Minions & Monsters
I think I finally get the appeal of the Minions now. They are comedic anarchy personified. They are madness and violence played for laughs, in part because they are invincible. They are a modern equivalent of Looney Tunes. The personalities are, personally, not as compelling, but the rapid fire comedy they play to is on point. Their best showcase, that I’ve seen, is their latest one. I still haven’t watched all the “Despicable Me” films, but I have seen the “Minions” movies, and the third one being set in Hollywood, of course I was going to want to watch this one. I do wish I’d had time to see it in theatres, but those are the breaks.
Giving these characters their own side franchise made all the sense in the world. When it came out, I wasn’t as high on “Despicable Me 2” because it really leaned into the Minions when it should have focused on the story it started in the first one. I like that the “Minions” films have been their own thing, giving a mythology to the characters, and deepening the personalities. To a certain extent, their antics can only be taken so far, but with their own world to explore, it can allow for a lot of crazy parody without really getting into Gru’s story.
“Minions & Monsters,” written by Brian Lynch and director Pierre Coffin, posits that two of the Minions, Henry and James (all the Minions are voiced by Coffin), were instrumental in classic Hollywood. We see recreations of some of the earliest filmed shorts, as well as them stumbling into a Hollywood production, turning it upside down, as they struggle to find their master. A cyclops kicks them off the island, and their misuse of wizardry costs them another one, but will be the key to what Henry and James hope is their breakthrough to Hollywood. During the silent era, they’re anarchic humor is a huge hit, but as the talkies start to take hold, even their success under the eye of filmmaker Max (Christophe Waltz) is unable to sustain them. But when they try to bring monsters to Hollywood through their spellbook to make a movie, they get more than they bargained for, and maybe a robot (voiced by Jessie Eisenberg) will be able to help them survive.
The Old Hollywood parodies in this film are what will drive a lot of adults to this film; it’s definitely part of why I was so interested in “Minions & Monsters,” and I loved it. We get the idea of early Hollywood in these scenes, and it’s great seeing so many references to that Golden Age in the bookend scenes with a museum guide (voiced by Allison Janney). Jeff Bridges gives two wonderful vocal performances as executive brothers, and Trey Parker makes the Cthulhu-esque creature the Minions summon adorable and dangerous. This was a hugely entertaining ride, and I knows just when to dip out at just around 90 minutes. It’s worth watching for fans of the franchise, and fans of filmmaking.
