Despicable Me 4

Story: Former supervillain turned secret agent Gru (Steve Carell), still sees himself as a misfit but is no longer cranky and cynical. He is a softie, who loves his newborn baby boy. All’s well until Gru gets his arch nemesis aka ‘insect man’ Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) arrested. This reignites their longstanding rivalry, forcing Gru and his family to go into hiding.

Review: Gru and his family, including the adorable but misfiring loyal minions, move to a safe house in a new neighbourhood, feigning new identities and battling new sets of challenges. The bunch must fight the hostility of their snooty neighbours and befriend the person who can blow their cover. If this isn’t enough, they must also fight Maxime and revisit Gru’s old school to steal a honey badger.

Little Agnes and her big eyes ensure the cuteness factor is intact in the franchise and giving her company is Gru’s tiny toddler, new addition to the family. An unconventional looking man with a tough exterior and soft heart has always been the USP of the Despicable franchise. It has always had a rather silly but heartwarming premise. The minions and their (self-coined banana) language lends its own share of fun and comedy.

The fourth instalment retains all those elements, but the script feels overstuffed and half-baked with multiple tracks not quite reaching their full potential. As a result, the film feels incomplete and conveniently rushed. It doesn’t come together. Be it the Gru-Maxime rivalry bit or family relocation crisis, it doesn’t come to fruition to achieve the desired impact. It all feels a bit scattered and a half-hearted attempt to keep the franchise going.

Does it have its enjoyable moments? Yes. But these moments never come together to turn into one story that embodies that heartwarming quality. Then there’s also the 'Avengers gone wrong' track where minions are turned into mega minions, but they do more damage than good. Not many scenes stay with you unlike the previous films barring one. Lucy being chased down by a disgruntled woman has Terminator’s title music playing in the background, making it the funniest chase sequence of the movie.

Despicable 4 is serviceably sweet and enjoyable but not the best in the series.