There is nothing Hollywood loves more than Hollywood. A story about filmmaking? They are sold. A movie about the magic of the movies? They can’t resist. A homage to the golden era? What possibly could be better. And now the infection has spread to the Minions franchise, a silly animated movie for kids that is colored for middle-aged cinephiles.
Those lucky seven people who have read my reviews for years know my general distaste for movies about movies. It’s not that every movie about Hollywood or old filmmakers or actors are a disaster; it’s that the people involved making such films seem to incorrectly believe that the rest of the world cares as much about the subject matter as they do.
Anyway… Minions & Monsters is a fun, silly kid’s movie that is more coherent and plot-driven than most of the other Minions movies. It’s also one where the people who will get the most out of it, oddly, are the ones who are going to pick up on the overt or subtle references to movies of old. I’ve seen a lot of movies in my 44 years and found several of the references amusing; I’m sure there were countless others that went over my head.
More importantly, Minions & Monsters is fast paced, entertaining, and full of life. Cute film references aside, the story is more inspired than your typical Minions movie: our lovable little yellow pills land themselves in vintage Hollywood, become stars during the silent film era, and then get sidelined when “talkies” take over and the world discovers they are actually shitty actors and can’t even speak coherent sentences. Naturally, their next step is to make their own movie–a monster movie–and to do so they summon dark demonic creatures from the depths of hell.
It goes exactly as you expect.
The Minions are as ridiculous as usual, but placing them in a plot involving movie making–despite my earlier rant–and monster summoning works surprisingly well. Director Pierre Coffin, who helmed the first three Despicable Me movies, maintains strong forward momentum, thrusting the Minions from one zany situation to the next. Unlike some other Minions movies, each situation feels more connected and cohesive, less a series of tiring vignettes than a fully realized film.
Minions & Monsters is an ode to Golden Age cinema, and for those who care, that’s a win. For everyone else, it’s simply a good cartoon, a worthy piece of entertainment the whole family can enjoy.
Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.