I am a sucker for the Minions. Put them in just about anything and you have my attention for as long as they are on my screen. Even in the sixth film for them being Despicable Me 4, their bit doesn’t get old for me, but more on that in a sec.
This time around, Gru (Steve Carell) and Lucy (Kristen Wiig) are settling into family life that even adds Gru, Jr. to the mix. The baby is not a huge fan of his dad, but Gru feels that he can turn that around after the entire family is put into witness protection by the Anti-Villain League due to the prison escape of Gru’s childhood rival, Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell). Having to adjust to a different life and home brings multiple challenges to each member of the family, all of which culminates in a new adventure for them AND the Minions.
The thing I dig about this series is that the writers (Ken Daurio and Mike White, who have been around for all of and half of the series, respectively) understand the formula to these films and “dance with the one that brung them”. These stories don’t have to teach us anything or need us to take anything to talk about later; instead, let’s just have a great adventure story that makes sure to keep things moving by putting shenanigans involving the Minions right where they need to be. Maybe it’s my love of things like The Three Stooges and Looney Tunes, but they just bring me joy on a level that only a few things can on a consistent basis.
Despicable Me 4 also brings dome new characters to the mix that do work into the bigger picture but did perplex me a bit. Joey King’s Poppy Prescott supplies a nice “side quest” to the main story, but I am not sure how necessary that was outside of giving a Scooby-Doo type chase sequence that is there for the comedy of it all. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy it, but I am also not saying I would have missed it if it were not there. It felt like that specific sequence was there to make sure the film itself got to clearing the ninety-minute mark without bloating any other part of the story itself.
I really did enjoy Despicable Me 4, finding myself laughing out loud all the way through. I understand some of the pushback that will come, but at the center of it all this is still a family film that can be enjoyed by everyone. Simply put: just go have some fun at the movies!
टिप्पणियां