Minions

A prequel to the Despicable Me series, Minions follows three of the title characters (Stuart, Bob, and Kevin) as they become henchmen for a ’60s supervillain named Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock). Before it gets to that point, however, Minions boasts an opening half hour detailing the impressively storied history of the loyal yet somewhat incompetent protagonists – with the tiny hired goons working for, among others, a fearsome T-Rex, several abominable snowmen, and Napoleon the Great. It’s an engaging first act that’s often as funny as it is entertaining, as filmmakers Kyle Balda and Pierre Coffin effectively pepper this stretch (and the remainder of the proceedings) with a number of funny in-jokes and references – with many such moments, impressively enough, guaranteed to fly over the heads of younger viewers. The affable atmosphere persists even as the narrative proper slowly-but-surely begins to kick in, with Balda and Coffin’s perpetually irreverent sensibilities going a long way towards keeping things interesting (and entertaining). It’s clear, too, that the relatively short running time results in a general lack of lulls, while the typically larger-than-life finale, which is far from a surprise, fares better than one might’ve expected (ie it’s not overwhelming in the way manner such third acts tend to be). Minions‘ total lack of emotional resonance ultimately prevents it from becoming much more than an affable, family-friendly diversion, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, really, given the proliferation of elements designed to appeal to viewers of all ages.

*** out of ****