Movie Review: ‘Minions & Monsters’

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Review by Adam Courtliff

The Minions are back with their third solo outing and the seventh time they have graced the big screen. In that time, the weird, yellow, capsule-shaped creatures have taken the world by storm, even having the power to turn a singing competition in their native Minionese, a gibberish sounding language, into something utterly infectious. And if you thought that world takeover was ever going to slow down, well I’ve got news for you. The latest outing, Minions & Monsters, may just be the best one yet.

The latest entry in the Minions franchise opens with a touching homage to the cinematic history that got us to where we are today, wonderfully brought to life by a tour guide (voiced by Allison Janney) as she describes the magic of the movies to a group of kids. Along the way, she points out some of the most iconic characters in cinema history including E.T., the robot from Metropolis, and rather humorously, a real life George Lucas (voiced by George Lucas) displayed in a glass case.

The tour takes a turn when they arrive at the statues of James and Henry, the new Minions on the block, as the tour guide recalls how they became some of the most important voices in cinema history. It’s a tale that transports audiences back to 1920s Hollywood where the Minions, on the lookout for their next villainous boss to serve, stumble across a “bank robber” who is actually being filmed for a Western.

As you can imagine, the Minions ruin the shoot, but their screen presence is an instant hit, catapulting them into stardom at the height of Hollywood’s silent film era. Unfortunately, that success is short lived as blockbuster films introduce sound, and their Minionese language brings their careers to an abrupt end.

It’s at this point that Minions & Monsters splits into two distinct storylines. On the one hand, most of the Minions, with their tails between their legs, continue their search for their next evil leader. That journey leads them to Dort (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg), a robot who is hellbent on taking over Earth on the surface, but the film keeps you guessing as to whether he is actually just someone dressed as a robot living in a terrible apartment.

On the other, and where the majority of the film focuses, are James, Henry, and Ed, who refuse to let this setback stop them from chasing their Hollywood dream. They turn to an ancient book from one of their previous masters to conjure up monsters to star in their blockbuster movie. Of course, things don’t go to plan, setting in motion the extremely entertaining chaos that Minions & Monsters undoubtedly is.

Via director and co-writer Pierre Coffin alongside fellow screenwriter Brian Lynch, Minions & Monsters takes a huge risk. Moving away from the lovable trio that audiences have grown accustomed to, and undeniably fond of, could easily have doomed this latest instalment from the outset. Instead, in James, Henry, and Ed, Coffin and Lynch have created three more lovable troublemakers who provide endless fun for all ages and will no doubt become instant fan favourites.

Coffin, who also voices all of the Minions, makes sure they remain absolutely hilarious for audiences of every age. Whether it’s the crazy mix of French, Spanish, Italian, English, and countless other sounds that make up Minionese or the impeccable comedic timing of these little rascals, the humour consistently lands.

The same can be said for the supporting characters too, which has been a problem in previous Minions films. This time, Jesse Eisenberg especially steps up to the mark, creating a character in Dort who remains mysterious while providing plenty of laughs. Christoph Waltz and Zoey Deutch, despite having much smaller roles, also deliver a genuine sweetness that comes across exceptionally well through their voice performances.

As you’d probably expect from an Illumination animation, Minions & Monsters is big, bright, and beautiful to look at. The filmmakers have really captured the aesthetic of 1920s Hollywood whilst also sneaking in plenty of visual gags along the way. It’s even more impressive given the endless chaos and destruction throughout, which more often than not looks incredible. Couple that with some really fun monster designs that remain playful rather than scary for younger audience members, and the smile will never be too far from your face.

So while you might go in expecting Minion fatigue to start setting in, the opposite is actually true. Minions & Monsters feels like a genuine breath of fresh air, and not just for kids either. There’s more than enough entertainment for parents to sink their teeth into too. It almost goes without saying then, but Minions & Monsters is a must watch, family friendly trip to the cinema.