When is enough enough? It is no secret that I have listed a number of film franchises that have run their course, thus my many Ice Age references. Granted, some have held up while a number of others have not, but one that is a favorite of my wife and mine is the series of Despicable Me/Minions movies. Being the seventh in the franchise, I was hoping this would be the exception to the rule.
This one is called Minions & Monsters and is directed by Pierre Coffin (who also voices Minions) and Patrick Delage, both of whom are no strangers to this series. With a voice cast that includes Allison Janney, Jeff Bridges, Bobby Moynihan, Jesse Eisenberg, and Christoph Waltz, a tour of a Hollywood museum leads to telling the tale of the Minions over a number of centuries winding up in Tinseltown in the 1920s. When three of them break off from the group to make a monster movie, they summon Goomi (Parker) to be the villain but get so much more than they bargain for.
The cinematography and animation quality is what can be expected from this franchise (and Illumination Entertainment). I specifically liked how the animation style changed depending on the time period that section of the story took place in, helping keep things from getting too confusing. The voice cast is full of A-List stars, and even those making their franchise debut do so very well with the standout being Waltz as the big studio director Max, who brings the Minions fame and fortune. The genius of these films is how even though the Minions speak their owns language, I was still able to understand what they were trying to say from commonly used foreign words that could keep me engaged.
The script itself is pretty good, making sure to keep intact the chaos that can be expected from (and by) the Minions with some great comedic moments. This one keeps the ninety-minute pocket intact, and that time frame was right for it. The thing that actually makes Minions and Monsters stand out from the other two is that this one focuses on the Minions versus other characters from the series. There is also a lot of moments that pay homage to classic Hollywood films as well as some great Easter Eggs done perfectly. I was a little worried about this film and if it has already run its course, but after screening this movie, I was happy with what ended up on the screen. If you love the franchise like I do, I think you will not be disappointed, so I will recommend it to be seen at a twilight showing in the theaters.