Director: Pierre Coffin
Writers: Pierre Coffin, Brian Lynch
Stars: Pierre Coffin, Allison Janney, George Lucas
Synopsis: Follows the Minions in 1920s Hollywood as they search for frightening creatures for their monster movie, partner with a green creature, and must save the planet after unleashing monsters.
The Minions have had an impressive run, with Minions & Monsters serving as the third entry in the prequel franchise and the seventh movie in the Despicable Me universe — the powerful and almighty DMU, for short. And that is not even counting Illumination’s brand exploitation of its intellectual property for fast food, beverages, theme parks, candy, the auto industry, and even insurance sold to families worldwide.
Yes, Illumination uses the Minions like Felonious Gru himself, sending those obsequious, mindlessly loyal followers out to do its bidding. Fortunately, somehow, each installment remains very funny, even as the franchise shows signs of becoming stale. Minions & Monsters still brings a truly unique sense of humor that owes a great deal to Looney Tunes: old-fashioned, smart, subversive, and equipped with near-perfect comic timing.
This type of world-class comedy is hidden beneath a candy-coated animated shell. The movie is filled with utter slapstick chaos, hilarious gibberish, and wild cartoon violence without consequence, displaying an impressive command of comic escalation. Sure, there isn’t much of a plot when it comes to these psychopathically magnetic but misunderstood evil little lemon goblins, but the joy is in experiencing everything and the kitchen sink approach.
The fast-moving bits, pratfalls, and Hollywood parody make Minions & Monsters as enjoyable as any entry in the DMU so far.
The story follows a new group of Minions looking to upgrade their subservient ways by finding the world’s greatest villains. Among them is James, an artistic Minion with a passion for painting, who becomes the third wheel to Henry and Ed (all three voiced by Peter Coffin), two Minions with an infamous backstory of their own. During their search for a new master after the death of silent films exposes their gibberish, they acquire a warlock’s spellbook.
After a director (Christoph Waltz) hires the trio to star in his movies following their accidental interruption of a staged train robbery, they must contend with egotistical studio heads (Jeff Bridges). Hoping to secure their place in creature features, they summon a squid monster named Goomi (Trey Parker). Then, a robotic alien named Dort (Jesse Eisenberg), an ode to The Day the Earth Stood Still, arrives, and the yellow-bellied troublemakers immediately begin following the metal tin can as their new leader. And “Eureka!” — down the Minion hole we go.
From Pierre Coffin, Minions & Monsters works so well because it is, well, a monster mash of genres with a comedic spin, much like those Warner Bros. cartoons we mused about above. The film embraces the 1920s silent Golden Age of Hollywood, musical numbers, and creature features, blending them into madcap bliss. In fact, the screenplay by Brian Lynch and Coffin lacks structure, which you admire, as it embraces what makes IPs so special to begin with.
Coffin, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for Despicable Me 2, finds, beneath all the infectious fun, an odd appreciation for Hollywood — an Illumination love letter, if that is even possible. Of course, the experience is heavily dependent on your enjoyment of the Minions, which is great news for kids and adults who can never get enough of them. Not to mention the nonstop action, comedy bits, and beautiful animation.
Minions & Monsters knows its audience. How many manic animated films can pay homage to the stars of silent comedy and modern-day sci-fi mythmakers while surrounding them with manic gibberish, and even satirizing the studio’s own retail market for the titular characters? The movie is for kids, adults, and cinephiles, all within under 90 minutes, astutely understanding what the filmmakers want to accomplish and what their intended audience deserves.
You can watch Minions & Monsters exclusively in theaters starting July 1st!
