If you’re reading this, you’re probably too old for Minions. That’s the sad reality of the spin-off from the Despicable Me franchise. The banana-loving Minions have been granted centre stage for a film – a prequel in fact – of their own, and the result is far more kids-only than either of those featuring Gru.
There is always a danger in giving a film over entirely to your clown characters. Be it Scrat in the Ice Age series, the Aliens in Toy Story or the penguins in Madagascar, minor characters designed for comic relief are often, by design, one-dimensional in nature. They are loved because they provide an escape from the pathos of the main plot, but that doesn’t mean we want them to have a plot of their own.
Nonetheless that is exactly what we get with Minions. An origin story for the race of lovable yellow evil-doers, then an adventure for three of them that sees ‘em crossing continents, interacting with humans both good and evil and generally running the show.
And really, that’s the problem. Clowns don’t run the circus. Minions don’t run the show. It’s right there in the name.
Younger kids will love Minions. It has all the madcap slapstick action that has made the canary-coloured critters so popular. It has pace and pizazz. And it has a regular use of the word “BA-NA-NA!”
There are also jokes in there for adults, but they are the most obvious, cheapest gags. This is a film that knows its key audience is the same height as its key characters.
It was always easy to say the best thing about the Despicable Me films was the minions. After this, many may reconsider just how vital Gru really was.
‘Minions’ Movie Times | ‘Minions 3D’ Movie Times
