Minions: The Rise of Gru is a 2022 animated comedy from directors Kyle Balba and Brad Abelson, from a screenplay by Brian Lynch and Matthew Fogel, based on characters from Cinco Paul. In the same Despicable Me universe, the film is a direct sequel to the 2015 spin-off Minions.

In the heart of the 1970s, amid a flurry of feathered hair and flared jeans, Gru is growing up in the suburbs. A fanboy of a supervillain supergroup known as the Vicious 6, Gru hatches a plan to become evil enough to join them. Luckily, he gets some mayhem-making backup from his loyal followers, the Minions. Together, Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto--a new Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to please--deploy their skills as they and Gru build their first lair, experiment with their first weapons and pull off their first missions.

The cast includes Steve Carell as Gru, Pierre Coffin as the Minions, along with Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, RZA, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lucy Lawless, Dolph Lundgren, Danny Trejo, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, and Alan Arkin.

Minions: The Rise of Gru made it’s debut only in theaters on July 1st, courtesy of Illumination.

THE GOOD

I feel like the Despicable Me films have been around forever, which is sort of true considering the debut film released 12-years ago, almost to the day way back in July of 2010. With adorable animation and a stacked cast of voice actors lead by Steve Carell, success was inevitable. I loved the first film and even purchased the 3D Blu-ray when it came out. The oblivious little yellow weirdos known as minions quickly became a fan favorite, so it is no suprise that after the 2rd Despicable Me film released in 2013, they would turn back the clock and give us a glimpse of how these guys came to be with the 2015 film, Minions.

An origin story to try and explain how these guys became so obsessed with serving the ultimate super-villain, I personally enjoyed the first film and felt like it served as a great setup for the inevitable sequel. So now 7-years later we have Minions: The Rise of Gru which aims to real-acclimate audiences with Carell’s iconic character. Was it a great addition to this successful franchise or just another pointless sequel? Keep reading to find out!

I really enjoyed this movie! Minions: The Rise of Gru is simply a fun time at the movie theater for the entire family. When you are looking for an animated film that effectively appeals to adults and younger audiences alike, look no further! The animation is incredible as expected, the screenplay is a seamless continuation of the first Minions movie while also expanding on the Despicable Me films, the comedy is wholesome and aplenty, and everything is neatly tied in a hour and 30 minute package to help parents out. I was personally smiling from ear to ear the entire time, and my 3-year old literally never took his eyes off the screen which is probably why he was covered in honey mustard by the end of the movie.

I laughed out loud a ton, and at times even looked around to make sure I wasn’t the only one. I mean a minion thinking that going across country on a big wheel was a good idea is just comedy gold. It just felt like such a genuinely fun film that deserved to be made, and never for a second overstayed it’s welcome. We often complain about sequels but I felt like the origin story of Gru was necessary, and if anything it made me that much more of a fan of the Despicable Me films.

It should come as no real surprise that the voice acting in Minions: The Rise of Gru was fantastic. You have Steve Carell leading the way once again as Gru, and he is just so, sooooooo good with this character. Carell has the voice of Gru down to a science to the point where I bet he talks like Gru in his sleep. Pierre Coffin crushes it as the Minions yet again. One of these days I will understand what the heck those little guys are saying. Taraji P. Henson is a welcome addition as Belle Bottoms. Russell Brand, who was a favorite of mine in the first Despicable Me as Dr. Nefario makes his return and is a welcomed addition once again.

The great Michelle Yeoh is given a golden opportunity as Master Chow which she of course knocks out of the park. One of my favorite voice actors outside of Carell is without a doubt my guy Jean-Claude Van Damme as Jean-Clawed. I mean aside from the incredibly creative name, he is amazing in this. The ageless Alan Arkin is great as Wild Knuckles., Dolph Lundgren tears it up as Svengeance, and old Danny Trejo takes on and owns the role of Stronghold. Even the very small roles are voiced by some incredible comedic talent including Jimmy O. Yang, Lucy Lawless, Steve Coogan, RZA, Will Arnett, and Kevin Michael Richardson. I mean, is that a stacked cast of voice actors or what?! Just stellar from top to bottom.

I really liked all of the extra sort of fan service elements of the film as well, including a fun reference to the primary antagonist from the first Despicable Me film, as well as a fun shoutout to Sandra Bullock’s Scarlett Overkill character from the first Minions film. You could tell that the writing team was determined to get the most out of Minions: The Rise of Gru, and I felt like they did just that. Fans were given reason after reason to go back and re-watch the earlier films, and once you left the theater you still wanted more.

For me that is the sign of a truly effective sequel or prequel film, and everything just came together nicely. I won’t get too in-depth on the technical side of things mainly because people know what to expect when it comes to a Illumination film, but Minions: The Rise of Gru looks incredible. The animation is pure eye-candy, and they took full advantage of it with all of the awesome action sequences. I also really loved the music for the film from talented composer Heitor Pereira, who also did the music for last years 2021 Paw Patrol: The Movie (just don’t tell my son).

THE BAD

Minions: The Rise of Gru isn’t perfect, but the final product brings much more good to the table than it does bad. Feedback for the follow-up to the 2015 Minions film has been better for several reasons. First, an origin story tends to feel a little slow no matter what you do, and when you add in a bunch of main characters that just speak gibberish for an hour and a half, it can be easy to lose audiences. Luckily even though Minions: The Rise of Gru is technically an origin story, the foundation has already been set for the main character giving the writing team plenty to work with.

With that being said, even though the writing was a positive for the film, it was a bit limiting as they seemed to play it safe for the most part. I felt like we were missing that new character that jumped off the screen and could maybe have ignited another spin-off film. I also felt like we didn’t get as many action sequences as I was expecting, which is too bad considering how great the film looked. I do feel like they may have held back for what will likely be another film for the franchise. But beyond those minor complaints, Minions: The Rise of Gru did what I wanted to do which is why I was very pleased with the film.

THE VERDICT

An energetic and good-hearted sequel packed with laughs and the top-tier animation we’ve come to expect from the talented crew at Illumination, Minions: The Rise of Gru is a ton of fun and kept my 3-year old glued to the screen right up until the end credits. Summer movie season is about the big blockbusters first and foremost, but it is also about the films that we can take the miniature versions of ourselves to go see. This is the 4th film I have taken my son who turns 4 at the end of the year to see, and as someone who sees the majority of movies solo I can’t even begin to explain how much it means to be able to share the love of cinema with him. To say that I am a proud dad would be an understatement.

Parents crave kid-friendly flicks that clock in at an hour and a half give or take, and find a way to appeal to them while also keeping the kids locked in. Minions: The Rise of Gru gets the job done and then some, which is why I can in good conscience recommend that you pack the kids into the minivan and head to the theater. My son and I are looking forward to a second viewing, and hope they decide to do a follow-up film.