Over six films that started with Despicable Me in 2010, I have had joy delivered to me each and every time one of these films made it way to any size screen I could watch it on. When the Minions got their own films, this made me even happier as those were just as good (and in some cases better) than the main series. Number seven is here with Minions and Monsters, and this is pure, unadulterated joy as well.
This one takes a bit from the first Minions film with more of their origin story, but it is told around the framework of a tour group at a Hollywood museum. When the group comes across the statue of Minions James and Henry, the tour guide (Allison Janney) tells the tale of how two dreamers amongst the ones searching for their “big boss” decided to make a film in 1920s Hollywood after a rise and fall of stardom working with director Max (Christoph Waltz). When they decide to make a monster movie, a book from a previous master helps them summon Goomi (Trey Parker) to be said monster, but is not what they expected. However, Goomi “knows a guy,” and things get crazy in a way that only the Minions know how to do.
The Easter Eggs come in from the get-go and don’t stop all the way through, which in this type of film is perfect. What really makes them work is the fact that there really is no mind paid to them, so if you don’t catch them it’s OK. Match that with a slew of homages to classic Hollywood films (even some of the music cues are Easter Eggs in themselves), and the laughs are in overload with this film.
There are a couple of points where I wondered if Minions and Monsters was a bit too front-heavy compared to what my expectations of the story were, but Pierre Coffin (who also co-directs and voices all of the Minions) and Bryan Lynch weave their script so that everything gets its proper time and still is able to stick the landing in a way that even Gru could be proud of.
I have often referred to the Minions as “The Three Stooges for a younger generation,” and this film really leans into that, which I am TOTALLY here for. No one is trying to re-invent the wheel here, nor do they need to. Minions and Monsters truly works with the simple formula that people of my generation grew up on when it comes to “cartoons” versus “animation,” and my hope is that films like this keep that spirit alive. This could really have worked as a series of shorts, but having them together just brings an experience that continues to bring me to my happy place.