Despicable Me 3: It Was So Bad My Three Year Old Nephew Walked Out — Is it Sequel Fatigue?

It's not unusual on Friday to check out the latest releases. Tonight was one of those nights. My nephew had me lace up his best shoes, grab his 7UP, and off we headed to the movies. At three, it's not unusual for kids to want to do something fun, and for Tyson - it's the movies. With his Spider-Man backpack on we found ourselves in line before purchasing my adult ticket. At three, it was understandable they didn't require one at the local AMC.

Through three movies in the related series, it was time for us to set out on our fourth adventure together. It wasn't unusual, it wasn't troubling, instead we were both genuinely excited for the little guys in yellow and their once criminal mastermind Gru (Steve Carell) to take to the screen for animated mischief. Of course, who doesn't want to see the little guys? They're funny.

The Trailers. 30 Minutes Worth.

After a good thirty minutes of trailers, we got a glimpse of the future movies we wanted to see. These movies ranged from Lego's Ninjago to movies as subtle as the animated film Ferdinand about a bull that didn't know how to be a bull. This is nothing weird for us until I heard the first sigh of boredem. Yup, we all know how it begins when the kid is sipping out of their cup, and playing with their candy. They're done. Straight up done until the movie starts.

After a few more minutes of movies such as the upcoming Valerian, Daddy's Home 2, and the aforementioned Ferdinand; it was time for the awkwardness to come. He began to whisper about wanting to have the movie start, and before we knew; it did.

37 Minutes of Movie and... We're Done With Despicable Me 3.

Thirty minutes of a few laughs, there was something off about the latest entry. It was slow, it was boring, and it was attempting to use the same jokes the series had seen for three movies. Sure Gru, Kyle, the girls, Gru's wife, and his twin-brother Dru are funny. It's all there in fact, but the downside? It's a rehash of the same old movie, which was confirmed when I heard my nephew say, "I'm done" while squinting his little nose, squinting his eyes, and slinging his Spider-Man backpack over his shoulders.

The obvious choice? The boss made up his mind. He didn't like this movie near as much as the others. He wasn't laughing all the way through the film. Instead the small subtle drama moments, the small background building, and heart-touching moments weren't good enough. Even with my asking him to stay for a few more minutes wasn't enough. Before I knew it, the three year old was already walking down the steps, gummy worms balled in his hand, and his Avengers sippy cup under his elbow.

What went wrong though? Franchise fatigue no longer becoming a buzzword, but a reality.. It has shown its ugly face once more in a once beloved franchise.

Despicable Me 3 Also Suffers from Sequel Fatigue

There's no secret that movies have been struggling as of late. While the first three films (if you count Minions) were instant success. Kids loved them, adults loved them, and everyone loved them. There was no doubt that the comedic value was there. That these little moments of comical relief were profound as Steve Carell's character Gru tried to wrangle his army of Minions together.

However, just like Transformers: The Last Night, it will struggle in the box office. It didn't seem itself anymore. The once shining draw to the film had worn off and the rust under the metal had begun to show. While Despicable Me offered moments of comedic value, there was far too few to fill the need the movie had. Even in 37 minutes other kids had already begun to venture out of the AMC show room. The movie they all refunded their tickets for? A sold out Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Not because it's the new hot film, but it's the best choice out of the current films for families to see. It's a film that manages to stay new, current, and refreshing for the family. While there was certainly that option, my nephew and I opted for something else. We opted for ice cream, we opted for a drive around the block, and most of all - we opted for a movie that seemed fresh: Secret Life of Pets. The movie alone had entertained him more in its 37 opening minutes than the newest Despicable Me had.

However, this doesn't mean Despicable Me 3 is bad. It means that the movie will struggle for some fans and those fans are their biggest audiences: kids. It's safe to say, however, the movie had its stronger moments. For now, it seems Despicable Me is off my nephews radar, which was sign enough for me, and one that did what it shouldn't have. It sent us home since it wasn't what the series used to be.