"MINIONS & MONSTERS" - MINI-REVIEW

The winner of the Who-Is-This-For award goes to the latest installment in the sublimely silly, endlessly profitable Minions franchise.

While I admire Illumination for attempting new narrative territory in a Gru-less adventure set in 1920s Hollywood, and while it is voiced by a fun and eclectic voice cast (director Pierre Coffin as the Minions, Jeff Bridges, Allison Janney, Trey Parker, Zoey Deutch, Bobby Moynihan, Phil LaMarr, a warm Christoph Waltz, and a hilarious Jesse Eisenberg), what brings it down is sluggish pacing (it feels like two or three movies mashed into one), an insidious mean streak, and quite frankly, a loss of innocence. Despite its PG rating, there are a few moments that parents may not be ready for their very young children to see/hear (this is the most violent Minions film, and there was one surprising overt use of PG-13-level profanity). 16 years on and maybe too big for their denim britches, perhaps the filmmakers want to retain its core audience with increasingly edgy humor… but while still remaining as juvenile as ever?

As a fan of this franchise, I was disappointed. Yes, it is something new and inventive and altogether ooky, but this “children’s movie” ultimately left a nihilistic taste in my mouth.

MINIONS & MONSTERS open in theaters everywhere Wednesday, July 1. For more reviews, please check out www.zachhammill.com/moviefriend

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Zach is a proud member of the Minnesota Film Critics Association (MNFCA). For more info about Zach, the organization, or to read other great reviews from other great Minnesota-based film critics, click here: www.mnfca.com