Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. Candy and Minions fit into that category. Both are good in small doses but when you get too much then you just end up with a tummy ache. In the Despicable Me films the yellow organisms known as Minions which speak an incomprehensible language made people young and old laugh with delight. They were cheeky and funny. A great combo. Now, like many other animated supporting acts, that they have their own show you realize quite quickly that they are better in small doses.
Despite the fact that there is plenty of classic rock music courtesy of The Kinks, The Who and The Beatles most adults watching this will want to jump out of their skin by the end of the ninety-one minutes run time of the film. Listening to the unintelligible dialogue of the Minions for an hour and a half is too much to ask for from any sane adult.
As for kids they will love it as the comedy found here comes fast and furious and in large doses. Those behind the film obviously are tuned into what makes kids laugh and go to that well time and time again. There is plenty of falling down, characters having heavy things fall on them and other infantile forms of slapstick comedy happening. This is basically a film of different skits or scenes being piled on top of one another without much respect given to story development. Meaning that nothing really happens in the film besides the aforementioned nonsense.
Another film in which paying to see it in 3D is a waste of money. The 3D makes everything rather murky and does not at all enhance the film.
Minions is a prequel to them appearing in the Despicable Me films – basically an origin story. The Minions, if you are not familiar with them they are googly-eyed, banana yellow things that are mostly shaped like pills, had a whole existence before they hooked up with Gru to become his henchmen. This is their story.
Basically they started as single cell yellow organisms and evolve. During the course of their existence they end up hooking up with some of the more despicable characters throughout history. They have served under such evil beings as T-Rex dinosaurs and Napoleon. Suddenly they find they have no one to serve and become rather depressed about the whole situation. One Minion named Kevin (all Minions are voiced by Pierre Coffin) along with his friends Stuart and Bob go out into the world with a plan to change things for their kind.
While looking for someone evil to follow they come upon a family called the Nelsons. They tag along with the Nelsons to Villain Con, a convention where all villains meet. There they meet up with a powerful female baddie named Scarlet Overkill (voiced by Sandra Bullock). It is a match made in heaven because it just so happens that world’s most powerful villain is looking for henchmen. By a fluke Bob (and by association all Minions) wins the contest to become her henchmen.
Back at Scarlet’s castle she gives the Minions (all come to join in the fun) their first assignment. They are to steal the crown of the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II (voiced by Jennifer Saunders). As they are fairly bumbling things don’t work out exactly as Scarlet hopes. In the end it turns out that a young Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) ends up as the Minions task master.
Special Features:
-Digital Copy
- Mini-Movies (1080p, Dolby Digital 5.1): Three shorts inspired by the Minions universe.
- CroMinion (425): Minions are left in charge of a prehistoric baby.
- Binky Nelson Unpacified (4:34): Binky tries to locate his missing pacifier a la Mission: Impossible.
Competition (3:47): A few minions go head to head against one another.
- Deleted Scene (1080p, 0:29): Me, Myself and Stuart.
- Around the World Interactive Map (1080p): Once you select different points on the map it reveals several video and photo features.
- Behind the Goggles — The Illumination Story of The Minions (1080p): Several featurettes are found within an interactive headquarters building. A couple of Easter eggs to be found her.An interactive “headquarters” building reveals various featurettes.
- Writers (3:38): Screenwriter Brian Lynch talks about the history of the Minions and answers some questions about them.
- The Boss’ Office (4:48): Illumination Founder and Producer Chris Meledandri looks back on the franchise.
- Art Dept. (3:32): Character Designer Eric Guillon, Art Director Oliver Adam, and Writer Brian Lynch talks about the evolution and design of the Minions.Guillon’s contributions are in French with English subtitles.
- Recording Studio (2:46): Composer Heitor Pereira, Producer Janet Healy, Illumination Founder and Producer Chris Meledandri, and Directors Kyle Balda and Pierre Coffin engage in a discussion about the music in the film.
- The Break Room: A fun collection of Minion bulletin board materials.
- Jingle Bells Minions Style (1080p, 1:52): Jingle Bells performed as only the Minions could.
- The Secret Life of Pets — Summer 2016 (1080p, 2:33): A preview for the upcoming movie.
