MINIONS & MONSTERS

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from director Pierre Coffin, Patrick Delage, Illumination, and Universal Pictures comes another adventure from our favorite MINIONS & MONSTERS.

Olivia (Allison Janney) is a tour guide taking a group of people through a film history museum. Talking about all the exhibits, they come to a statue of two famous Minions. No one in the crowd knew the story of Minions James and Henry. In their tribe of Minions, they go through time trying to find a villain to serve. James is a different kind of Minion who loves telling stories, much to the head Minion Dick's dismissal. On their hunt for a bad guy, James meets Henry and becomes best friends.

While on the hunt, the Minions find themselves in Hollywood, and James, along with best friend Harry, finds Tinseltown to their liking. Becoming friends with director Max (Christoph Waltz) after he realizes their potential, film execs Frank and Elwood (both played by Jeff Bridges) love their film silliness. The Minions are becoming globally famous, but that is short-lived once films go from silent to talkies. Back on the streets, fending for themselves, James has a moment of brilliance: it’s time for them to make a monster movie!

Minion Ed had taken a spell book through their travels, and James uses it to conjure up real-life monsters for their film. The first to show up is Cthulhu Goomi (Trey Parker), who knows exactly where to find monsters Phillip (Bobby Moynihan) and Howard (Phil LaMarr) to be a part of the film. James and Henry are excited, but there is one problem: Goomi has his own ideas about what monsters really want to do.

Pierre Coffin as the Minions had a full-time job in this film. This is probably the most the Minions have spoken. They are hilarious, funny, and it’s easy to pick out the Spanish words mixed in the gibberish. The craziness and chaos are what the Minions are famous for, and they won’t let viewers down.

Waltz as Max starts out crazed by the Minions. Once he sees the possibilities, he not only makes films with them, he befriends them. His voice is so cool with this character, I actually wish he were in it longer. Bridges' voice both Frank and Elwood, studio execs who know what they want in a film, and the Minions fit the bill.

Parker as Goomi is a mixture of cute and evil, as the smallest Cthulhu I’ve ever seen. But don’t let the size fool you. Parker's voice lends itself to the humor you’d expect and the evil that I’m sure he loved playing. Moynihan as Phillip and LaMarr as Howard are the two summoned monsters who follow along with Goomi’s plan but get lost in it all when Irene shows up.

Shout out to Allison Janney because I am the biggest fan of this lady. She made the narration so much fun.

Other cast include Jesse Eisenberg as Dort, Zoey Deutch as Debbie, and George Lucas as George Lucas.

Universal Pictures has just added an amazing film to their library and is making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available, from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer, please visit www.uphe.com.

The Minions first came to the screen in 2010 with DESPICABLE ME, and everyone who was anyone fell in love with the yellow gibberish-talking creatures. Their antics were childish, giggling at things we all giggle about, but they make it even better. My family not only loves the minions, but we also have them around the house for daily giggles and smiles.

With the holiday weekend coming up, and families looking for things to do, MINIONS & MONSTERS is time spent together. The film is brilliant, colorful, fun, has laughs for both adults and kids, and that adds to the fun. The film does have old movie references that the adults will enjoy, such as knowing who George Lucas is, but it doesn’t change the delight for children. Mixing that with the humor of the Minions, even if we can’t understand everything they say.

There is the usual slapstick humor, charm, and silly antics as we would expect. That being said, as much fun as I had, I missed Gru, Dr. Nefario, the girls, and the relationship with the Minions. But, there is fun at the beginning of the film and when the credits roll, so expect more giggles from memorable friends.

In the end – it’s an adventure all its own!