Despicable Me 4 is the sixth entry in the franchise that started 14 years ago. It finds franchise veteran Chris Renaud back in the director’s chair, with Mike White & Ken Daurio writing the film. I once was a big fan of the films, particularly the first two. The first two entries were refreshing, unique, and hilarious. That quickly went downhill with 2015’s Minions, and I feel like the franchise is trying to make a comeback even if it means playing it incredibly safe.

Needless to say, I wasn’t all that excited for this one. My expectations were low between the latest films and the fact that the franchise admitted to taking on a Simpsons approach with no one aging, which makes no sense. Luckily, I’m in a fortunate position to see it early. Even when I sat in my seat, I knew critiquing this was going to be wrong, and that’s about how I still feel. Better yet, it’s quite clear just how much better the movie could have been.

The movie opens up on another catchy, banging tune from Pharrell Williams. There’s no denying that the guy really brought some magic to the movies. The opening scene takes right into Gru taking down a new villain, voiced by Will Ferrell, who plays a rather odd choice of a character. In hindsight, that sounds awesome, yet it never holds up to it as there’s not much between Gru and this new villain. Instead of utilizing some comedic talent, the film focuses much of its film on at least 10 different plots.

Will Ferrell’s character wants revenge on Gru. Gru has a son. Gru’s family has to go in hiding. Gru’s neighbor’s daughter knows Gru’s real identity and wants his help to steal something. The mom is on the run from a job gone wrong. The kids do things here and there. Oh, and the minions have become spy agents, with five of them becoming superheroes. That’s the bare minimum and I’m not even really scratching any spoilers. Best of luck trying to keep up with them as I felt worn out halfway through. This film will clearly make enough money, so why not tell at least half of the stories in other movies? Then, there’s the weird exposition to explain why certain characters aren’t there.

While the film starts off strong and the humor stays in line with the movie’s formulas, I was ready to give this film a lower score due to how pointless characters become and how many storylines there are to follow. I had a change of heart towards the end as things started coming together. There seems to be a midway point where the storylines start to come together, even though it didn’t feel necessary. At the film’s conclusion, there are some nice callbacks to the first few entries. However, you might see some similarities between this and another Universal animated fourth movie in a franchise that came out earlier this year.

Aside from the music, the animation is probably the best out of the series. Even though I didn’t care much for how many stories are juggled, I can still appreciate the animation. The voice talent is also impressively great considering it’s now a sixth entry in a franchise. Finally, the minions feel properly placed in this format as supporting characters and gave my theater the most laughs.

Overall, Despicable Me 4 more or less is now a product of its own demise. It still has the same comedic elements and the same charm that makes the franchise worth watching, yet it will also leave you feeling overstimulated by how many plots it juggles. While I found myself at least having a good time with it, I can’t help but to think that this film could be so much better. At the same time, this franchise is only for the kids now, and I have to accept that. My theater laughed, cheered, and clapped. If that’s your kind of movie or you need a movie to take your family to, you’ll have a good time.

VERDICT: Good