Ich - Einfach Unverbesserlich 4

Despicable Me 4 starts off strong with an opening scene that had me hooked, especially with Pharrell Williams' catchy song setting the tone. The Minions, as always, are a delight, and their interactions continue to be one of the film's highlights.

The new villain, Maxime Le Mal, feels more formidable than previous adversaries, raising the stakes for Gru and his family. Gru's lines seemed odd at first - stupid and foolish - but they actually serve a purpose in the story, which I found interesting. The Karate Sensei character, however, came across as overly foolish and didn't add much to the film.

While the film introduces some original ideas, the execution falls flat. Despite this, the writing effectively explores themes like manipulation, teamwork, and the blurred lines between superheroes and supervillains, which I appreciated.

The film maintains its wholesome moments, and I loved the introduction of the mega Minions. The chase scene with Lucy was a fun watch, keeping the energy high. The OST remains true to the series, staying consistent with its predecessors. There are a few pop culture references sprinkled throughout, though I felt the film could have done with a couple fewer of these.

The ending of the film is satisfying, and I believe it wraps up the story well. If this is the conclusion of the series, it's a fitting end. Strong 7/10.

As I said above Despicable Me 4 will no doubt be a hit worldwide hands down but it didn't strike a chord in my books.

Pros Our lovable Minions doing what they do best which is wacky fun crazy stupid things which induces some laughs. I think the best cute thing was the baby Gru after the Minions. It was nice to see Gru for once a bit afraid and on the backfoot to protect his family.

Was lovely to see all the ex antagonists in the end from the series.

Cons I would say the plot is simple and predictable but the villain, although not a bad one was not as menacing and interesting.

Would have loved more of Dr Nefario.

Minion Superheroes were a treat to watch!

Gru, Lucy, Margo, Edith, and Agnes welcome a new member to the family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, and the family is forced to go on the run.

For what it's made for, it's a pretty good film. It's designed to provide entertainment, laughter, and a mental escape, and it definitely succeeds at that. The story is of course a bit lacking and the sequence of events are pretty predictable yet still filled with humour and action. When you watch a Minions movie or 'Despicable Me,' you look for the comedy, and although this one is filled with joke, unfortunately not all of them were good ones. Another observation: as we progressed from the first installment to this one, the minions' role has become less significant, which disappoints me since they were the reason I initially enjoyed these films. The voice cast remains incredibly strong, with accents and tones perfectly enhancing the movie's comedic aspect.

Score:6.5/10.

"Despicable Me 4" is a mixed bag that might leave some fans wanting more. The movie, which I rate a 5 out of 10, unfortunately feels like it cut corners, particularly in its action sequences. The fighting scenes, which are a staple of the series' high-energy style, felt noticeably truncated. This lack of extended action left a sense of incompleteness, making the film's pacing seem uneven.

However, the film is not without its merits. There are some genuinely funny moments that capture the charm of the series, reminding us why we fell in love with Gru, the Minions, and their antics in the first place. The humor, while sporadic, still manages to evoke laughter and maintains the whimsical spirit of the previous installments.

The plot, while serviceable, doesn't break new ground. It follows a familiar formula, which might be comforting for some viewers but predictable for others. The new characters introduced did not add much depth to the story, and the development of existing characters seemed stagnant.

Visually, "Despicable Me 4" maintains the bright and colorful animation style that the franchise is known for, which is a definite plus. The Minions continue to steal scenes with their slapstick humor, but even their antics can't fully compensate for the film's shortcomings.

In summary, "Despicable Me 4" delivers some laughs and retains the visual appeal of its predecessors, but it falls short in terms of action and character development. While it's an enjoyable watch for die-hard fans, it doesn't quite capture the magic of the earlier films in the series.

If it's not sacrilegious to say, I think this franchise is starting to run out of steam - the plot here isn't very original. The family "Gru" have a new child who doesn't much take to his father which only makes matters worse when arch-nemesis "Maxime Le Mal" - who is intent on turning everyone into cockroaches - escapes from custody bent on revenge on the man who put him in jail in the first place. Better safe than sorry, "Silas" relocates the family to a safe house where they have to pretend to fit in with the vacuous tennis club set, but one of that number - the feisty "Poppy" knows the secret and blackmails "Gru" into helping her pinch "Lenny" the badger from under the eyes of the diminutive "Principal Übelschlecht" at his alma mater. This adventure narks the headmistress and when she sees some video of the perpetrators, she's straight on to the phone with "Maxime" who hatches a plan to steal the baby and give him wings! The minions - and the newly formed and enhanced "Super Minions" - still manage to have some fun here as they discover their new home has a vending machine and an endless supply of popcorn, and there is some wit in the dialogue but the story itself is all pretty derivative and the animation looks a little too tired now. What was ground-breaking looks so much less now and the writing and characterisations are nothing special anymore. It does liven up for the last ten minutes, but the previously innovative and enjoyable mix of menace and mayhem has largely gone.