Movie Review: Minions

Minions. Minions Everywhere.

Minions (2015): Minions Stuart, Kevin and Bob are recruited by Scarlet Overkill, a super-villain who, alongside her inventor husband Herb, hatches a plot to take over the world.

So. Many. Minions. It should be noted that in a film like this, it doesn't really matter what I say. I haven't "rushed" to get this review out because if you like the minions you're going to see this film regardless of what I say. But if you're here, you might be wondering what I thought about this film. So I'll tell you! WHOA. So I had more fun that I was expecting with this film, however, this is not saying much. I had very low expectations going into it, so it wasn't difficult to pleasantly surprise me. Keep in mind, though, that this is a kids film. There are very few jokes for the older audience here. Least far fewer than there should be in a kids film that's made well over $100 million in its first weekend. Illumination Entertainment should take some lessons from Pixar of how to keep adults really entertained in a children's movie. It can be done I assure you.

Look. It's very hard to get past the fact that this film and this franchise is a cash cow for Universal. From a technical standpoint, this film is very lazy. The franchise hasn't really advanced technically since the first film in 2010, and now the animation is starting to look dated. But does it matter? No. The story is....predictable. I mean I never once would buy that any of these characters would adopt the minions, much less actually think they could do any of the things they did. But does it matter? No.The voice acting was lackluster. You could tell the actors were going for charm more than anything else, but Hamm and Bullock did a nice job as the two main characters. However, everyone else was extremely forgettable. But does it matter? No.

The only thing this film had to offer was an exceptional soundtrack. Not just that, but this is clearly where most of the production budget went. Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, and even The Beatles all show up in this film. I'm still on the outside looking in on this sort of thing, but even I know that it takes a ridiculous amount of money to feature a Beatles song in your film. For once, though, I wish that money had gone to creating a better story or better animation than expensive music that would play in establishing shots for a new location or something.The soundtrack, as great as it was, didn't add to the overall experience at all. It was recognizable music simply for recognizability's sake.

At the end of the day this film is.....fine. Neither good nor bad. Just average. I laughed a few times throughout the 104 minute film, and found myself smiling at others, but I couldn't get past the fact that this film is around just to be a cash cow.The technical deficiencies and forgettable voice acting didn't help its case, either. Basically....if you're gonna feed the cash cow, what I say doesn't matter. If you actually are skeptical about this film....just Redbox it.

The Critique: The definition of a cash cow. While somewhat enjoyable, Minions brings fans of the franchise exactly what they want to see and nothing more.

The Recommendation: If you want to see it, you've already seen it. If you haven't, don't bother until it's on Netflix or Redbox.

Rewatchability: Low

The Verdict: 5/10 Average


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