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Gru Jr. in Despicable Me 4
Illumination

Gru Jr. Makes His Debut In Despicable Me 4 To Make The Whole Family Laugh

But is this latest installment in the Despicable Me film series appropriate for little kids?

by Jen McGuire

Gru and the family are about to return to theaters in the much anticipated Despicable Me 4, and kids are going to be chomping at the bit to go see it. Because it looks charming and fun and, oh yes, the Minions are obviously back. But is this latest installment in the Despicable Me film series the kind of movie your kids are going to be able to watch? Or will Gru and the gang be too much for little kids? Here’s what parents need to know before heading to the theater.

Gru and his family go into witness protection in Despicable Me 4.

Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) returns with wife Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig) and the rest of his family, including his trusty Minions, for Despicable Me 4. This time around, the couple have added to their brood with Gru Jr., who is feeling fairly ambivalent about his dad in the trailer for the movie. He’s not the only one. Gru’s arch-nemesis Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) is back and ready to seek revenge on Gru, along with his equally villainous girlfriend, Valentina (Sofia Vergara). In an effort to protect the family from Le Mal, Gru goes into hiding in the suburbs. And we suspect they don’t fit in all that well, least of all with their neighbors, the Prescotts. Obviously hilarity and action ensue.

Despicable Me 4 is a solid choice for kids of most ages.

Fans of the Despicable Me franchise can expect some animated action sequences and some humor that might go over the heads of younger children, but Despicable Me 4 is still a rock-solid choice for a family day at the movies. Beyond the sweet family moments that are bound to happen between Gru and his family, including his three lovable adopted daughters, Margo, Agnes, and Edith, kids will also enjoy the light, silly humor of the movie. Especially with those Minions getting into well-intentioned trouble at every turn. Sure, the plot might be too complicated for younger children, but generally speaking, if your kids can sit through the run time of 1 hour and 34 minutes, they’re bound to enjoy it.

What is Despicable Me 4 rated?

Don’t be scared off by Despicable Me 4’s rating of PG. The parental guidance rating was given for action and rude humor. So basically two things kids really love laughing at. The first three movies in the franchise were also rated PG, and recommended for kids 6 and up, so if you were OK with your kiddo watching those, you should feel good about heading to the theater to see Despicable Me 4.

How can you watch Despicable Me 4?

You can take the kids to see Despicable Me 4 on July 3, just in time for the Fourth of July, so you can spend the long weekend with the Minions. Just as our forefathers would have wanted.