Minions (Review)

Minions (2015)

Animation, Comedy, Family

Directed By: Pierre Coffin & Kyle Balda

The Minions have taken over the world! I really don't know how else to put this, ever since the release of the original Despicable Me back in 2010 the little yellow goons have been everywhere. Go into any department store right now and you are guaranteed to see an entire end cap display of Minions after walking just ten feet. Love them or hate them they have become a cultural icon for kids all over the world and have stolen the hearts of many adults as well. So much so that the bumbling little creatures earned their own standalone feature film and, despite what many thought, it worked. 

The plot of the movie is simple and obvious, our only question after watching the Despicable Me movies is who are these Minions and where do they come from? This new movie aims to answer those questions as well as give you some more details about the villain infested, hero void world these movies take place in. The Minions have spent their entire lives searching for and helping the greatest super villains in the world. From the Tyrannosaurus Rex to Dracula himself, these guys have worked for them all. After the loss of a master sends them into seclusion however the Minions lose their way. After some time in a secret snow covered society Kevin decides it's time to move on and out.

The minions haven't worked for a villain in decades but Kevin knows it's their purpose in life so he puts in motion a plan to find them a new boss. With the help of two others, Stuart and the lovable Bob, the three leave their life of comfort and hit the road in search of the world's greatest villain. Their Journey takes them all over the modern world, from New York to Orlando and across the sea to Britain, where they may have finally found the perfect boss, Scarlett Overkill (Sandra Bullock). Now they must win her trust to become her henchmen and carry out her evil deeds.

I was weary of this movie at first, I'll be honest. The minions worked so well in the Despicable movies but I had thought it was because of their limited role and key placements throughout the films. I couldn't be more pleased to be proven wrong. Writer Brian Lynch, who is no stranger to spin-off films (Puss in Boots) found the perfect story to tell. He surrounded the notorious mumblers with amazing characters voiced by strong talent and even when it's just the little yellow guys, speaking their gibberish; the movie never seems to drag. From the wonderfully creative opening credits right down to the finale, I was laughing, smiling and just having a good time.

They brought together a great cast of people to voice the characters, and without them this movie doesn't work. I know I say this about basically every animated feature but that's because it's true. If the voices aren't right the movie isn't right, thankfully they did good work here. Sandra Bullock as Scarlett Overkill just makes sense, she may not have the most talented voice acting chops but her general personality and demeanor fit the role perfectly. The real treats are in the smaller characters, Jon Hamm as Herb Overkill is fantastic. He does incredible voice work and until the credits rolled I had no idea it was even him voicing the character. The same goes for Michael Keaton as Walter Nelson, the role isn't huge but the few scenes he has he completely steals. It also goes without mentioning that Pierre Coffin (Who co-directed all three films) does his Minions as good as ever and they are the key to this movie.

The story is fun, the characters are great but we all know why we went to see this movie; the Minions. The lovable, stumpy, rambling goof balls are the heart and soul of this franchise and to butcher their movie would mean butchering them all. This movie will only make you love these guys more, it is absolutely hilarious, heartwarming, and simply a great time for the entire family. They put together a wonderful soundtrack, as the movie take place mostly in the late 60's, that will please the adults and stick with the kids and at ninety one minutes you won't ever be bored.

Minions is a movie that many people thought shouldn't have been made, spin-offs generally don't work and usually just serve as a cash grab. While this movie may have had big financial aspirations, it was without a doubt made for the millions of die-hard fans. The movie has a moment or two and a few jokes that don't land but then again, what comedic movie doesn't? In between all the jokes that do land and the amount you'll be laughing I doubt any of that will be enough to shake your opinion of the film. As a guy who has a deep love for animation it is great to see a franchise that is handled with such respect for its fans as well as film in general.

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!