Despicable Me 4 continues in the tradition of lovable characters and crazy minion antics. But is it kid friendly? Despicable Me 4 is rated PG for some animated action and crass humor, but overall is family friendly for kids ages 6 and older. Gru and family are still charming and delightful, but too many subplots that don’t go anywhere ruin the chance for this film to be really good. Here’s what parents need to know in this Despicable Me 4 Parents Guide.
Despicable Me 4 Parents Guide
Gru (Steve Carrell) and the gang are back. The world’s favorite supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain League-agent, returns to settle the score with an old high school nemesis. However, when he gets his old frenemy Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) arrested, Maxime vows revenge on Gru’s whole family. And audiences get to meet Gru, Jr.! However, now their family must hide out in a new town, with new identities and things don’t go as planned.
Parents need to know that there is some rude humor and violence, so some content may not be ok for all ages in Despicable Me 4.
Age Rating: Why is Despicable Me 4 Rated PG?
Despicable Me 4 is rated PG for action and rude humor which means some content may not be suitable for kids of all ages. Parental guidance is suggested.
Language
There is no profanity, but there are some words like stupid and loser which little ones like to repeat.
Violence: Is Despicable Me 4 Ok for Kids?
There is some animated violence and action in Despicable Me 4 which may be tempting for young kids to mimic. Some of the characters fight and use weapons such as stun guns. Characters are seen in peril and are tied up. Often the Minions are involved in hijinks and blow things up, spank each other on the bottoms, and hit each other for laughs. A child is kidnapped.
A minion tears off his clothes and reveals his underwear. Another one moons cars on the road, you see bare minion butts, and others kiss other characters.
A teen sneaks out of her house. A character blackmails another. A salon burns down and a character’s head is on fire.
Is Despicable Me 4 Appropriate for Kids Under 8?
You can expect slapstick humor and inappropriate behavior in Despicable Me 4. To sum it up, it is kid friendly for ages 6 and up. With a run time of 95 minutes, it’s a good length for younger kids, and they will find the minions hilarious. Parents can decide whether the other content is appropriate for their kids.
It seems like the Despicable Me franchise has run its course as it grasps for storylines. It’s a shame, because the characters are still charming. Gru is lovable and goofy, the girls are adorable, and the addition of Gru, Jr. has upped the cuteness factor.
The main problem with Despicable Me 4 is there are so many subplots with no resolution. As soon as you get focused on one storyline, there’s a distraction. But it never goes anywhere. Then there’s another character introduced that can seem interesting, but again, where’s this going? I would have even just loved to see this family grow up.
Sofia Vergara was so underutilized as Valentina. She hardly had any dialogue, and Vergara is such a comedic talent. Valentina was wasted arm candy. The film was gag after gag after gag. Some worked and others didn’t.
Despicable Me 4 is still amusing entertainment, especially for kids. But they can’t keep relying on the wit of Steve Carrell, as delightful as he may be.
