Photo via IMDb
By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
That’s right, those gibberish-speaking, goggles-wearing bananas are back on the big screen, and this time they take their unstoppable energy to Tinseltown. “Minions & Monsters” is the third installment of the standalone spin-off prequel films, and the seventh animated movie of the franchise overall that began in 2010 with “Despicable Me.” As expected, the chaotic shenanigans take center stage, but this story acts as a love letter to cinema’s history in America.
After repeated struggles to find their “big boss,” the Minions (Pierre Coffin) find themselves in Hollywood during the 1920s, where they become an overnight sensation in silent films. As the film industry evolves into the era of talkies, the Minions (unable to speak coherently) are subsequently cast out by the studio. Partnering with a strange little green guy named Goomi (Trey Parker), they try to find the scariest monsters around to produce the ultimate monster movie. However, their recklessness could unleash an uncontrollable force that could bring their quest for fame to a catastrophic halt.
Writer/director Pierre Coffin, who also voices the Minions, has presided over five of the seven films from this franchise, including this one. This time he shares the director’s chair with Patrick Delage, who last worked on “Despicable Me 4” in 2024. Unsurprisingly, the energetic chaos, slapstick comedy, and vibrant animation style return for this sequel, giving audiences precisely what they would expect from this series. As the title implies, Pierre has his likable characters partner with monsters, but there’s an added layer to this story that distinguishes the film from the previous installments.
By setting this tale in Hollywood during the 1920s, Pierre is able to share cinematic history with the audience, showing a rather accurate portrayal of the filmmaking process and how producers have full creative control over directors during that time. He beautifully pays homage to the silent era of film, the evolution of talkies and genres, not to mention references to some of the great films that movie aficionados will appreciate. This presents a unique opportunity, where young children get to be exposed to America’s artform in an exciting, adventurous way that will hold their short attention span and possibly even spark an interest in learning more about film. There are historical references depicted that are blatantly inaccurate, however, such as the women’s suffrage movement. This is set during the 1920s, evidenced by how talkies effectively ended the silent film era around 1927, yet throughout the film, women are shown picketing for the right to vote, even though they were already granted this right by the 19th Amendment in 1920.
Using Illumination’s distinctive 3D CGI animation style that dazzles the eyes with its colorfully vibrant palette, Pierre captures the essence of what made this franchise popular in the first place. To spice it up and add authenticity to the film, he also transitions the animation at times to an old Hollywood aesthetic such as vintage film stock, silent-era action reminiscent of the Keystone Kops, and black-and-white noir techniques. The detail incorporated to show the typical 1920s soundstages compliment Pierre’s intention to introduce kids to film’s rich history.
The vocal cast features an impressive array of talent. From Jeff Bridges, who voices the domineering producer brothers, to Christoph Waltz, who portrays the director imparting his filmmaking wisdom to the Minions, there is Oscar winning talent breathing life into their characters. Allison Janney even acts as the narrator of this Minions story as well as a guide through cinema history. Trey Parker, one of the “South Park” creators and voices, lends his vast vocal range to that little green monster, giving him a distinct voice like only he can. The only actors cast in this movie that don’t really belong are Jesse Eisenberg, who voices a random robot alien, and Zoey Deutch, who voices his unlikely love interest. This is a subplot inclusion that just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, especially since it appears to be a parody of 1950s sci-fi, creating an unnecessary distraction to the main plot.
Not without its share of faults, “Minions & Monsters” may fall well short of “Toy Story 5” or even “Goat,” which came out earlier this year. Although, the ode to Hollywood history mixed with that familiar slapstick comedy provides a satisfying enough experience to warrant a trip to the theater with your family. Who knows, maybe it will even generate interest to stream some of those classics and expose a new generation to cinema’s glory days.
This movie earns:
