Gru and his minions flirt with greatness at last.

At his former alma mater, Gru (Steve Carell) uses his former villainous connections to make an arrest for the Anti Villain League, targeting Maxime Le Mal (Will Farrell)… who of course vows revenge for the sudden and inevitable betrayal. When the supervillain of course escapes, Gru and his family are moved to an AVL safe house in the quiet upscale town of Mayflower and given new identities, just until Maxime can be neutralized. Unfortunately, their neighbor’s kid Poppy Prescott (Joey King) recognizes and threatens to reveal Gru… blackmailing him to help achieve her dream of becoming a supervillain herself. Meanwhile, the lion’s share of Gru’s minions are transported to AVL headquarters where a “lucky” few are given superpowers… with laughably mixed results. Can anyone stop Maxime before exacting his revenge, or has Gru finally met his match?

Animation studio Illumination roared into the theaters with Despicable Me fourteen years ago and have been cranking out competitive hits against rivals Disney/Pixar and Dreamworks ever since. While last year’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie achieved the second highest animated box office take of all time behind The Incredibles 2, it wasn’t exactly their best story work. Films like Sing and Sing 2 rank in storytelling where the best classic Pixar films once stood alone, and the Despicable Me/Minions films have always seemed satisfied with “good enough” but never quite getting to “great.” Whereas the Sing films had all the depth of character and improvement arcs, Gru and company were just there for a good time… and that’s fine, except for those little hints of greatness just beyond a minion’s three-fingered glove’s reach. The trailers for the modestly titled fourth film promises more of the same, but those hints are littered throughout, teasing that once-exclusive bit of Disney/Pixar “plussing” might just be packed into a familiar package. Could this be “the big one” at last?

It wasn’t our imagination! From the James Bond-inspired opening, Harry Potter-ish settings, Terminator 2 riffs, MCU hero references, and even a touch of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, this fourth installment impressively strings it all together. Gru is always cool (“Even when he isn’t?” “Especially when he isn’t!”) and the huge cast of characters all get their moments to shine. The production designers must have worked overtime to figure out the most interesting ways to create everything they’d need (“It’s impossible to make a cockroach-based transport look awesome!” “Hold my electric pencil.”) All this is heaped on top of a solid story foundation and Illumination’s trademark bring-it-all-in final act. It isn’t the best installment since the original; it’s the best of the series… and begs the question whether anything afterward is planned after pulling out all the stops.

In the tradition of The Incredibles creator Brad Bird, co-director Chris Renaud provides the voice for Principal Übelschlechtm but not to as great an effect as Bird’s Edna Mode. Farrell’s stereotype French accent still betrays his Megamind vocals — “Presentation!” — and maybe even borrows a bit from his Talladega Nights co-star Sacha Baron Cohen. Sofía Vergara provides the voice for sidekick Valentina while Carell’s “The Daily Show” fellow alumni Stephen Colbert voices the snooty neighbor/father to the dangerously ambitious Poppy. Gru’s adopted daughters Edith, Margo, and Agnes (Dana Gaier, Miranda Cosgrove, Madison Skyy Polan) and AVL agent turned love-interest/wife/mom Lucy (Kristen Wiig) all return, including Steve Coogan as haughty Silas Ramsbottom. Without giving too much away, it’s hard to say who won’t pop up on screen this time.

If you weren’t a fan of this series, this won’t change your mind; it’s for fans, and attention to detail is rewarded. There’s a finality to the ending — hinting at a possible conclusion to the series itself — ready to move on after a happily ever after not dissimilar to what Kung Fu Panda 4 did earlier this year. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is still the animation benchmark to surprisingly get “more than your money’s worth,” but Illumination can’t possibly cut into the family film crown currently held by Inside Out 2, can it? Only a manic and misunderstood honey badger knows for sure.

Despicable Me 4 is rated PG for action, rude humor, and Boy George karaoke.

Four skull recommendation out of four