Follows the Minions in 1920s Hollywood as they search for frightening creatures for their monster movie, partner with a green creature, and must save the planet after unleashing monsters.
The latest MINIONS movie has a new cast of characters, following James, Henry, and Ed. They are all outcasts of their Minion tribe. James especially does not fit in, as he is often dreaming and thinking of different stories. Henry finds that endearing and is very supportive of his best friend. Meanwhile, Ed is hard of hearing, so he has trouble communicating with his fellow minions. These three minions end up developing the Minonese version of sign language.
James and/or Henry usually end up accidentally killing the villain the Minions work for, which forces them to start over and find a new master to serve. They end up in La La Land one day, though, and the Minions end up being a hit for their slapstick comedy in the movie industry. However, once sound is introduced in films, the Minions can no longer act, as their language is gibberish, which ends up ruining the movie.
If you are a cinephile or a lover of film history, there are various references ranging from famous scenes from the silent era to “Citizen Kane” to “E.T.” It’s a fun wink to the film industry. It was actually what intrigued me about checking out this film.
Rounding out the voice cast is Jeff Bridges, who plays studio chiefs named The Bright Brothers. Christoph Waltz voices Max, a director and mentor to James. Jesse Eisenberg as Dort, a robot who wants to take over the world, harkening to the film “The Day the Earth Stood Still.” And Zoey Deutch, who voices his love interest, Debbie, who is a suffragette.
Where I think the film starts to fall flat is when the monsters are integrated into the story. James ends up having a great idea for a monster movie, but has to start from scratch as all the minions have been booted from Hollywood productions. He, Henry, and Ed summon a monster that is not exactly as pictured. The monster named Goomi then rounds up more monsters. They all pretend that they want to star in James’ movie but hatch a secret plan to destroy the world.
The Minions, with the help of Dort, end up stopping the monsters and saving the world. The best part, though, is that Ed captured everything on film, so James’s monster movie got made and was a hit. Dort was another subplot that could have been fleshed out better. It’s definitely the C plot of this movie.
Overall, though, I had a fine time at “Minions & Monsters.” As a film fan, I enjoyed all the movie references. It made me chuckle from time to time, but I’m definitely not the typical age demographic for this film. However, I still think the kids will enjoy it if you need a movie to take them to this summer.
In Theaters Wednesday, July 1st
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