'Minions: The Rise of Gru' Review: Despicably Mid
PG: Action/violence and rude humor
Runtime: 1 Hr and 28 Minutes
Production Companies: Illumination
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Director: Kyle Balda
Writer: Matthew Fogel
Cast: Steve Carell, Pierre Coffin, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Alan Arkin
Release Date: July 1, 2022
In the 1970s, young Gru tries to join a group of supervillains called the Vicious 6 after they oust their leader -- the legendary fighter Wild Knuckles. When the interview turns disastrous, Gru and his Minions go on the run with the Vicious 6 hot on their tails. Luckily, he finds an unlikely source for guidance -- Wild Knuckles himself -- and soon discovers that even bad guys need a little help from their friends.
I have a weird love/hate relationship with Illumination. I loved them as a kid and slowly disliked nearly everything they’ve done as I got older. I remember when the first Despicable Me installment came out over a decade ago and my hyperactive 3D-obsessed 12-year-old ass adored it. It was the first Blu-ray I ever owned. The story was sweet, the humor often hit, the music Pharrell made was kino, and the Minions were fresh. Since then, those sentient corn pops with goggles have somehow become a cultural footprint in the medium of animation and film history. I’m astounded by how much money they rack up at the box office, as well as the longevity they’ve experienced for over a decade. I blame weird aunts on Facebook who shared those weird-ass Minion memes.
Whereas Minions was a structureless, unfocused cash grab masked as a prequel, Rise of Gru has a basis for its existence. Set in 1976, nearly a decade after the events of the predecessor––which Gru was also 11 years old in–– The Minions and Gru haven’t seen eye to eye in their relationship. Despite knowing all their names, he hasn’t necessarily warmed up due to their short attention spans. Their loyalty is A1, but their chaotic slapstick antics don’t progress his villainous attempts. To earn the respect of his favorite supervillain organization The Vicious Six, who just betrayed their leader Wild Knuckles, he steals a prized artifact from them. Because this movie is called “Minions,” Gru ends up getting kidnapped, causing a wild goose chase for the Minions to save him and the artifact that a brace-faced Minion named Otto trades for a pet rock.
This installment instantly captured the fun essence the Despicable Me franchise is best known for when little Gru is introduced. It serves as a better direct prequel than Minions. Watching young Gru cause mayhem by using a gas bomb to make an audience vacate a theater, or using a cheese whiz gun to skip people in line for ice cream (a sweet nod to the first movie’s opening) was entertaining. It really should’ve been titled “A Villain Named Little Gru.” It hits all the beats a standardized prequel movie does, showcasing how Gru met characters integral to his life while incorporating several deep-cut fan services for people who have followed the franchise since day one. It was nice to see the settings and characters from the first installment again. I thought Illumination forgot everything related to the first movie after they leaned into the spy angle with each following entry. Unlike the last few DM features, which were all forgettable, there is an attempt at worldbuilding here that I appreciated. It’s minimal, but at least it’s there.
Through the DM-related features he’s helmed, it's apparent that director Kyle Balda shines best when it comes to crafting stylish action sequences that balance humor and slapstick violence. During the breezy and energetic sequences there are some effective camera movements to emulate the ‘70s action movie flair. I loved when Michelle Yeoh’s Master Chow came into the picture, for the sequences of her kung fu fighting are amazingly stylish.
Everytime I felt like I should be harsh on these Minions, there was a sequence or two that ended up being moderately creative. I have a soft spot for airplane tomfoolery. The airplane sequence in Madagascar 2, Looney Tunes’ iconic “Falling Hare” short, and the “Gang Beats Boggs” episode of It’s Always Sunny all come to mind as crazy sequences occurring on airplanes. So, it’s no surprise that my biggest laughs came from Minions Kevin, Bob, and Stuart hijacking a plane to San Francisco, inadvertently becoming the blueprint for what was to become Spirit Airlines.
At this point, I can pluck any prior negative criticism from any given Illumination movie and apply it to Minions: The Rise of Gru. I’m not going to sugarcoat it: this is another cash grab. There’s a decent amount of effort in worldbuilding regarding everything surrounding Gru. When it’s centered on him, the potential for a good movie presents itself in spades. But this needs to be about Minions. Don’t you see the title? Don’t you see the green those yellow bastards produce? When Gru is out of the picture and it's up to Kevin, Bob, and Stuart to rescue him and Otto, who has rescued a stone, the movie says, “Screw it!” and presents a barrage of extensive slapstick gags stitched together. That's what I love about these Minions, man. I get older and they stay the same. Their slapstick is nothing new and only has sporadically effective comedy. This slapstick is for kids at the end of the day, and they’ll eat it up for 88 minutes. But for anyone who has dealt with five of these movies thus far, it’s clear that they aren’t getting any better.
Rise of Gru is marginally better than its predecessor because at least Gru is present throughout. Sadly, he’s at constant war with his henchmen for the spotlight and everyone’s arcs end up being underdeveloped. The latter half has Gru befriending his captor/favorite villain ever, Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin). While it’s sweet to see Gru have somewhat of a father figure, they don’t do enough with it to let their relationship feel earned. The same goes for the Minions enhancing their skills to be better sidekicks for their boss.
This is not the first time I’ve criticized an Illumination movie for failing to make any of its beats feel earned (Sing 2). It’s also not the first time I’ve criticized one for being an extensive collection of gags stitched together to make a movie (The Secret Life of Pets 2). I should not expect an animated masterpiece, but it’s become exhausting to see a studio persist in failing upward: riding the wave of mediocrity while printing endless cash.
While I’ve aged out of being the demographic for these movies and know kids will gladly eat them up, it’s alarming to recognize that this is a product of business rather than passion. The fact that this dropped two years after its initial release date for Universal to maximize their pockets, only to continue that same cycle for future Despicable Me titles fills me with nihilism towards what successful animation represents today. I can just imagine that at this rate, I’ll end up being in my 30s and recycling the same ol’ reviews of yore to express how derivative the eighth Despicable Me is, yet it’ll garner a billion dollars.
Though it warrants a reason to exist as a prequel to Despicable Me, Minions: The Rise of Gru is another entry that is chock-full of extensive gags and colorful action set pieces that will delight kids. It’s more entertaining than Lightyear but its quality is on the same level of mid that Illumination has kept coasting on for years now. Excuse me as I bring a sword and shield to the Illumination Super Mario movie. I’m not ready for it.
