The film itself isn't all that inventive, either. Sort of newly injected lifeblood if this series is going to continue in any meaningful way. It's still funny, but it's also clear that there needs to be some Put in some new situations here but the end result is the same predictable outcome. Neither the dialect nor the antics have evolved all The Minions are the Minions and the schtick is growing stale they were cute and new and interesting a dozen yearsĪgo but now just seem like little more than familiar art on the digitally animated movie landscape. The Rise of Gru is as silly, mischievous, and mindless as fans expect from the franchise. Meanwhile, it's up to the minions to save the day.

Knuckles (voiced by Alan Arkin), who will stop at nothing to get it back. Now, he finds himself pursued by the 6 as well as one of its old members, At the interview, he's scoffed at for his age, but in someĬhaos to ensue he manages to get away with a valuable Zodiac Stone. When he receives an invitation to join the Vicious 6 - the biggest, baddest super villain squad around - he's over the moon.īut he believes he needs to head out on his own rather than allow the minions to join him. Of course, more zany hijinks and Minion chaos are included, but despite the timeline setting the film offers very little ofĭramatic interest, instead serving as a vehicle for more of the familiar shenanigans that have made the series a box office success over the years.Įleven-year-old Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) already fancies himself a villain, what with his minions at his side and all, but he wants to be a Several films, mini-movies, and countless tie-ins, toys,Īnd commercials later, the franchise is still going strong with Minions: The Rise of Gru, an origins story about Gru' rise to villainy as anġ1-year-old in the 1970s. This franchise has defined the animated franchise blockbuster since its debut in 2010 with Despicable Me. Just be running around yelling out 'cha-ching!' 'cha-ching!' 'cha-ching!' for 90 minutes, because that is exactly what they have been for IlluminationĪnd Universal: a veritable cash register. Rather than the Minions running around speaking their Spanish-gibberish hybrid dialect (that's what it sounds like to me, anyway), maybe they should

Reviewed by Martin Liebman, September 8, 2022

Instaling Minions: The Rise of Gru