Despicable Me 4- A Screenplay That Feels Like It Was Written By 10 Minions
Quick Take: The fourth outing, and the sixth technically in the franchise at large, Despicable Me 4 has a lot happening. it feels like the script was written and then rewritten almost like a game of “Yes, and” where the next person added another subplot. this movie is so scattered, so disorganized,it makes the third film seem better. I wasn’t a fan of the third, because I didn’t think Steve Carell should have voiced both. It was a missed opportunity to go in a completely different direction, and they just had a slight alteration on Gru’s voice instead. here, we have everything from a weird witness protection program, to a young girl who idolizes Gru and wants to be a villain, to having the minions get superpowers (likely for merchandising). This feels like three or four films rolled into one. But, it is still beholden to a runtime acceptable for kids, so nothing ever gets to breathe. The characters never really get to flesh out any more than they are, or were before this movie. they even gave up on Dru, because one more subplot might have created an atomic reaction.
Cluttered. Now, the worst of the franchise. The best thing this series can do is find its roots again, and stop trying to do too much. Keep it simple, stupid. For more, check out my video.