Despicable Me 4 is the newest film into the Despicable Me franchise, it is a fun family friendly film that follows Gru (Steve Carell) as he grapples life with his newest born son. On this fun adventure our main character faces challenges and struggles from the antagonist Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell). The movie is jam packed with hilarious jokes and moments that make this film stand out in the crowd. Of course it still has the funny scenes and gags with the Minions that were seen in the previous films which remind us of the universe this film is taken place in.

I watched the film at Dundee CineaWorld at 10:00 am on the 26th of November, it was an entertaining experience of 1 hour and 34mins. I found the whole cinema laughing at the movie more times than not. This shows its wide reach as a film and how its humour is universal. Although its primary target audience is that of children, the themes of family, I found could resonate with a wider audience.

The story picks up where it left off in the last movie only this time we see the newest addition to the Gru family. Gru Jr. The story then continues with Gru’s arch nemesis, seeking revenge against for humiliating him and getting him arrested. So when he escapes, Gru and his family have to go into hiding, this is when they meet new friends and reunite with old enemies as our main character faces his hardest challenge of all. Fatherhood.

The movie is animated entirely in 3d, it was a very smoothing and pleasing experience to watch. It impressed me with its complicated camera movements and character animation. The style matched that of its previous film, making the movie incredibly recognisable at just the glance; the signature style enhances the humour like always, which just further adds the comedic elements of the film. The shading and texturing was of course a highlight, it truly showcased the skills of the 3d animators.

We follow the Gru family. Gru played by Steve Carell, Lucy Wilde played by Kristen Wiig, Margo played by Miranda Cosgrove, Edith played by Dana Gaier and Agnes played by Madison Polan. It also includes roles and part from Will Ferrell, Joey King and Sofia Vergara. This wide and diverse cast of both new and old faces spice up the franchise whilst keeping the characters we love.

As always Gru and his family was a pleasure to watch. I also loved to watch the progression of Gru Jr as the father and son bonded throughout the movie, as it was very satisfying to watch. The themes of friends and family throughout the movie shine brightly as it constantly reminds us why Gru is trying to protect them all so much. One thing that was bothering me was that we didn’t see much of the characters from the previous films, but we did see the previous villain at the end of the film all singing and dancing together in prison which I thought was a nice send off to them all.

Overall I had a very good time with this film, it was a fun and humorous experience. It was a great addition to the Despicable Me franchise and one of my personal favourites. It is a very good family friendly animated film, I rate it 4/5