(From IMDb.com)
The three little yellow dudes have a good sense of humor and all that, but I can’t say I’m in love with their sense of timing.
Minions drew a decent crowd for the Saturday matinee in the Regal Cinemas theater in Syracuse’s mega shopping, dining and entertainment complex Destiny USA. And the little ones exclaimed at the funniest parts alongside their parents or grands.
Sure, the trio of Kevin, Bob and Stuart had their share of antics that struck all generations as funny in this prequel to the pair of Despicable Me movies that launched Illumination into the animation game when Steve Carell was so popular as the voice of the first villain in 2010.
The way writer Brian Lynch and directors Kyle Balda and Pierre Coffin set it up was interesting at the start, too, going back in time to show how the horde of yellow pillies befriended the most evil animals and then men, messing things up in various points in history.
Yes, they could be Despicable, until caught in a frozen cave and more and more lethargic until Kevin devises ad plan to go forth and find the most evil villain for them to serve.
It’s 1969, and they end up in New York City, finding a ride to an evil convention with a bandit family …
They mumble in the cross between English, Spanish and Minion. They love Banana.
The 1969 music is great as they ride Sandra Bullock’s really mean Scarlet Overkill over to jolly old England and are strong-armed to fulfil her larcenous dream.
Hardy-har, some.
All the while, though, I’m thinking about all the kids around the world watching a silly cartoon movie based upon villains and evil. This while Pixar’s Inside Out, with its phenomenal run of bonding adults and little ones as an understandable, refreshing, entertaining and honest primere to how our emotions mingle and merge and form our personality up their in the old noggin’, is a month from smashing box office marks and still drawing big numbers.
The Minions are kind of cute, and sort of good-hearted. But still … The message is, what, exactly? Be nice while you’re working with the mean people? If that’s not it, the satire is too thick even for me.
Nah. Even Carell’s young Gru showing up as a youngster as a foreshadowing for more Minions to come at the close of this one didn’t do it for me.
Did you appreciate the two Despicable Me movies, and if so, why? Do you think it’s potentially bad for kids that these animated movies are about the Minions helping villains? Have you or will you go yourself or take any children to this franchise?
Mark Bialczak 
I love the Despicable Me and Minions movie 🙂 …… Bee doo bee doo!
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Funny one you are, Leyla. 🙂
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I have seen none of the Minions movies, Mark, even though I love the word “minions.” Aaron just came home from seeing “Inside Out”, which me and my minion Michael saw two weeks ago.
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Well, Ann, I don’t endorse ‘Minions’ for you and your minion MIchael, and I’m glad all three of you saw the inner workings of ‘Inside Out.’
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I’ll not be seeing this one, but I appreciate your review. These minions look like Twinkies to me. LOL! 😉
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They do look like Twinkies, Rachel. Good call! As is your decision to skip it. 😉
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Totally agree! We saw both Inside Out and The Minions, and Inside Out had a much better message!
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Yeah, kids can get much more from the Pixar plot. Thanks for pitching in here, Raphaela. I hope you are well over your side of the pond. ❤
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i haven’t seen any of them, but the grands seem enamored of the little guys. we’ll see how it goes )
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Beware the evil villains, Beth. I know, they’re funny, but they’re still mean and nasty, too.
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thank you for the heads -up )
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Lo and behold, after commenting on this post, the Boffin got off of work early and said, “Hey, let’s go see the Minions!” The Sprog had been asking, so being the good parents, we went. Well, we are in Mark’s camp.
I will say it had one thing going for it. Being an Anglo-American household, we truly enjoyed that they didn’t get much of London or English culture right. Being that the Minion creators are French, we know that they knew better than that, so those jokes were funny.
But that wasn’t enough to make up for the lack of Gru and the girls.
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Well, because you liked Gru and the girls from the Despicables, you owed it to The Sprog and yourselves to give No. 3 a try, Karen.
I’m glad the French/Anglo angle was good for the Boffin and you. And that you ended up in my camp overall. 🙂
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Yea, I’m not a fan. Before the movie came out I was annoyed by their presence in so many sites and memes. I thought to myself, what the what and WHY? Although I like the actors doing the voices, I won’t be a minion movie goer – NO PUEDO!
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Si, mi amiga! Muchas gracias.
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We’ll wait until it shows up on RedBox. I like the Minions, and I’m glad there’s no message–sometimes I just want to watch a movie that is silly, or has a lot of stuff exploding.
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It’s silly and stuff explodes, but I think there’s an ill message, Chuck, about helping evil people. I’d prefer no message to that.
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I haven’t seen these movies. But I’ve seen Inside Out twice and would see it again. So I think I’m ahead on the score. 🙂
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Way to go on that one, MBC!
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I’m not a minion fan. I can’t get past those grating voices!
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They are not easy on the ears, Amy.
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I’ve watched the part one of despicable me, and I found the three girls much more cuter than the minions! I find that they’re underrated in this whole franchise! The little girls are just adorable and funny! ❤
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There you go, Shooby Doo! I’ll have to watch it on cable. 🙂
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You haven’t watched it yet?
