Minions and Monsters
Currently only in theaters
Runtime: 1 Hour 29 Minutes
Rated PG
In the golden age of 1920s Hollywood, a brand-new tribe of Minions (that’s right, not Gru’s crew) rises from obscurity to become the biggest stars of the silent screen. But when talking pictures revolutionize the movie industry, their fame vanishes overnight, leaving them forgotten by the very town that once adored them.
Refusing to let their dream die, an ambitious Minion named James joins forces with his loyal friends Henry and Ed (a Minion who is deaf and communicates through sign language) to create the greatest monster movie Hollywood has ever seen. But when they unleash an ancient spell from the forbidden grimoire of one of their former evil masters, fiction becomes terrifying reality. Monsters invade the world, chaos erupts across Tinseltown, and the unlikely trio must survive the very creatures they hoped would make them famous.
Themes:
Minions, monsters, moving pictures, audio, Hollwood, the occult, witchcraft, evil masters, writing, stories, creativity, villains, directing, beleiving in others, deception, aliens, destruction, votes for Women, the end of the world, slapstick humor, and bananas.
Language:
B*stard - 1
There is a minion that is a jerk named Dick. Characters say his name in a joking way.
There is minor name calling and the word poop is used.
Stuff to be aware of:
Alcohol - Characters are shown popping open champagne bottles, pouring glasses, and drinking champagne in multiple scenes. There is also a Prohibition joke in which police are briefly shown dumping alcohol into a sewer drain.
Gross - A character is shown sitting on a tall LEGO structure. As he sits, it disappears, implying that it went up his butt.
Scary - As the title suggests, there are monsters in this movie, but none of them are particularly frightening. In fact, most are played for laughs.
A mummy
A cyclops
A blob monster with tons of eyes named Irene
A boy monster that looks kind of like a shark and wears a grass skirt and coconut bra
An octopus-looking monster
A monster that looks like a baby Cthulhu.
A pink bunny smoke-looking monster that grows sharp teeth and shoots lasers out of its eyes.
Sexual - If you've seen the previous Minions movies, you know they tend to include a bit of juvenile sexual humor. Here's what I noticed:
A lady looks at a statue of Keanu Reeves and makes a purring sound.
In a sauna scene, a minion’s towel falls off, revealing his butt cheeks.
A minion in a movie is supposed to say, “Baby, give me your lips,” and he tries to kiss a woman.
A woman and a robot with a male voice go on multiple dates and almost kiss.
A large monster who is referred to as a boy and has a male-sounding voice wears a coconut bra and a grass skirt. His butt cheeks are shown off at one point, and his bra falls multiple times, revealing nothing. When his butt cheeks are revealed, a minion spanks him with a wooden board.
In a scene that takes place in a bathroom, an old man is seen in nothing but his boxers.
During the credits, there is a clip that shows a man naked, but only his side profile is seen. No private areas are seen.
A minion dressed as a clown strips off his clothes, revealing he is wearing a thing underneath. He gets beaten up off-screen, and when thrown back on screen his thong is gone, but floats into view and lands on his face.
Violence/Gore - There is plenty of slapstick comedy throughout the movie, but nothing I would consider especially violent or gory. Here are a few of the more intense moments:
A character is shot with a laser beam and turns into dust.
A pirate gets a fishing hook stuck in his nose and is pulled off the deck of his ship.
A woman is beheaded, but the scene is not graphic. This moment is also shown in the movie's trailer.
A group of men bully a robot and punch it. After punching the robot, one man’s hand bends backwards comically.
Other - There is a summoning ritual involving a book of dark magic. The scene has a witchcraft-like atmosphere, complete with candles and symbols drawn on the floor.
Overall:
Seeing It With Your Family
By now, if you're taking your family to see a Minions movie, you probably know exactly what you're signing up for. Expect plenty of slapstick comedy, butt jokes, over-the-top antics, and the kind of goofy, sometimes gross humor that feels straight out of a classic Looney Tunes cartoon. This installment, however, pushes the envelope a bit more than previous entries by including a curse word and repeatedly playing up a character's name, Dick, for laughs. The Minions films have always been a little rough around the edges when it comes to their humor, and this one continues that tradition.
What I Thought
I've always found the Despicable Me movies enjoyable enough, but the Minions spin-offs have often felt like obvious studio cash grabs. An excuse to capitalize on everyone's love for those little yellow Tic Tacs in goggles.
That said, I think this is the best Minions movie so far. It's not because of an especially inventive story, but because it doubles as a heartfelt tribute to the golden age of Hollywood. From silent films to classic sci-fi and old-school monster movies, the filmmakers clearly have a genuine affection for cinema's early years, and that passion shines through. The film creatively puts the minions into this world in a believable enough way that my daughter asked me if that is what the minions actually looked like during the black and white film age.
The plot is simple, predictable, and never tries to surprise the audience, but that's perfectly fine. This movie knows exactly who it's made for. Young children will likely be delighted by the nonstop slapstick, colorful characters, and energetic pacing, while adults (especially classic movie fans) may appreciate the countless nods to Hollywood's past.