Yellow Chaos in Hollywood! Our META Review of Minions & Monsters

Everyone knows them: Whether as the loyal sidekicks of the supervillain Gru in "Despicable Me" or as the chaotic protagonists of their own movies – the Minions have long since become icons of animated cinema. With "Minions & Monsters," they're now returning to the big screen – and embarking on their most unusual adventure yet. But can these yellow fan favorites still captivate audiences after all these years? Here's what we and other critics think in KinoCheck's META Movie Review!

Here's what it's about

The world of the Minions is expanding: In the third film in the series, we once again travel back in time. "Minions & Monster" is set in 1920s Hollywood. This time, however, we're not following the familiar characters Kevin, Stuart, and Bob. Instead, the film centers on an entirely new group of Minions. So "Minions & Monsters" isn't a sequel or "Minions 3" – it's actually a spin-off or prequel.

But of course, the new Minions are also on the hunt for the next villain they can serve. Through a series of coincidences, they end up on a movie set—and throw director Max's (Christoph Waltz) shoot into complete disarray. The producers quickly recognize the Minions' potential: In no time at all, they take Hollywood by storm and rise to become celebrated movie stars.

Our protagonists, James, Henry, and Ed, have one dream above all else: they want to make their own monster movie! And what do you need for that? Of course: real monsters! They set out on a quest, summon monsters – and, once again, cause a whole lot of chaos!

What do you need to know before going to the movies?

It quickly becomes clear: You don't need to have seen any of the previous "Minions" movies. It's not just a movie with new characters – rather, right at the beginning, the "basic Minions concept" is introduced once again. The yellow fan favorites have been searching for the "Big Boss" since the dawn of time. They always seek out the nastiest villain to follow – this time in 1920s Hollywood.

A Fresh Approach

Many critics highlight the approach of "Minions & Monsters" as a major plus. The new "Minions" movie stands out with a refreshing setting that offers plenty of potential for gags. The way the Minions evolve into movie stars during Hollywood's silent film era is thoroughly entertaining and original. Film critic Max Borg from the Next Best Picture website calls "Minions & Monsters" the "most refreshing entry in the series." Variety critic Guy Lodge shares this view, describing it as the "creative high point of the franchise."

"[The film is] the strongest entry in the series so far: a Minions movie that, beyond the usual cheerful chaos, actually has a central theme and shows that these pill-shaped little devils work better as main characters than in the role of mere sidekicks."

The Minions in Hollywood

Thanks to its premise, "Minions & Monsters" is packed with movie references. Right from the start, the film presents the early days of cinema – reimagined by the Minions, which elicits plenty of laughs. Many critics highlight this approach, including Drew Taylor from TheWrap:

"It's a charming, colorfully animated love letter to Hollywood's golden age and a celebration of the cinematic experience."

In particular, the silent film classics of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin are referenced. In this way, director Pierre Coffin pays homage to these Hollywood legends. Coffin had already emphasized in the lead-up to the film that the Minions' humor was significantly influenced by the great silent film stars. After all, just like with Keaton or Chaplin, the yellow heroes' slapstick works even without dialogue.

The many references are, of course, particularly entertaining for movie fans. Anyone who loves Easter eggs and the great film classics is sure to enjoy "Minions & Monsters." There's really a lot to discover here.

Minions Humor: Same Old, Same Old?

While the setting is new, the film's tone remains the same: once again, farce, slapstick, and chaos take center stage. Many critics agree on this, including John Nugent from the entertainment magazine Empire:

"The overall tone remains as childlike as ever. Everything is silly, playful, and consistently devoted to nonsense."

So when it comes to Minions humor, it's business as usual. It all comes down to whether this kind of humor appeals to you. Because aside from the comedic interludes and numerous movie references, the film doesn't have much else to offer, as Nugent and several other critics point out.

"There's hardly any attempt to give the story more depth – the way Pixar might do it. Instead, it basically consists once again of just a series of contrived situations where the little guys can get up to chaotic mischief."

A good indicator of whether you'll like the humor is the trailer. Yves also highlights this on his YouTube channel, BelYves, where the film received a mixed reception:

"What you see is what you get. [...] If you watch the trailers and say, 'That's super funny,' then [the movie] is right up your alley."

The trailers already convey the film's tone pretty well – if they don't appeal to you, you'll probably have a hard time with "Minions & Monsters" as well.

Our take: The humor mostly works well when it comes to the movie references, especially when the Minions reenact famous movie scenes with their acting bits. But aside from that, the slapstick gets tiresome over the course of the film. It's just too often more of the same. Especially in the second half, it gets a bit much, and toward the end, it's less original than it was at the beginning.

Conclusion

The press reviews for "Minions & Monsters" are generally solid to positive. We think: Thanks to its original setting, the film has some standout moments. At the same time, the Minions' humor gets tiresome over the course of the film.

But it's best to see for yourself: "Minions & Monster" opens in theaters on July 1.