Minions & Monsters review: Charming adventure splits itself in half
‘Minions & Monsters’ finds the yellow fellows on two amusing quests, but doesn’t find the time to fully explore either.
‘Minions & Monsters’ finds the yellow fellows on two amusing quests, but doesn’t find the time to fully explore either.
In spite of not being at the centre of a movie, it’s not unusual for secondary characters to steal the show. They exhibit something that appeals to audiences, whether it’s personality, cuteness or some other attribute that draws in people. Once this attraction is recognized by studios, they generally attempt to capitalize on it in some way, such as merchandise, sequels or spin-offs. This was most notably the case with the Minions (followed closely by Agnes and her fluffy unicorn), which were instant hits and immediately available everywhere. Their latest appearance is in Despicable Me 3.
Sequels rarely compare to the original, but that doesn’t mean they’re not still enjoyable. Despicable Me introduced audiences to Gru (Steve Carell) and the Minions seven years ago, and they’ve experienced a lot of changes since then. After adopting three girls, Gru switched sides and started playing for the good guys — a transition that was more difficult on his yellow helpers than their boss. However, fighting the good fight is often a thankless job… and being bad is so much more fun. Thus, in Despicable Me 3, Gru has a choice to make.