Minions & Monsters – Film Review
by Fran Winston

Directed by Pierre Coffin
Starring the voices of:  Pierre Coffin, Trey Parker, Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges, Zoey Deutch, Bobby Moynihan, Phil LaMarr

In cinemas July 1

Not since the days of their classic monsterverse have Universal Studios had creations with the broad appeal of the Minions. The inept yellow creatures have proved a global sensation since they first appeared as secondary characters in 2010’s Despicable Me. The affection with which the characters and movies are held is proven by the excellent voice cast here – all huge stars in their own right.

This is their third solo big-screen outing, but in reality, it is more of a prequel as it is set in 1920, 48 years before the events of their first movie (set in 1968).

Surprisingly, it doesn’t feature the Minions fans have become familiar with, such as Kevin and Bob, but rather a different tribe. These new characters are called James, Henry and Ed, and bring their own brand of animated anarchy. They inadvertently become involved in the early Hollywood movie industry when they stumble across a train robbery and chase after the perpetrator, hoping to become his henchmen. However, the robbery was actually a staged performance for a Hollywood film, and with their foot in the door, they became a global phenomenon, appearing in several silent films and enjoying all the trappings of Hollywood stardom.

In a rather meta take on what really happened to silver screen stars when sound came in, the Minions are unable to adapt to the new audio technology when it becomes the norm due to their language being incomprehensible

Undeterred, they decide to make their own movie and summon the monsters of the title using a spellbook from a former Warlock master. Of course, this being the Minions, it isn’t quite as straightforward as shooting a film with their creation and chaos ensues, leaving The Minions to, yet again, save the world.

Obviously, this isn’t War and Peace. The Minions movies are just a series of constructed scenarios to showcase the little guys’ incompetence. What gives this more depth than most similar flicks is its affection for old Hollywood. You can sense the love the creators have for the classic films that shaped the industry. It is fitting that it is distributed by Universal, who have been a feature in the moviemaking city since 1912.

Unlike many animated offerings, there is no deep message here. It is simply delightful fun. By resisting the temptation to simply continue the story of the characters we had already met, Coffin has expanded the Minionverse and opened the door to even more storytelling opportunities.

This movie won’t change the world and isn’t going to leave you pondering your existence, but it will solidly entertain you for 90 minutes, and sometimes that is all you need.