiar family-on-the-run dynamics with a bland new villain (Maxime Le Mal) who lacks the charm of the series' best antagonists, and the Minions-as-superheroes subplot feels like padding. Voice acting remains competent and professional, with Steve Carell and the returning cast doing their jobs well enough. The animation is polished and vibrant, consistent with Illumination's glossy house style, though it breaks no new visual ground. Novelty is low — this is a by-the-numbers sequel that adds little to the franchise's identity or animation's broader landscape. The ending resolves predictably without emotional payoff, cementing the film as a safe, uninspired crowd-pleaser rather than a memorable chapter.