Movie Review # 532: Minions (2015)

Alright, so today, in preparation for Minions: Rise Of Gru, the sequel to the 2015 Universal and Illumination film, Minions, we shall of course review the 2015 film, Minions. Sorry for not reviewing the Despicable Me trilogy that spawned both of these Minions films. I may get to that some other time. Well, for now, let’s talk about Minions.

Plot: The yellow creatures, known as the Minions, try to find a master that will lead them into doing dastardly deeds, without much success. But just as they nearly give up hope, three minions named Kevin, Stuart, and Bob (all voiced by Pierre Coffin) decide not to give up hope, and travel to New York City in the year 1968. Now that they may have found a new master in Scarlett Overkill (Sandra Bullock), will their dream of finding a villainous mastermind come to fruition?

Now, for those of you who saw at least the Despicable Me films, but not this one, you could probably figure out where this plot is going, yes? Well, no worries either way. Is this as good as the Despicable Me films? Not really, especially not the first, and second movies. In fact, setting those films aside, Minions isn’t all that great. First of all, the story seems to feel a little too short, and rather lukewarm. What’s more is that none of the characters seem to be all that memorable. Yeah, Scarlett Overkill, the main villain of this movie, seems to be one of the main highlights, along with Gru, as a younger character. And yes, the minions have some memorable funny moments here and there. Other than those aspects, this film has nothing too special to offer. Also, there are some jokes that are most likely too adult, and inappropriate for kids to watch, most notably a scene where I found myself thinking, “Really, did this need to be brought into the film?”. There were also a few plot holes in this film as well. As I mentioned before, the story is probably way too fast-paced, and isn’t all that memorable. Not to mention that the film may feel a little too predictable at times. Not that that’s always a bad thing, but it might have been nice to have a few more twists to keep this film going stronger, you know?

The only things to enjoy about this film are that some of the animation is nice, and of course the villain that’s played by Sandra Bullock. And of course there is some of the cleaner humor in this film. Finally, it was nice to hear some older music from time to time in this film.

And that’s my review for Minions. The only reason for me to recommend this film would be if one, you love the Minion character, and two, if you’ve watched all the Despicable Me movies. Other than that, probably skip this film. I was honestly wondering if it would be worth it to see the second film. However, seeing as the second film looks much more promising, you’ll probably be more open to seeing that one. Well, like I said, see Minions, if you’ve seen the Despicable Me films, and/or you want to see the second Minions movie.

Final Grade: D+

P. S. Happy Fourth Of July everyone!