by Henry Pham
It has been 16 years since the release of the first Despicable Me film, which introduced Gru (currently voiced by Golden Globe winner Steve Carell, NBC’s The Office) and his comical yellow henchmen, the Minions. The film grossed over $544 million at the box office, and the popularity of Minions, admired by fans, led to the franchise’s expansion. Today, Despicable Me is the highest-grossing animated franchise, with a global box office exceeding $5.6 billion. The Minions are ridiculous, funny, chaotic, and weird, but they are also full of joy, and this movie captures that joy beautifully.
Minions & Monsters is the third installment in the Minions spin-off franchise, produced by Illumination. The story follows the Minions as they become Hollywood movie stars. After achieving fame as silent film actors, they lost everything with the advent of talkies. To revive their careers, they create a monster movie, casting themselves as the heroes. Using a spellbook, they accidentally unleash real monsters, endangering themselves and others. The Minions must then work together to save the world from the chaos they have caused.
Oscar nominee Pierre Coffin (Despicable Me 2) returns to direct this sequel and reprises his role as The Minions, the film’s titular characters. The voice cast features Oscar nominees and winners, including Allison Janney (I, Tonya), Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained), Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, A Real Pain), and Trey Parker (South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut). Additional cast members include Zoey Deutch (Nouvelle Vague), Bobby Moynihan (NBC’s Saturday Night Live), and Phil LaMarr (Fox’s Futurama). Notably, Star Wars creator George Lucas makes a voice cameo.
Under Coffin’s direction, the film delivers on its Hollywood-themed concept but sometimes falters due to excessive comedy and a subplot about the three main Minions, apart from the rest of the troupe. The narrative feels repetitive, but the animation is a huge standout. Although the first two films focus on Bob, Stuart, and Kevin, this one focuses on three different Minions named James, Henry, and Ed (possible references to filmmakers James Cameron, Henry Selick, and Ed Wood), which makes the story a little less engaging. Nevertheless, the film is colorful and vibrant, offering commentary and homage to the Hollywood film industry of the 1920s. My favorite moment is the cameo by filmmaker George Lucas.
With 90 minutes of Hollywood mayhem, Minions & Monsters is a fun movie for kids and fans, filled with joy, chaos, monsters, and homages to 1920s Hollywood. It’s goofy, silly, and hilarious, and it pays tribute to cinema with references to many Hollywood filmmakers, including Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and others. As a cinema lover, this sequel knows how to entertain children and younger audiences, and it manages to be both a lighthearted animated movie and a love letter to Hollywood cinema. While the story could use a little more work, it is more enjoyable than the first two Minions films. The supporting voice cast is impressive, which also pays tribute to the Oscars.
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