Prequels, reboots, re-imagined and anything else you can think of in that terms are hated most of the time. No one likes a remake of their favourite film of all-time, and the majority of the time, they never get it right. My biggest pet peeve are spinoffs, recently being last year’s ‘Annabelle’, the spin-off from the terrific ‘The Conjuring’ which turned out to be the biggest cash cow cop out that I’ve ever seen; but, does ‘Minions’ fare well in the spin-off category? Following on from the two very successful films of ‘Despicable Me’, do the Minions carry on their lovable and hilarious antics that made us fall in love with them immediately? My answer to that question, yes and no.
‘Minions’ does exactly what it says on the tin, it shows Minions and that’s around about it. There’s not much plot wise to cover on the film, apart from that you find out that they have been around for millions of years and have always searched for the most despicable master to follow. Whether it is a T-Rex, Napoleon or a Caveman, their following never seems to work out, due to their unfortunate antics that end up killing or injuring their master. Fast forward to 1968, the Minions are at an all-time low and are looking for a new master, Kevin, Bob and Stuart head out on a mission to find their new evil master to which they encounter in America. Scarlet Overkill, who appears at Villain-Con who is voiced by Sandra Bullock, is the most despicable person they can find and decide to become her minions.
The one thing that was great about the ‘Despicable Me’ films was the occasional use of the Minions; they were never thrown in your face or used excessively, which always worked. Having a whole film based on these characters, who don’t actually speak, provides problems straightaway. I’m a big fan of the characters and I do find them enjoyable, but I questioned that a little bit after watching a feature length film following the characters throughout. Yes they are incredibly fun and adorable, and the kids love them, and that’s the most important thing in a kid’s film, but this is a kids film where it can irritate the adult in the cinema. Compare ‘Minions’ to ‘Inside Out’ which I saw very recently, and the differences are huge; Pixar managed and have always managed to deliver a kids film that is universally loved by all and that’s where the ‘Minions’ fall short on the spectrum of a really good kids film.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it hugely and I was laughing a little too much, but after a while you do find yourself becoming a little agitated and a tiny bit bored after watching the same thing over and over. The animation in the film is terrific though, and that’s something to be congratulated on but I do think they put the film in good hands by keeping it with the original creator, voice-actor and director of the ‘Despicable Me’ films. Great animation, over-the-top madness (You can figure out whether you think that’s a good or a bad thing) and lots and lots of Yellow. ‘Minions’ get 3 out of 5 stars.
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