Movie review
June 20, 2024 · 94 min · PG
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Despicable Me 4 follows Gru and Lucy as they welcome their new baby son Gru Jr. and go into witness protection after an old high school rival named Maxime Le Mal escapes prison with cockroach powers and teams up with his girlfriend Valentina. The family deals with a clever teen neighbor named Poppy who blackmails Gru while the Minions get temporary superpowers in a separate subplot. The movie delivers fast slapstick gags, family chases, and dad humor centered on protecting loved ones and settling petty personal scores.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Despicable Me 4.
Woke representation / casting
Voice cast mixes star power with Sofia Vergara as the comedic Latina-coded girlfriend Valentina and the long-established Gru family featuring adopted daughters of varied appearances. New characters and marketing show no emphasis on identity, competence tied to race or gender, or signaling.
Woke political dialogue
Screenplay contains only slapstick, family bickering, villain taunts, and silly heist talk with zero political speeches, activist language, or social-issue discussions.
Identity-driven story themes
Narrative centers on traditional family expansion through a new baby, father-son struggles, protecting the household from a personal rival, and light teen mischief. No storylines revolve around gender, race, sexuality, or representation goals.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Spy agency and superhero tropes receive light comedic parody through failing Mega Minions and petty personal grudges. No activist-style framing of institutions, masculinity, family norms, or Western culture appears.
Woke character or canon changes
This continues the existing franchise with original story additions like the biological son and high school backstory; no identity-driven alterations to prior characters or real figures.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Coverage and audience talk show almost no claims that the film advances woke ideology, DEI priorities, or left-wing messaging. Reactions focus on plot and humor quality instead.
Creator track record context
Most key figures carry very low activist histories per available profiles. Mike White's broader satirical work earns a moderate mark but stays non-signaling in this family comedy; Patrick Delage and others show none.
Production
