My name is Sean Anthony Boelman. I am of sound mind and body, and on July 4, 2024, I saw Despicable Me 4 four times in a row in theaters.
No, this is not a joke, nor did I lose a bet — I did this of my own free will.
Why?
You could say it’s for science. Perhaps it’s a masochistic form of cinematic self-flagellation. Or maybe, in the words of Donny from Assassination Nation, it could have been “for the LOLs.”

The origins of this superhuman (subhuman?) feat can be traced back to 2019 when I threatened my family with not coming home for Christmas to watch Tom Hooper’s Cats four times in a row on Christmas Day. Although those plans never came to fruition, I found myself — almost five years later — waiting for the perfect occasion to subject myself to this motion picture endurance test.
Along came Despicable Me 4.
What better way to celebrate America’s birthday than to sit in a theater for approximately eight hours (including time between showings) watching an animated film by a French studio? Plus, there was the convenient branding of watching the fourth film in the franchise four times on July 4.
So I strolled into my local AMC theater around 10:25 am, ready to begin my marathon of Despicable Me 4.
WARNING: This article contains some (mild) spoilers for Despicable Me 4, so stop here if you care about being spoiled.
Mega Minions (Pierre Coffin) in Despicable Me 4, directed by Chris Renaud.
10:30 am — Dolby Cinema
My first time seeing Despicable Me 4 was in Dolby Cinema, and admittedly, it didn’t seem particularly conducive to the format at first viewing. It’s much less action-packed than previous entries, with more of a focus on domestic hijinks.
The quality of the movie itself was mostly charming. Although the many subplots became a bit overwhelming, the scattered narrative structure makes sense, considering that it’s aimed at kids with shorter attention spans. Some of the storylines feel like a redux of previous entries in the series, but again, you have to remember who this movie was made for.
The one thing that did baffle me about the film was Will Ferrell’s performance as the villain. Why on Earth would they pay an A-lister like Ferrell to be in the role only to have his personality buried by a generic, exaggerated French accent?
(from left) Maxime (Will Ferrell) and Gru (Steve Carell) in Despicable Me 4, directed by Chris Renaud.
12:30 pm — Standard 2D
Immediately, as my second viewing of the film began, I was struck by the difference in sound quality between the Dolby Cinema auditorium and the standard auditorium. When Pharrell Williams’s “Double Life” began to play, I realized how much sharper the music, sound effects, and dialogue mix were in the premium format. I’ve always enjoyed Dolby Cinema, but having that immediate comparison gives me a newfound appreciation for the experience.
As for the film itself, I was stunned to find that it moved even more quickly than it did the first time. I did catch some more issues with the movie — storylines and gags like Karl the bus driver or Edith and Agnes’s adventure at the karate dojo are only given one scene and are left underdeveloped — but at this point, I was still not regretting my life decisions.
I will say — I was somewhat surprised to find that many of the young kids in the audience were bored by the time the climactic battle sequence arrived. I figured the quick pacing and many subplots would be enough to keep even the youngest viewers entertained.
(from left) Maxime (Will Ferrell) and Valentina (Sofía Vergara) in Despicable Me 4, directed by Chris Renaud.
2:15 pm — IMAX
My second viewing of Despicable Me 4 ended as the trailers for my third viewing began, so I headed directly into the IMAX auditorium. This, unfortunately, is the only auditorium in my local multiplex that does not have recliner seats, adding to my discomfort. The trailer reel also forced me to sit through the trailers for Harold and the Purple Crayon and Borderlands twice in a row — marking the third and fourth time I’d seen the former film’s trailer today — so this viewing got off on the wrong foot.
Of course, Despicable Me 4 was not shown in the expanded aspect ratio in IMAX — I don’t know of any animated films that ever have been — so there’s not much that would make this a superior experience to Dolby Cinema. I find that, outside of a few “true IMAX” theaters, Dolby Cinema screens tend to be almost as big as the IMAX screens. IMAX is unquestionably a better experience than a standard screen, but Despicable Me 4 does not require viewing in IMAX.
In this third viewing, I did find that I was starting to tire of certain sequences. The Minions portions of the film were growing old pretty quickly, as were the parts involving Will Ferrell’s Maxime Le Mal. I checked my watch frequently during any parts that didn’t involve Gru or Lucy.
(from left) Maxime (Will Ferrell) and Valentina (Sofía Vergara) in Despicable Me 4, directed by Chris Renaud.
4:30 pm — RealD 3D
My largest gap of the day was between my third and fourth viewings, and when I returned to the ticket taker to pick up my 3D glasses for my final show of the day, he had picked up on what I was doing. I embarrassedly explained that I was a journalist doing this on assignment and walked to the auditorium, where I caught the tail end of Maria Menounos on Noovie before the trailers began.
I was actually curious to see how Despicable Me 4 would play in 3D. After all, the first film in the franchise was one of the first films where they were majorly pushing RealD 3D. I have an oddly specific memory of there being no 2D shows of Despicable Me on its opening weekend back in 2010, so my family and I were forced to see it in 3D.
Unfortunately, Despicable Me 4 does not offer an ideal 3D experience. Even the Mega Minion sequences, which seem to have effects tailor-made for the 3D format, don’t pop as one would hope.
As for the movie itself, I was exhausted with it by the fourth time. Although a few jokes, like the Terminator sequence, still caused me to chuckle, there wasn’t much more enjoyment to be found in the fourth viewing.
I did make some humorous notes like, “Tears for Fears ???? Kafka: things that Will Ferrell’s character probably likes way too much.” But the movie’s in that grey area where it’s too good to have much to make fun of but not good enough to be consistently entertaining your fourth time around. 
Gru (Steve Carell) and Gru Jr. in Despicable Me 4, directed by Chris Renaud.
Should you see Despicable Me 4 four times in theaters?
No, you should not see Despicable Me 4 four times in theaters.
What format should you see Despicable Me 4 in?
Of the four formats I saw Despicable Me 4 in, Dolby was the best experience. However, standard 2D could also suffice for this film. I do not recommend IMAX or RealD 3D for this movie.
What did watching Despicable Me 4 four times teach me?
As humorous as this feat is — no one would (or should) unironically watch Despicable Me 4 in theaters four times in a row — I do think there is something to be said about the experience.
I love movie theaters. I have spent much of my life going to the cinema multiple times a week. I’ll often do double — even triple features (sometimes seven movies in a single day when I’m at a film festival).
Before this, the only movie I’d seen more than once on the same day was the first Hunger Games. And, frankly, I don’t think I’ll ever feel the need to watch a movie more than once on the same day again.
Gru (Steve Carell) in Despicable Me 4, directed by Chris Renaud.
But by seeing Despicable Me 4 four times, I contributed four admissions to the box office at a time when theaters need the support. The last film in the franchise, Minions: The Rise of Gru, came out at a crucial time in the summer on the heels of an unexpected smash hit (Top Gun: Maverick). Despicable Me 4 is in the same situation following Inside Out 2.
I’m glad we’re finally seeing moviegoing go back to normal. There are plenty of blockbusters on cinema screens — from Inside Out 2 and Despicable Me 4 to A Quiet Place: Day One and the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine — but also indies and art house titles like Kinds of Kindness, The Bikeriders, and Kill.
Right now, there’s something for everyone in the cinema. Moviegoing has never been more alive. And even if I didn’t love watching Despicable Me 4 four times in a row, this experience did remind me how much I love going to the movies.
I can’t wait to go back — just not to see the same movie over and over again.
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