Minions Review

All hail King Bob!!

I've seen my fair share of blockbusters this year and I'm looking forward to re-watching most of them when they come out on blu-ray, but Minions is the first film this year that I'd be happy to pay to see again at the cinema.  Telling the tale of how the villainous but lovable Minions came to work for Gru, Minions is laugh out loud fun from its prehistoric start right through to its despicable end.

 

Sandra Bullock, clearly relishing the opportunity to play delightfully over the top evil, brings the star power as Scarlett Overkill (and there’s a whole host of big names filling out the rest of cast) but it’s the Minions themselves (voiced by co-Director Pierre Coffin) who are the real stars.  They were perfectly cast as loveable little rogues in the Despicable Me films but by focusing its story on the journey of Kevin, Stuart and Bob as they travel the world searching for a new evil master, Minions manages to give each of its three heroes a unique voice and makes you care for them as individuals instead of just as comic relief, no easy task when they speak only a few words of English!  Bob is definitely my favourite Minion.  Right from his over enthusiastic entrance (“Pick me!”) he’s almost too lovable to be a villain yet he ends up unintentionally conquering England!

 

The jokes are great for kids and adults alike and you won’t stop laughing from the moment the Minions sing the Universal theme at the start right through to the crazy dance party at the end of the credits (it’s well worth staying for).  Like all the best family movies it doesn’t play down to the kids, in fact there’s several little touches that are aimed squarely at the adults in the audience (like the poster claiming “Nixon – Finally a President You Can Trust” when they first arrive in New York) but mostly it’s good old fashioned slapstick entertainment that everyone can enjoy.  There’s even a nod to geek culture as the Minions attend Villain Con.  I must have been the only comic geek in the audience as no one else laughed at the reference to Comic Con’s infamous Hall H but I totally loved it!

 

Minions is a film that could very easily have been too much of a good thing but instead it leaves you wanting even more Minions!  I could quite happily have watched a whole film of the Minions seeking a new master a Villain Con alone, and another showing more of the reign of King Bob.  It was simply brilliant family fun and I can’t wait to see it again.