The silly miniature yellow henchmen that movie lovers fell in love with during the first two Despicable Me films take center stage in Minions, a feature that tells the story how these creatures came into the servitude of the evil genius Gru.
The pill-shaped beings won over movie fans with their nonsensical speaking and singing, their funny physical gags and their good-natured sense of wonder. All of those characteristics are back. The minions in this film are fun creatures that will bring joy to any young child that goes to see this movie.
Some of the crazy sight gags will likely make the adults in the crowd laugh as well. There were some moments that made me ‘LOL,’ A highlight of the film for me was the shenanigans the minions got into after they hitchhiked a ride with a criminal family.
The film begins with a prologue that reveals that since the dawn of time the minions have been on a quest to serve the most villainous being on planet Earth. We see the minions under the command of the dinosaur, the caveman, the Egyptians, Dracula and Napoleon. The problem is that the minions are fatal to any being that utilizes their services. After the minions supposedly cost Napoleon the Battle of Waterloo, they are forced to go into hiding. The introduction to the film is a lot of fun largely due to the cheerful narration that Geoffrey Rush provides to accompany the on-screen action.
The real plot of the film begins in the cave. While the minions make an effort to make a good life for themselves in the cave they eventually become depressed. Kevin, the tallest (and perhaps the smartest) of all the minions decides to lead a mission to find a new master. Joining him on the journey is Stuart, who is a banana-obsessed ukulele player, and Bob, a bubbly young minion with a shy side.
The minions eventually end up in the employ of Scarlet Overkill (voiced by Sandra Bullock), who is deemed the greatest super-villain in the world. She takes the minions to her home in England, where she resides with her eccentric inventor husband Herb Overkill (Jon Hamm). They have big plans for the minions: they want them to steal the crown of Queen Elizabeth II (Jennifer Saunders is hilarious as a brazen monarch).
While the on-sight gags in this film rivals the Despicable Me films quite well, Minions falls well short to its predecessors in the heart department. The storyline in the first two films where we see Gru try to create a strong relationship with his daughters is more emotionally relatable and potent than the minions’ quest here.
An inevitable consequence of a film that is emotionally ungratifying is that its climax will more likely come across as aimless instead of full-of-purpose. That is exactly what happens here.
The film also falls short with its central human character. Sandra Bullock’s Overkill is a clear downgrade from Steve Carell’s Gru. Gru was larger than life while Overkill completely lacks an infectious personality. John Hamm fares better as Herb. He brings a strong dose of flair and loopiness to his role as the bizarre gadget-maker.
Despite its flaws I am going to give a positive recommendation for Minions because it does achieve its aim of providing a fun and lively experience for younger children to enjoy. Laughs are all this film could potentially offer adults. It provides a far less poignant experience than Pixar’s Inside Out.
I am giving this film three popcorn-buckets-out-of-five.
