--- title: "Despicable Me 4: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/despicable-me-4/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/despicable-me-4" critics_score: 61 critics_reviews: 13 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Despicable Me 4 (2024): what the critics said Critics' score 61 from 13 reviews: 7 positive, 2 mixed, 4 negative. The reviews split fairly widely on Despicable Me 4, and the consensus settles on something like cautious enjoyment. The praise clusters around the Minions’ slapstick, the gag rate and the musical interludes, with several critics singling out the Carell and Ferrell pop cover and the Mega Minions sequences as the parts that land. Most agree the film is an undemanding, reliably silly hour and a half for families. The reservations cluster just as clearly: an overstuffed plot with too many subplots and new characters, thin character development, and a structure that plays as a string of shorts rather than a feature. IndieWire takes that furthest, suggesting the franchise now looks better suited to television than to cinemas. The AV Club dissents most sharply, finding it dull and short on laughs, while Polygon argues the Minions are overused and work better in small doses. Even the warmer notices concede the story is slight; the disagreement is over whether the jokes make up for it. ## Radio Times — Terry Staunton Rating 4/5. 10 July 2024. The animated franchise shows little sign of running out of steam, delivering a confident juggling act of disparate elements that weaves into a satisfyingly thrilling showdown. The critic singles out the higher-than-ever gag rate, especially the Carell-Ferrell pop song cover, for praise. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/despicable-me-4-review/) ## The Telegraph Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 July 2024. The review calls it a dizzying blitz of mad Minion skits and family fun that perfects the series' winning recipe of high-energy sketches. It praises the manic Looney Tunes-style vignettes, disco music, and belching while noting the thin plot about Gru adjusting to fatherhood. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/despicable-me-4-review-minions/) ## RogerEbert.com — Matt Zoller Seitz Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 3 July 2024. The critic finds the film hit-and-miss but likably irreverent overall, praising the broad humor and Gru as a silly daddy who excels at making a fool of himself. They single out the random, unsophisticated jokes and Minions' slapstick antics for particular enjoyment. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/despicable-me-4-minions-movie-review-2024) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 June 2024. Festival review. The film delivers a brisk, fan-friendly romp stuffed to the gills with jokes and inventive absurd sight gags, though it is a little thin on actual plot. The critic notes a rushed third act but praises the crowd-pleasing musical moments and villain reunion that send it out with a bang. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/despicable-me-4-annecy-review/5194534.article) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 July 2024. The critic finds the film unassumingly enjoyable and consistent in its family entertainment, with stamina from its established style despite not being a masterpiece. They single out the franchise's ability to deliver reliable fun and the return of Pharrell Williams songs for praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/jul/01/despicable-me-4-review-gru-steve-carell-will-ferrell-minion-magic-alive) ## Total Film — Oliver Pfeiffer Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 2 July 2024. The review praises the film for its nostalgic value and Minion-induced hilarity. It highlights the continued appeal of the franchise's colourful characters and gags for younger audiences. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/animation-movies/despicable-me-4-review/) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 13 June 2024. Festival review. The critic views the sequel as overstuffed and lacking emotional core, feeling like shorts piled together rather than a cohesive feature, though it delivers plenty of laughs from the Minions and voice performances. They single out the addition of Mega Minions and the pure entertainment value amid questions of necessity. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/despicable-me-4-review-mega-minions-1236037073/) ## The AV Club — Leigh Monson Rating D+. 2 July 2024. The critic finds the film a boring example of mediocrity that distracts without delivering laughs or substance, criticizing its lack of comedic timing and character development. The suburban family antics and Mega-Minions sequences fail to rise above bland, forgettable fare. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/despicable-me-4-review-good-enough-is-the-enemy-of-goo-1851571784) ## Empire — Barry Levitt Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 2 July 2024. The critic finds Despicable Me 4 the most disconnected entry in the franchise, with an overstuffed plot that fails to cohere and new characters lacking impact. They single out the Mega Minions superhero gags for delivering some laughs amid the weaknesses. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/despicable-me-4/) ## Los Angeles Times — Gary Goldstein Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 3 July 2024. The critic describes the film as an exhausting, overplotted ride jammed with gags, subplots and characters that strain to fill its runtime, calling it largely empty despite some chuckles and color. They single out the convoluted story and lack of a smarter, more meaningful message as major complaints. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-07-03/despicable-me-4-review-steve-carell-will-ferrell-kristen-wiig) ## IndieWire — Kate Erbland 2 July 2024. The critic views the film as an oddly episodic outing better suited to quicker TV-style consumption than a theatrical feature. It feels like an accidental pitch for turning the struggling franchise into a series rather than sustaining another full movie. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/despicable-me-4-review-1235022317/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Lovia Gyarkye 28 June 2024. The critic calls it a reliable but familiar follow-up that delivers enough fun and antics for fans. The Minions' zany subplot stands out as one of the film's strongest elements, while the voice cast keeps things engaging despite a plot that sometimes feels stretched thin. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/despicable-me-4-review-1235933955/) ## The Times Rating ★★★☆☆. 12 July 2024. The film is all over the place with too many ridiculous subplots but is saved by its trademark mischief, exuberance, and Minion slapstick. The critic notes the energy and wit in direction and a running gag about Gru bonding with his baby son. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/despicable-me-4-film-review-qpftt532d) ## Collider — Tania Hussain Rating 7/10. 3 July 2024. The critic finds it a fun and entertaining addition to the franchise with laughs and heartwarming moments, but notes it struggles with balancing new and old elements, resulting in a thin plot and underdeveloped characters. [Read the review](https://collider.com/despicable-me-4-review/) ## /Film — Rafael Motamayor Rating 5/10. 14 June 2024. Festival review. An overstuffed effort crams too many subplots and characters, abandoning narrative threads for quick gags in a tired franchise installment. A few chuckles emerge from the Minions but the film feels creatively spent. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1603124/despicable-me-4-review/) ## Polygon — Petrana Radulovic Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 13 July 2024. The critic argues that the film overuses the Minions, making them the main course rather than spice, leading to less engaging scenes, though some background gags are funny; it praises the potential when Minions are used sparingly. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/24197471/despicable-me-4-minions-too-many/) ## Eye for Film — Andrew Robertson 12 July 2024. The film delivers more of the same in an episodic format that prioritizes franchise assets and merchandise over coherent storytelling or improved humor. It is competent enough for its target audience but lacks depth or originality. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/despicable-me-4-2024-film-review-by-andrew-robertson) ## The Playlist — Rodrigo Perez 26 June 2024. The overstuffed sequel piles on mega-minions, new villains and subplots in a chaotic family affair that feels messy and wearying despite its short runtime. It repeats parenthood themes with juvenile humor and lacks emotional center. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/despicable-me-4-review-mega-minions-more-villains-add-extra-chaos-to-an-overstuffed-family-affair-20240626/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/despicable-me-4.md