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Neither of the first two.
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Oooh, I love the minions and I cannot wait to see the movie! I’m pretty sure we all want to see it!
One of the funniest things I read about minions was when Hollie had that guest blogger and he said something along the lines of ‘why are all these minions spouting quotes on the internet? they don’t say anything profound, they just say banana!’ That cracked me up! I’m not sure if you read that post, but I lol’d!
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I read it, Joey. Adam was a great guest poster! He’s right about the Minions. They’re not too bright working for all the evil folks.
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Not too far. I was just having that thought the other day! I was picturing them with the Khmer Rouge.
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Pol Pot and the Minions…. I think that’s the next film…
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Hey Mark…. no one’s mentioning that if “throughout history they attached themselves to the greatest villains” than surely there were Minions pushing buttons at Auschwitz.
(Too far?)
Sorry… but you’re right.. rooting for the villains seems a little…. off.
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I agree with all of what you bring up, my friend.
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The MInions have replaced the Frozen girls (who replaced the Duck Dynasty dudes) as the licensed characters I can’t possibly miss at work because they are on EVERYTHING at Mecca. That includes this year’s Puffs back to school tissues, conveniently located at the front of my department (Yes, it’s back to school season, you know!). I may be forced to use my box cutter on those yellow, googly eyed blobs before the summer’s over…
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Woe is you, Bill. Ugh. Yes, I have been unable to miss that it’s back to school season already at Mecca and everywhere.
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It’s not as “early” as it used to be now that kids here go back in mid-August. But it must be depressing for kids who still don’t return until September…
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Yessir. And their parents. And the rest of us.
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My kids love the minions but, surprisingly, haven’t expressed overwhelming interest in actually going to the theater to see this one. Well, so much the better for me to save my money. I’m thinking it may pop up on Netflix sooner or later.
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I thought M would want to see this, but it turns out the minions are his least favorite thing from the DM franchise. Go figure. Guess it is Netflix-boredom weekend watching for us, eventually.
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I think M is really smart, J. 🙂
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I have not watched any of these movies so I don’t understand what these little minion things are. They seem to have quite a fan base both in adults and children. It’s quite curious.
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Yes, they are a curious bunch, S.D. Odd little pills.
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Those little yellow puppies are everywhere. The closest I will get is the one in the Happy Meal that I bought for a friend’s grandchild !! ☺ It was clear to see they would break out as a hit, not sure of the message, though !! ☺ I am looking forward to “Inside Out”, a very different emotional level. Thanks, Mark.
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Yes, Van, what does it mean that the cute is more important to mass marketing than the message? Just throwing it out for discussion. It doesn’t seem that many take the evil like I do. Thanks for pitching in, my friend.
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Was going to take my two today, but had too many other things to do. I watched the Despicable Me’s and I actually enjoyed them, especially the minions. Hmm. Maybe I’ll skip this one though, thanks for the review 🙂
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If you liked the Despicable Me’s, Vonita, you probably will like this one. I think they’re of the same cloth. I was spoiled by the goodness of Inside Out, I know it. That made this seem meaner.
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Oh gosh, I didn’t want to admit it out loud, but I watched Inside Out and it did my head in. It was one of those movies – is it over already? I think it was because of the two storie lines swopping from real life to inside the mind again. It received rave reviews so I know it is just me on this one! 🙂
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Everybody has different tastes, Vonita. 🙂
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Story lines* where’s my spelling gone?
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As someone who took her two grandsons to see “Inside Out,” the kids had fun at times but when the marbles of goodness got lost and the whole childhood favorite moments wiped out, I felt it was very bleak. Just butting in to tell you that many people, including a couple who sit near us at our local theater and request us to allow giggles and comments (they are in their 70’s and married 50 years) LOVED the Minions movie. The 1968 jokes, including Richard Nixon and the Beatles tickled them and the kids giggled and laughed. I had paid for 10 of us, my two children and one spouse, (4 adults) and 6 grandkids stuck between us in the back row of my small town theater. It was a riot! Sold out at 2 o’clock for the 5:15 pm show!
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Ah, thanks for sharing! I got lost when Joy got to the abstract town or wherever it was, I just wanted them to get back so it could be over already! 🙂
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Of course many people loved it, Robin. I’m glad you all did. It’s my job when wearing my critic’s hat to report of any misgivings, and I don’t like the evil and cruel messages for the young tykes who may be watching. And, yes, there were bleak times in Inside Out, as there are in real life. As always, you and I agree to disagree. 🙂
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Good morning Mark. I’m am one of few who do not like the Despicable Me movies. I’ve watched about an hour of each and find the characters not to my liking. The advertising for Minions is incredible – from McDonalds to ads in my e-mail – they are everywhere. I suspect more hours and money has gone into the advertising than went into the movie.
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Yes, Paul. It’s a blitz. I didn’t see the first two. This one, I don’t like the evil slant, obviously.
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