Directed by Pierre Coffin
By Sara
There’s something wonderfully appropriate about putting the Minions in the middle of old school Hollywood. With their love of chaos, oversized personalities and complete inability to behave themselves, they seem almost tailor made for the zaney world of silent movies and early animation. Minions & Monsters takes full advantage of that idea, sending James and Henry back to the dawn of filmmaking for an adventure that is as much a celebration of cinema as it is another round of Minion mayhem.
The story finds the two friends discovering that their wild imaginations could actually make them successful filmmakers. Their unlikely rise as silent screen stars, however, hits a major snag when talking pictures arrive. Rather than give up, they turn their attention to monster movies, creating Goomi, a tiny creature with a very big attitude. Voiced by Trey Parker, Goomi quickly becomes one of the film’s funniest additions and a considerable problem for his creators. Director and co-writer Pierre Coffin clearly understands that the Minions work best when they are allowed to run loose. The film draws heavily from the visual language of early cinema, with playful nods to the early pioneers. These touches give the movie an appealing period flavour without ever slowing things down for a history lesson.
Perhaps surprisingly, James and Henry also give the film a little more heart than expected. Although surrounded by hundreds of yellow, goggle-wearing troublemakers, the pair are given recognizable personalities and a genuine friendship. That relationship provides an emotional thread beneath all the mayhem. The voice cast adds plenty of star power. Along with Parker, the cast includes Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg, Christoph Waltz, Allison Janney, Zoey Deutch, Phil LaMarr and Bobby Moynihan. The star studded cast bring their own comic energy to the increasingly ridiculous proceedings. Still, it is the physical comedy that remains the movie’s greatest weapon.
The 4K Ultra HD presentation gives the animation an impressive upgrade. The 2160p picture is exceptionally clean and detailed, bringing out subtle textures, facial expressions and the elaborate production design. Colours are rich and vibrant, with the familiar Minion yellow looking particularly striking. Solid blacks and strong contrast also give the image plenty of depth. The English Dolby Atmos soundtrack is just as impressive, delivering John Powell’s energetic score, dialogue and effects across a broad, highly immersive soundstage.
Minions & Monsters doesn’t reinvent the Minions, nor does it need to. Instead, it puts them in an inspired new setting and lets their imagination, stupidity and boundless energy do the rest. The result is colourful, fast moving and genuinely funny, with enough affection for classic Hollywood and classic cartoons to give this latest adventure its own personality. Minions & Monsters is a wonderful family film the whole family will love, don’t mis it.
BONUS FEATURES
MINIONS TAKE ON HOLLYWOOD: A behind the scenes look at how the filmmakers and artists developed the movie’s 1920s Hollywood setting, including the story, casting, period research and animation. It also explores the introduction of the new Minion characters.
CASTING MINIONS & MONSTERS: A look at the voice cast, with the filmmakers discussing the actors chosen for the various characters and what each performer brought to the film.
HOLLYWOOD SOUND: Composer John Powell takes viewers into the recording process and discusses creating a score inspired by the sound and musical traditions of Hollywood’s golden age.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN IRENE BLOB MONSTER SLIME: A step-by-step slime-making feature hosted with slime influencer Snoopslimes, showing viewers how to create their own Irene-inspired blob monster.
MOVIE-MAKING MINIONS STYLE: A hands-on filmmaking feature that demonstrates how to create a Minions-style monster movie using drawings and flipbook animation, echoing some of the earliest techniques used in filmmaking.
HOW TO DRAW: Story head Nima Azarba demonstrates how to draw characters from the movie.
There are also additional promotional / featurette clips
