Despicable Me 4 (2024)

Will Ferrell plays a man who grafted cockroach parts onto his own body over a grudge about a school talent show, and Despicable Me 4 still forgets about him for long stretches. Maxime Le Mal breaks out, the Anti-Villain League hides Gru’s family in a quiet town under fake names, and the movie scatters into side quests. There’s Poppy, the villain-in-training next door, who blackmails Gru into a heist for Lenny, a honey badger who happens to be a school mascot. There are the Mega Minions, five Minions handed superpowers who mostly wreck a city. There’s a principal who spots Gru on a security camera. The slapstick comes fast and some of it lands, mostly for the under-ten crowd. But at 94 minutes, with this many characters, nothing gets room to breathe, the villain least of all. Kids won’t care: it earned an A CinemaScore and $972 million worldwide. A 4.6 because it’s all sprinkles and no cake. $6,188 says your kid asks for a pet honey badger before the week is out.

What works: The slapstick comes fast, the honey badger heist is the liveliest stretch, and little kids will giggle from start to finish.

What doesn’t: Too many characters crowd a short movie, so Maxime never feels like a real threat and the Mega Minions add more noise than laughs.

Who it’s for: Families with kids under ten who already own a Minion plush and don’t need much plot.