‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ review: Loud, non-stop silliness that brings back why this cartoon pairing worked in the first place [B-]

The biggest selling point in this franchise right from the start was the minions. They’re in large part why the Despicable Me series was so successful. Every kid’s favorite part of their meal is dessert, so why not give them just that? Its spin-off, 2015’s Minions, wasn’t a terrible movie, just an aggressively mediocre one. Most of all, it revealed that so much of the franchise’s charm actually comes from Gru (Steve Carell), and with him out of the picture, you can only go so far with the slapstick, high-pitched sugar rushes and the absurd love for bananas.

It’s been five years since we last saw these yellow Mighty Beanz on the big screen. And now we have a new one; another attempt to recapture that lightning in a bottle in the first Despicable Me, a movie I genuinely enjoyed back in 2010 and I still enjoy now. Minions: The Rise of Gru is predictably more of the same. It’s zany characters, wacky gadgets, loud noises throughout, and minions doing stupid things to each other. The difference this time is half of the storyline is once again dedicated to Gru, which automatically gives the minions less screen time and the movie better balance. Most importantly, the movie is actually very funny.

With Gru still a child in this movie, the script touches on ideas like idols and father figures. Gru may be a 12-year old, but he’s already dreaming of becoming a supervillain, as he looks up to a group of baddies called the Vicious 6, whose members feature some of the dumbest I-can’t-believe-they-went-there puns you’ll ever see like a lobster man hybrid called Jean Clawed (voiced by Jean-Claude Van Damme) and a nun who masters martial arts… who of course is called Nunchuck. It’s so absurd, you have to credit the movie for going there. The best part is we get this villain roll call seconds into the movie. 

Gru wants to be a new member of this group so badly, as he desperately wants to prove to the world that he’s capable of being the next supervillain. But after the Vicious 6 flat out reject him, Gru steals their precious stone of magical powers, sending him and the minions on a globe-trotting adventure of spy shenanigans.

Along the way, Minions: The Rise of Gru is full of 70s vibes, groovy song choices, and plenty of music or pop culture references that will keep the adults entertained. Meanwhile, children will get to learn about Tthe Carpenters’ “Goodbye to Love” via Phoebe Bridgers, Thundercat taking on The Steve Miller Band’s “Fly Like an Eagle,” Dee Dee Warwick by way of Weyes Blood on “You’re No Good”, and the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” performed by… well… the minions themselves. Win win, if you ask me.

Carell once again is hilarious with that strange but iconic Gru voice, and the cast this time includes some new voices like Alan Arkin as Wild Knuckles, Gru’s personal heroic villain, and Michelle Yeoh as Master Chow, who teaches the minions Kevin, Stuart, and Bob (all voiced by Pierre Coffin) kung fu. Maybe this was one of the Everything Everywhere All At Once universes Yeoh existed in?

Frankly, you’re not here for the plot. The plot is serviceable, with a couple too many tangents and a second act that drags, but it’s all enough to create a narrative thread that connects one gag to the other. Even the writers know, because they seem to be completely open about how contrived and convenient the plot points are. Did that minion just happen to land at the perfect spot to grab the object they were looking for? How did the minions get past security to board a plane? Why ask these kinds of questions? Just go with it. Just relax and have a laugh, this movie tells you. When done poorly, you end up with something overly obnoxious and cringeworthy, but Minions: The Rise of Gru is just innocent enough, just naive and harmless enough to win you over.

By the time the movie gets to its bombastic finale, you have to credit the writers for packing a ton of jokes and action and more jokes into its brisk 88-minute runtime. The joy of watching something like this is no different from waking up on a Saturday morning to watch your favorite cartoon on Cartoon Network.

We all know the minions are critic-proof. There’s really nothing we can say that will harm the success and cultural impact of these films. The formula Illumination has created here is one that is hard to get behind, but here I am as a critic who will respond by saying, “the least they can do is make their movie funny.”

Minions: The Rise of Gru is fortunately very funny. It’s constantly loud and always doing something to keep you entertained from start to finish. With devious supervillains, Gru hamming it up, a ton of 70s era imagery, and too many blink-and-you’ll-miss-it gags, this is thankfully a movie that is more delightful and less despicable.

Grade: B-

Universal Pictures will release Minions: The Rise of Gru only in theaters on July 1.