When Despicable Me 4 Attempts to Be Fantastic By Making It Marvel, There’s Something Missing

When Pierre Coffin is not co-directing, some of that early film charm is missing in Despicable Me 4.

Despicable Me 4 Movie Poster MinionsEven after five films, I am still asking where all the heroes have gone in Despicable Me 4? In this latest, Gru (Steve Carell) is an agent for the Anti-Villain League (AVL) and will go undercover to undo the criminal element. Whether his motive is to right all his past wrongs, this franchise rarely goes deep into his mind to understand why he is now what he is instead of the rascal from times gone by.

That also includes dealing with threats like Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrel), whom he was once buddies with. This new character’s plan for world domination isn’t as crazy as what past films imagine. I wish they had dedicated more attention to Poppy Prescott’s (Joey King) attempts to convince Felonious to engage in criminal activities, instead of focusing on the other aspects.

Elsewhere, five Minions undergo mutation to become superheroes as part of the AVL’s attempt to give this world some heroes. Just like the previous films, their antics are fillers, and while they learn how to use their newfound powers, what’s presented is more slapstick moments than anything good. When these simple organisms have little purpose in life other than to serve Gru, well, all I have to ask is what happened to the prior team of Kevin, Stuart and Bob? Continue reading “When Despicable Me 4 Attempts to Be Fantastic By Making It Marvel, There’s Something Missing”

All Good Things Does Not Come as Clones in Despicable Me 3’s Latest

In a movie wanting to behave like Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, the lack of extra depth made Despicable Me 3 feel hardly filling.

Despicable Me 3 Movie PosterThe heart of the Despicable Me franchise lies in how to tame the ruthless heart of Gru (voiced by Steve Carell). He’s an eccentric misanthrope who learns the value of community. The first film sees him take advantage of others to further his own gains (until the children he adopts win his heart), and the second movie sees him trying to settle into a parental role. In Despicable Me 3, he’s a family man now and the struggles is more with him accepting who he is now.

The children Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Grier) and Agnes (Nev Scharrel) do not play an important role in this outing. They are merely there to remind audiences that Gru is a family man. He’s happily married to Lucy (Kristen Wiig), but after losing their job at the Anti-Villain League (AVL) after a botched attempt to prevent Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker) from stealing a huge diamond, just what’s next requires him to evaluate what can he do next? This turn of events has Mel (the leader of the Minions) unhappy and Dru (Gru’s long-lost twin brother) trying to convince him to return to a life of crime.

Continue reading “All Good Things Does Not Come as Clones in Despicable Me 3’s Latest”