I was never all that fond of the DESPICABLE ME, which just felt like another formula movie in which a career oriented dad has kids suddenly thrust upon him, and despite initial dislike begins to love and care for them. The climax of the film always has the dad having to choose between an important work event and the kids ballet recital (and it’s always a ballet recital) that happen to be at the same time. Unremarkable movies such as OLD DOGS or THE GAME PLAN have followed this same script to the T and barely entered the public eye. But the film was so successful and praised for a reason, and luckily MINIONS manages to distill that into its essential elements – cuteness and comedy. The cuteness of the characters carries the film, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The minions are undeniably adorable, and watching the looney tunes hijinks of the large mob were the funniest parts of the film. Our three heroes have minor defining character traits, but enough that it allows them to be distinct. Kevin is the ambitious leader. Stuart likes bananas and singing to yellow fire hydrants. Bob’s got spirit and forms bonds with teddy bears and rats. It’s shallow but it allows them to interact with the environment in humorous ways. MINIONS as a movie may be saccharine, but it earns the tone and never lets that become boring.
The story follows a tribe of Minions after centuries of following (and often accidently angering) the biggest, meanest boss of the era. But as the 70’s roll around, they have no master and have become depressed without anyone to follow. Kevin, Stuart, and Bob (co-director Pierre Coffin) go off on a mission to find a new boss for all of the Minions. In their search they find Scarlett Overkill (Sandra Bullock), the biggest villain of the age looking to steal the queen crown and become the queen of England. Along with her is her tech expert husband Herb Overkill (Jon Hamm) whose provides her gadgets. When the Minions ineptitude puts the two parties at odds, the boys must find a way to save themselves from Scarlett’s terror.
Pierre Coffin’s direction makes MINIONS feel like less of a movie and more of an hour and forty-four minute short. This is partly because how little the main characters talk, but also due to the style of comedy. It most resembles the ICE AGE shorts in watching the main characters curiously fumble around dealing with scenario after scenario at a break neck pace. This is intentional, and works fantastically. Not every kid’s movie also needs to have “heart”, as MINIONS provides laughs from cute yellow pills, and not much more should be asked for.
It’s also worth mentioning that the film is beautiful. The level of detail that can be put into a yellow blob is outstanding. Individual marks on the gloves on the Minions can be seen. The 3D serves to compliment the Ultra HD graphics, save for a few moments where they pop out but never to the point where it is distracting. Acting is up to par, with special congrats given to Coffin’s Minions’ perfect combination of gibberish and language. All in all, MINIONS will not replace TOY STORY anytime soon, but it is an incredibly fun, beautiful, and cute movie that still deserves a watch.
