After the release of the fantastic Pixar film, Inside Out, the city finally gets to see Minions. The adorable yellow blobs of life that powered the two Despicable Me movies have been given a central role in this film. It was always bound to happen. Who wouldn’t want to milk something so popular? Minions, set up as a prequel to Despicable Me, begins by showing us some history: how minions have been serving the most tyrannical masters since the dawn of time, but are forced to live in a cave without a master because of the bad luck they bring.
But what is life for a minion without a master? And so, three minions from the tribe — Kevin, Bob and Stuart — set out on a journey to find themselves a suitably evil master to serve. And where do they go to find a master? The United States of America — the land of the free and home of the brave. Their mission is to attend the so-called ‘Villain-con’ in the hope of being recruited by the most dangerous villain, Scarlet Overkill.
The narrative derives its laughs from underscoring irony and silliness. While the Minions are trying find a suitable master, Bob gets crowned the King of England after failing to steal the Queen’s crown for Scarlet Overkill. The script itself feels overlong at times, seemingly elongated just to elicit silly laughs.
Scarlet Overkill’s character, which gets introduced with so much fanfare, could have been fleshed out. But the Minions make up with all their silliness. This is also the kind of film that is hard to watch if, by chance, you end up with an over-enthusiastic kid sitting next to you. Never mind though. You won’t be able to stop grinning yourself.
Minions
Genre: Animated comedy
Director: Pierre Coffin, Kyle Balda
Voice: Pierre Coffin, Sandra Bullock, Michael Keaton, Jon Hamm
Storyline: Minions set on a mission to find an evil master
