An Excellent Spin-Off of Despicable Me | Review of ‘Minions’
By: Cynthia Ayala
Minions starring Sandra Bullock & Pierre Coffin Universal Pictures
“One Minion named Kevin has a plan, and he—alongside teenage rebel Stuart and lovable little Bob—embarks upon a thrilling journey that ultimately leads them to their next potential master, Scarlet Overkill, the world’s first-ever female super-villain.”
–– Minions (2015) Synopsis, Fandango
Adorable, simply adorable. From Illumination Entertainment and Universal Studios, the companies that brought viewers Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2 comes a spin-off about the Minions before they came to Gru. In this film, viewers see where they came from and discover what their purpose is: to find the biggest baddest villain and serve them without question.
Minions takes viewers on a journey to the beginning of their journey to find the best villain out there. Kevin (voiced by Pierre Coffin) has a plan, and the trip takes them to Scarlet Overkill (voiced by Sandra Bullock).
This film was truly an adorable film that focuses on three minions that, for the most part, speak utter gibberish, created by a compilation of the romance languages. Yet by watching the movie, the audience is able to understand what the little guys are saying due to their reactions and body language. And the way the story progresses, the way the writer Brian Lynch wrote the film, bringing together the three minions and creating a tight family unit, reading between the lines and catching the few words that everyone understands, he has created a universal language that can be understood by all. This just goes to show that language can be universal and only translates so far and that real relationships and bonds are created by just being there for one another.
As for the story, the more it progressed, the more interesting it became, creating such an appropriate film for children to watch, and one adults will enjoy. These cute little minions have such a strong dynamic with one another and the well-written story has a strong central theme: family unity, just like with the Despicable Me films. Any person who is a fan of the Despicable Me films will enjoy this film because while it’s sillier than Despicable Me, it still has a strong emotional feeling behind it, the same heart that was in the Despicable Me films.
But a solid heartfelt story isn’t the only thing a good animated film needs, it also needs a strong cast behind it and Sandra Bullock was perfect for the great villain Scarlet Overkill. Her voice acting captured everything that was put on the screen, right down to her personality. She was perfect. If you watch this movie, all anyone will see is an evil animated Sandra Bullock. Her voice translated off the screen, creating a wonderful character for the audience to enjoy.
As for Pierre Coffin, as the voice actor for the Minions, he was brilliant. This man was able to speak gibberish while at the same time creating individual personalities for each of them. He was simply perfect for the job, and there’s nothing left to be said about that.
Minions is the perfect family film, completely appropriate, fun and full of laughs and heart. (★★ ½ (out of 4 ☆‘s) | B)
– Film Credits –
Directed by Pierre Coffin & Kyle Balda
Written by Brian Lynch
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton, Allison Janney, Pierre Coffin, Steve Coogan & Geoffrey Rush
