Should you watch this in 3D? It’s not necessary.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? If you like the Minions.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Sure.
Secret ending? During the credits and after the credits.
Running time: 105 minutes (~1.75 hours)
“Minions” is an animated comedy that’s the third in the “Despicable Me” franchise. It serves as a prequel to the series, and tells the tale of how the eponymous Minions came to be. It features the voice talents of Pierre Coffin (Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and every Minion), Sandra Bullock (Scarlet Overkill), Jon Hamm (Herb Overkill), and Jennifer Saunders (Queen Elizabeth). It is rated PG.
“Minions” is the much anticipated spinoff from “Despicable Me” that everyone’s been waiting for. If you’re here to see the Minions and their crazy antics, this movie won’t disappoint. It starts off with an entire sequence of Minions and their evolution, before moving on into the story proper, which still contains a good amount of Minion hijinks. In fact, it is this remarkable trait of theirs which gets them into and out of trouble – and into their eventual employment under Gru.
Highlights
Adorable opening sequence
The movie opens with everything you need to know about Minions, tracing their history, previous employers, and the fate of each stint of work. It incorporates famous historical characters into it, with a Miniony twist of course, and is worth looking up on YouTube even if you aren’t keen to watch the whole film. It’s definitely a set piece that paid off well by setting the tone and characters of our protagonists. It even comes complete with a bemused narrator!
Villains are cute and varied
Not only do you get to see historical villains in the opening sequence, but the antagonists in the film also run the gamut of colourful, over the top characters. While they may not be characters of intense depth, they’re memorable and amusing enough to be interesting antagonists for the heroes.
The sheer number and variety of Minions
You’ve probably noticed that no two Minions are the same, and the movie delivers on what its title states – Minions. They’re all constantly moving and getting into their own little pockets of trouble, so if you get the DVD you’d probably be rewatching it just to keep track of all the individual Minion sequences.
Kevin’s surprising show of emotions
Despite them being flat characters, late in the movie, you do discover that Kevin possesses a touching amount of emotion for his kin. It humanises them beyond mere comic elements, and is a subtle touch that gives more character to our protagonits.
Letdowns
Scarlet Overkill is a disappointment
Despite being billed as the greatest supervillain ever, Scarlet Overkill is a terrible letdown. She’s not formidable nor is she a threat, and her ambitions are ridiculous, even for an animated film. She’s more of a plot device than a character, and completely falls flat of the expectations set in her introduction. It’s a pity, because she had so much potential to be a far more fabulous villain.
The Minions’ inability to speak gets grating
While the indecipherable yammering of the Minions is cute at first, it descends into repetitive tedium because you don’t understand anything they’re trying to convey. They do manage to eke out single words later on, but this is one running gag that gets real stale, real fast.
“Minions” falls more into the category of chick flick than children’s film, what with its emphasis on cuteness above humour. Still, it’s fun to see what the Minions were up to before Gru, and if you’re a Minions fan, then this show will more than satisfy the fan in you.
“Minions” opens in cinemas 18 June, 2015 (Thursday).
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