Marco 4

Marco 4 (also stylized as M4RCO) is an 2017 3D Marcanese-American computer animated action comedy buddy spy film produced by Actors 3D and Anaya Animation for Columbia Pictures and Universal Pictures. The fourth installment in the Marco franchise, the film was directed by Chris Melendari, produced by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, and written by Rob Greenburg. The film was released to theaters June 30, 2017 and received mostly positive reviews from critics. The film also became the 2nd highest-grossing Marcanese animated film of 2017, only behind Josh Samuel 3.

Why It's Great

 * 1) Just like its 2015 predecessor, this fourth film has incredibly top-notch animation and amazing eye-catching cinematography that's supreme for 2017 standards, with more smooth fluid character movements and wonderful photorealistic visuals.
 * 2) The action scenes are really awesome they're arguably the best in the Marco franchise, most notably the film's finale with the giant E-Bot and the rap-themed dance fight after that.
 * 3) Outstanding voice acting, especially from Hugh Jackman, David Spade, and Trey Parker (whom do very superb jobs as Marco, Ian, and Edgar respectively). Also, considering that Hugh Jackman arguably does an even better job at playing Marco than Bill Hader from the previous films.
 * 4) Great humor as always in this film, with several jokes that work such as the scene where Marco & Ian speed up to Edgar's fortress on the latter's Superyacht and Kevin's constant gag of going after his malfunctioning robot.
 * 5) Just like its predecessor, the new characters are both likable and lovable: Ian is very amusing and has several funny catchphrases, Mikayla is an kind-hearted & sweet love interest for Marco, and Ian's assistants (Kevin, Connor, and Josue) are also very great additions. What's more surprising though is Aileene's character development: in the original film, she used to regret Marco for him being a spy; but here in the fourth film, she accepts Marco for who he is and joins him no matter what.
 * 6) It has an entertaining if shockingly mature plot with a well-done script, as it explores the Nature vs. Nurture element and the question of whether bad behavior is inherited or acquired, and how it can affect other people's feelings in negative ways. Marco somehow ended up on prison because of Edgar's mean behavior towards him for being an espionage expert, and later gets depressed by him to the point where he decides to track him down for good. Edgar, however, had no mercy for Marco & his friends and only wanted to destroy them for the fame and glory he had before becoming a fully-fledged supervillain. The film also combines the usual Marco elements with lots of suspense, along with a good detective subplot.
 * 7) Highly catchy and addicting soundtrack, with "Let The Good Times Roll" by Pharrell Williams & Ethan John, "Believer" by Imagine Dragons, and "Dance Fight" by Eminem standing out the most. Also, Edgar's version of Flo Rida's 2011 hit "Low" ("Bad") is very catchy and the songs fit into each scene: like for example, the "Billie Jean" and "On The Boat" scenes.
 * 8) The relationship between Marco & Mikayla is lovely yet wacky to watch, such as when they have an awkward dinner night in the Billie Jean scene. Also, Marco's relationship with Aileene is endearingly cute to watch, like in the scene where they meet once again after several years of not seeing each other. The other emotional moments, such as the scene where Bom Bin sings to Isabella, are very touching too.
 * 9) Edgar is an entertaining and well-written antagonist (thanks to Trey Parker's performance and how he's written & animated). The idea of a rap-obsessed teenage star who fell from the Billboard 200 because of him wanting to be a gangster is indeed original. Also, his plan of getting revenge on the music industry as part of his world domination plot seems quite original as well.
 * 10) The ending is sweet (also a great conclusion to an already great franchise) with a touching note, as we see that Marco's other friends do appear in this film, having moved to Ian's former residential hotel, and later we see Marco & Aileene wave at Esau and his crew who are heading to Cancun via cruise boat.
 * 11) The film has great messages that appeals to both kids and adults, especially teens: it states that bad behavior is acquired, not inherited and that insecurities and doubts make you stronger if you use them for good. Also, the film makes the point that weak relationships can become strong ones, such as in Marco & Aileene's case.
 * 12) Since teens are the film's main target demographic, it respects teen culture while also not portraying teens as lazy or stereotypical, but rather as independent and capable of making their own decisions either being good or bad ones. This is a great example of how to do teenage-oriented films the right way.
 * 13) The concept of Marco being a detective although still being a spy is highly original and brilliant, even for an animated film, despite the short execution.
 * 14) Also, the film's references to Sherlock Holmes, Fast & Furious, Transformers, Ghostbusters, and several other films are very well done. The posters for this film are quite amusing to see: among them posters parodying 2017 films like The Fate of the Furious, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Dunkirk, and The Shape Of Water. Just like its predecessor, the film also has lots of spot-on Easter eggs from other Actors 3D & Anaya Animation films.
 * 15) Nice nods to the original film, such as the Anaya+ scene where Marco & Pepe watch Marco (which is the original film), and Marco posing guns with his hands and saying "It's showtime!"
 * 16) The end credits are gold, pairing up the traditional "Joaquin & Emiliano do funny things" credits in the first round with new stylized 2DCG animation in the second round, that being the same animation style used for Agent Cyberlink.
 * 17) The film tries to be unpredictable for the most part, as it keeps you guessing on whether Marco will stay with Mikayla or Aileene, whether Marco's friends will appear or not, etc. The film also has surprising moments, too (especially Bom Bin & Aileene's returns to the silver screen since the original film) and even Joe & Alondra return as brief cameos.
 * 18) "I've been SOOOOOOO BAD!"
 * 19) "WOOHOO YEAH!!!"

Bad Qualities

 * 1) The film can get quite dark at times, most notably the scary mansion part, and could get somewhat intense for a PG rating.
 * 2) The supporting characters (Kevin & Marlene, Derek & Brian, Josue, Melissa, etc.) don't appear too much in the film.
 * 3) The film can get slow-paced at times and can also get mildly boring.
 * 4) A few other problems: although the film tries to avoid being predictable for the most part, there are instances where it's sometimes predictable. Also, this film at times feels like a rehash of the original film, such as when Marco had to rescue Mikayla & Aileene (whom become damsels-in-distress during the climax scene) and also how Marco confronts Edgar, being similar to his confrontation with Joe.
 * 5) Depending on your point of view, the animation can sometimes feel way too cartoony and over-the-top that it comes off more as a Hotel Cloudylandia film instead of a Marco film, which is admittedly a problem with modern computer animation.