The Fourth of July weekend provided plenty of film options. Below, I take a look at the films that were available to audiences this week. If you want to keep up with all the films I’m watching, follow me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Despicable Me 4 (Theaters)
Starring: Steve Carell, Kristin Wiig, Will Ferrell, Joey King, and Miranda Cosgrove
Synopsis: We’ve seen a ton from this world of Gru (Carell) and the Minions. There have been three previous Despicable Me films as well as two Minions films and a variety of shorts. The popularity of the characters remains high, but what about the quality of ongoing stories? In this fourth installment, Gru is a family man with his three girls, his wife Lucy (Wiig) and his infant son. As part of his work, he is tasked with bringing down a former classmate, Maxime (Ferrell). The bust goes off, but Maxime vows revenge. When Maxime soon escapes, Gru and his family are forced to go into hiding. Meanwhile, the Minions are recruited for a special new assignment. These films will probably always play well with younger viewers, and they always have some fun moments. It’s a deep and talented voice cast. But, for me, the franchise is running out of juice. Even at just 93 minutes, this sometimes felt like a predictable slog. The laughs don’t come as freely as they once did, either. We’ve seen a lot of franchises this year that are getting long in the tooth, and this is one that is probably ready to retire.
Rating: Rated PG for action and rude humor.

Space Cadet (Prime Video)
Starring: Emma Roberts, Gabrielle Union, Tom Hopper, and Poppy Liu
Synopsis: The latest from Prime Video is a comedy from Liz W. Garcia focused on a plucky Florida woman, Rex Simpson (Roberts), hoping to take a big step forward. Rex had plenty of promise in high school, but after her mother got sick and her father needed help, she put her own plans on hold. Now at her 10-year reunion, she’s taking stock of those missed opportunities. She decides to apply to the space program, creating an application that’s open and honest about the qualifications she doesn’t have. Her friend (Liu) decides that’s not the right approach. She alters the application, and when it’s accepted, Rex doesn’t realize she’s in under false pretenses. When she does, she’s already committed and tries to complete the process and impress her evaluators (Union and Hopper) without the truth coming out. This is a wild premise but at times it’s charming. That’s largely thanks to Roberts, who does well in the lead role. Still, this pushes the bounds of believability in a number of sequences. In addition to the wild story, it’s a bit dry and uneven. Those looking for a simple streaming film will likely enjoy this enough. Those looking for something that feels original, and works will be best served looking elsewhere.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for some strong language and brief drug references.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.