Minions: The Rise of Gru

Ever since they made their film debut back in 2010s Despicable Me, I’ve been a big Minions fan and have looked forward to every iteration with great anticipation and delight. In the follow-up to Minions, Minions: Rise of Gru set in the mid 70s a now 11 3/4-year-old Gru attempts to join the ultimate group of baddies, the Vicious 6, on his quest to become the worlds’ greatest supervillain. I couldn’t wait to be front and center for this latest adventure.

Even with the absence of Pharell Williams, Heitor Pereira goes it alone this outing, the soundtrack is once again bumping, pulls you in from the jump and has you bopping along the entire film.  Yes, plenty of smiles, seat dancing and singing along was done.  I don’t apologize and regret nothing. A note of caution, while not as catchy as say Happy, Diana Ross’ Turn Up the Sunshine encapsulates the 70s vibe perfectly and will get stuck in your head.  

Minions: Rise of Gru is chock-full of call backs, reference, and familiar characters that serve the film well.  Many new characters, save for Otto and Wild Knuckles, sadly get short shrift, consequently, don’t pack much of a punch.  Having the likes of Michelle Yeoh, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Lucy Lawless, Danny Trejo, and RZA is all well and good, but disappointments that they don’t figure more into the film.  With only an hour twenty-seven-minute runtime, fleshing out these characters for an additional 10 - 15 minutes would really strengthen the overall film.  It would also help tighten up the multiple subplots of the film into a more cohesive whole.

Overall, Minions: Rise of Gru is pretty much what’s to be expected from the franchise.  90 minutes of silly, fun that will get you out of the heat and entertain you.  There’s more nudity (yes, I said nudity) this time around and some of the action may be a tad intense for younger kids, but as long as you go in not expecting a heartfelt, life altering movie experience (Hello? It’s the Minions!) You will be entertained and will leave the theater (only after one small scene at the top of the end credits) with a smile on your face.  

Minions: Rise of Gru is a fun summer ride and gets a 7.5 from me.