Minions, you either hate them or love them.
Depending on the amount of times you were exposed to them, they might come off as gratingly annoying or simply adorable. Sure, you might have found them cute when they made their big screen debut for the first time, but after their increasing popularity (which also means that they are everywhere now – billboard ads, flyers, and even in McDonald’s), you can’t deny that they can become a ‘lil bit irritating at times.
In case you’ve been living under a rock, allow me enlighten you on a brief history of the minions. The yellow pill-shaped creatures originated as the henchmen of Gru, a super-villain from the 2010 animated comedy film “Despicable Me“. They then appeared on the big screen again in 2013’s “Despicable Me 2“, but this time, the purple evil minions made an appearance for the first time ever. After their unexpected popularity, it was only a matter of time before the minions get their own standalone film. True enough, Illumination Entertainment made that happen when they announced the production of “Minions” in July 2012.
“Minions” is a spin-off/prequel to “Despicable Me” that tells the origin story of the minions. In the movie, it was revealed that minions exists on the face of Earth since the dawn of time. They were originally single-celled yellow organisms, who then evolved through the ages, perpetually serving the most despicable and evilest of masters. They served a wide range of masters – from T-Rex to Napoleon – but it wasn’t because they weren’t loyal. Instead, they found it hard to serve a single master for a long period of time as their clumsy nature and mischievous antics meant that their masters were frequently sacrificed (unluckily) because of the minions’ carelessness.
One last mishap in the 1800s caused the minions to be exiled to a very secluded cave in the vast snow hill of Antarctica. With no masters to serve, the minions decided to isolate themselves from the world and start their own civilisation. Everything went well at first, however, things eventually fell apart when the minions fell into a deep depression one by one as they have been robbed of their sole purpose in life – to serve the most wicked master of all.
But one minion named Kevin has a plan, and he – alongside teenage rebel Stuart and lovable little Bob – bade goodbye to their beloved clan and ventured out into the scary and unknown world to find a new evil boss for their brethren to follow. Embarking into the big and vicious world, Kevin, Stuart, and Bob found themselves fascinated and intimidated by the elements of the world. Luckily, they were not distracted for long, and were ultimately led to their next potential master, Scarlet Overkill (voiced by Sandra Bullock), the world’s first-ever female super-villain.
Tasked by Scarlet Overkill to steal the crown from Queen Elizabeth, with an ultimate quest to save all of Minionkind from annihilation, the 3 little minions will endear themselves to you throughout the movie. Honestly, I found them a ‘lil bit annoying at the beginning of the film, but at the end of the film, I found myself thinking that maybe the minions were not as insufferable as I thought they were.
However, the film is nothing to shout about. Sure, it was entertaining in its own unique way, with well-balanced jokes that weren’t too childish nor too mature, but there were times when I found myself yawning as some jokes appeared juvenile and unfunny. With a running time of 91 minutes, the movie wasn’t draggy, but halfway through the film, I found myself wishing that it would end faster as it wasn’t as spectacular as I expected it to be.
One thing to note, I found the relationship between Herb Overkill (voiced by Jon Hamm) and Scarlet Overkill to be interesting. You can know from their names that they are either related or married. If you guessed that they were married, then you guessed right. As Scarlet was portrayed as a strong women, one would expect her to go solo, so the appearance of Herb was a nice surprise. Don’t expect Herb to be a “damsel” in distress, as he’s an inventor by himself and can stand on his own feet. Though for whatever reason (maybe it’s true love?) he chose to stay by Scarlet’s side and aid her in her quest for the domination of England. Herb and Scarlet’s relationship isn’t one that’s based on fear, as none of them showed signs of being intimidated by the other half. It genuinely felt like it was a healthy relationship with respect on both sides, and their relationship was one of the more enjoyable aspects of the film.
I also liked Herb Overkill’s character as an individual. It helped that he was a genuinely fun and hilarious character, and his moments were amongst the best in the film.
If you’re expecting the minions to burst into their signature “Banana” song, then you’re in for a disappointment. However, the minions are still very in love with singing, as they’ll burst into songs when they’re overcome with emotions. So if you like dancing and singing minions, here’s a reason to go watch the film. There will be 2 surprises for you at the end of the film too, both of which will make you smile or laugh out loud.
All in all, let’s say that “Minions” is meant to be a enjoyable feel good film, one that allows you to zone out during the movie yet still follow the story line. No matter how average the movie turned out to be, I still think that it is worth a watch. If you aren’t a fan of the minions, hopefully it’ll change your perception of the minions (like it did with me – they went from annoying to cute). And if you are a fan of the minions, well, I guess nothing will be stopping you from watching it, eh?
Before I end this, here’s a fun fact for you: all the minions, including the 3 little heroes Kevin, Stuart and Bob, were voiced by Pierre Coffin, the director of all 3 minions films. For more mind-blowing fun facts about the minions, don’t forget to hit up this link! 😉
“Minions” was released on 18th June and is now available in cinemas nationwide.
