The following contains major spoilers for Despicable Me 4, in theaters now.

Despicable Me began with supervillain Felonious Gru attempting to steal the moon, only to fall head first into secret agency, reluctant anti-heroism and fatherhood. Since then, the franchise – marketed successfully thanks to the bright yellow, gibbering Minions – has become a cultural phenomenon. The past three films explored Gru's transformation from moon-stealing supervillain to family man and unconventional, grumpy hero, with his villainous past, know-how, and rivals never far behind. That's still the case in Despicable Me 4, 14 years later.

The story begins when Gru arrests Maxime Le Mal -- his French-accented, cockroach-powered rival -- at their school reunion. Maxime escapes, threatening to kidnap Gru and Lucy's cantankerous infant son, Gru Junior. Gru, his family, and three of his Minions are forced to leave their home and relocate to the uppity suburbs of Mayfield... but blending in is the least of their problems. A neighbor knows Gru's secret, and she has a little heist she wants him to help her with. Meanwhile, Silas Ramsbottom takes the rest of the Minions to conduct a little experiment in hopes of defeating Maxime. What could possibly go wrong? As it turns out, a lot -- both on and off-screen, as the movie doesn't always come together.

Many Plot Threads Are Left Unfinished

Illumination has spent the last decade and a half forging its identity, relying mostly on the Despicable Me franchise before gaining the credibility to try its hand at other IPs. Since the success of Super Mario Bros. in 2023, Illumination has defined and codified its own visual style, sense of humor, and overall feel. Despicable Me 4 displays all the now-recognizable Illumination-isms -- energetic animation, vibrant and childlike colors, Looney Tunes-esque physical comedy and cartoon violence, and humor straight out of the Dreamworks playbook, but with the acerbic qualities toned down. The film is explicitly geared toward young audiences, but with enough weirdness, wittiness and sarcasm to keep the parents and guardians placated... and for the most part, it works.

Visually, the movie's animation has the gloriously cartoonish, squash-and-stretch quality, perfect for physical comedy and outrageous facial expressions, of which there are many. The new characters have strong shape language that clashes with the designs of Gru, Lucy and the children. A lot of praise must be given to the environments -- because the town is beautiful, with its sumptuous mansions, sparkling town square, and ample greenery. The flowers and trees are especially gorgeous. Gru's alma mater is a Gothic clifftop castle that looks like Hogwarts and Dracula's home combined and then distorted by a funhouse mirror.

But Despicable Me 4 stands out for trying to do too much in its 94-minute run time. There is the Incredibles-like main plot of a secret agent family moving, changing their identities and attempting to blend into wealthy suburbia, with little success. Connected to that is the Poppy Prescott storyline, in which the teenage neighbor and aspiring supervillain blackmails Gru into helping her pull off a heist at his old school. Then there's the other subplot, in which the Anti-Villain League (AVL) gives superpowers to five minions in the hopes that they will defeat Maxime. Naturally, it doesn't end well. Add to this mix a whole slew of new characters, some more important than others, and the result is the most overcrowded chapter in the franchise.

Despicable Me 4 Underuses Its Greatest Characters

Zany Villains are the Best Part of this Franchise - Too Bad They Don't Do More

The best part of the Despicable Me franchise is its characters -- especially the wacky rogues' gallery. The movies pit Gru against some hilarious but not-too-malicious villains, who balance cartoony silliness with high stakes. Despicable Me 4 introduces Maxime Le Mal, who fits perfectly into the franchise. Will Ferrell -- clearly having a whale of a time -- plays the popular kid all grown up to snobby, hammy, obnoxious perfection. His energy contrasts well with Carell's flat-footed, cynical and dry delivery as Gru. And as a villain, Maxime is the right mix of silliness with a touch of weirdness, thanks to his mutant cockroach powers and his plot to kidnap Gru's baby.

Another great addition to the Despicable Me roster is Poppy, the neighbor with villainous aspirations and a killer lisp, voiced by Joey King. She's the most dynamic character in this sequel -- starting off as a spoiled little rich girl, then a creepy blackmailer, and then finally becomes Gru's surprising partner in crime. Poppy and Gru have a great rapport, their unlikely and reluctant student-teacher relationship becoming one of Despicable Me 4's highlights. Gru is at his best when he forges friendships with children – his one redeeming quality buried underneath his snarking and grumpiness. Unfortunately, the character development and potential of this excellent subplot is pushed aside by predictably popular Minion antics, leaving this arc feeling incomplete.

Maxime's puppy-carrying femme fatale Valentina is another fun character whose personality and potential are pushed aside for the aforementioned Minion plot. It's a shame because the few times Sofia Vergara is allowed to ham up her character, coldly and in a deadpan delivery contrasting with Farrell's manic performance, she's fantastic. Even the residents of the new town -- including Poppy's coiffed, tennis-playing parents and a snobby hair salon client -- are sources of some of the film's best humor, because they're effective satires of entitled suburbia. But they're also casualties of this film's weighty ambitions and overstuffed plot.

Despicable Me 4 Can't Figure Out Its Priorities

The Minion Subplot Overshadows the Rest of the Film

Despicable Me 4's main plot and its subplots clash often, reading as separate stories that somehow come together at the end, thanks to a mostly unnecessary deus ex machina. The first three films incorporated the Minions into the main story smoothly, while Despicable Me 4 doesn't pull this off. The Super Minions subplot is the weakest part of this movie -- yet it's also the most heavily marketed. Were the majority of the Minions written out entirely, it wouldn't have greatly impacted the story. The only important ones are the three Minions who accompany Gru and his family.

The Minions may be the face of Despicable Me, but the quotable Gru makes the movies unique and memorable. He is one of animation's most individual and lovable protagonists. Any scene with Gru or Lucy attempting to blend into the prim, wealthy suburbs of Mayflower is comedy gold. Despicable Me 4 does give Gru new relationships and challenges, thanks to the addition of Gru Junior. Gru and Gru Junior's personality clashes will elicit many knowing laughs from parents in the audience. The movie is worth it just to see Gru in a pink polo shirt, attempting to bond with the world's most uncooperative baby. Dad Gru is the best Gru -- and Despicable Me 4 delivers just that, if only for a few minutes. There seems to be an element of finality to this movie, up to its surprising ending, and if this is the note the series chooses to conclude on, it could do a lot worse.

Despicable Me 4 is a mixed bag. It's a haphazard narrative, attempting to balance multiple storylines with mixed success. When Despicable Me 4 gets that right, it reminds viewers exactly why this franchise has become so popular -- it's hilarious, it's endearing, it's entertaining. But for every thing it does well, there is something else that is left unfinished or amiss. At least viewers get more Gru, and that's always a good thing.

Despicable Me 4 is in theaters now.