Despicable Me was a clever concept in
its decision to make a villain the protagonist, and it got away with this by
making the narrative about his inevitable redemption. Minions, the off-shoot prequel about the oddball lackeys that do
Gru’s bidding, succeeds in having their villainous tendencies (or admiration
for those who have them) because of their utter incompetence. In an opening
sequence which the rest of the film has a hard time following, we are given the
origin story of the Minions throughout all of history. While simultaneously
showing their propensity to follow the most despicable creature around, this
introduction allows for a series of amusing gags in their clumsy inability to
keep them alive.
Gags are what
the Minions do best, which is why they are particularly well suited for short
films (three of which are included in the special features of this release). At
the same time, this poses some difficulties for a feature film, especially when
the title creatures speak an incomprehensible collection of real languages and complete
gibberish. This is why the quick pace of the opening sequence works so well;
the gags can move much faster when the setting changes every few minutes, but
drags a bit more once we slow down into the film’s main plot.
Conveniently
leaving the Minions in Antarctica during any
modern conflicts, three of them set out on a mission in the 1960s to find a new
evil leader to follow. Kevin, Stuart, and Bob believe they have found their
future master when they discover Scarlet Overkill (voiced by Sandra Bullock) at
a villain expo. When it turns out they are wrong, she doubles as a villain for
them. Somehow this transitions them into the role of heroes, though it is
proved only temporary when the final scene alludes to their future
collaboration with Gru.
Minions works best when it is moving
fast and taking little seriously, which is a majority of the film. This may
wear on the parents over time, but is perfectly suited to keep the attention of
rambunctious younger viewers. And if the main feature isn’t enough, there are
also three more Minion mini movies (just a couple minutes each) capitalizing on
the wealth of material their origin story set them up with. These are exclusive
to the Blu-ray combo pack, along with an interactive map around the world and a
featurette about the origin of the Minions. The Blu-ray also includes a deleted
scene and the Minions singing Jingle Bells in their own unique way. The combo
pack also comes with four ways to watch the movie: 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD,
and Digital HD.
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7.5/10
Historical
Significance: 7/10
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