All you need to do is watch Minions & Monsters to see that Hollywood doesn’t have to have franchise malaise. As a critic and filmmaker, I firmly believe that original stories are necessary for a thriving film industry. They’re the lifeblood of the art form, and excessive focus on IP-mining and franchise building has contributed to the decline of collective passion for the movies. And yet…
When Minions spun off from the excellent Despicable Me franchise in 2015, it made sense. The little yellow henchmen are beloved and adorable, and a film explaining their species’ life outside the franchise was quite intuitive. It continued forward in 2022’s Minions: The Rise of Gru, overtly connecting the spinoff franchise to their Despicable Me leader, before completing the spinoff threequel in Minions & Monsters. Perhaps one shouldn’t have high hopes for the third entry in a trilogy spinning off a family-friendly animated film series, but Minions & Monsters takes wild swings, cementing a stellar sequel that’s bolder than it ought to be, and we’re all better for it.
Stalled Hollywood franchises take note, because Minions & Monsters is excellent.
Hollywood Dreams Make the Best Minions Movie Yet
As ever, we follow a tribe of minions in search of the biggest baddie to serve. Yet again they’re very serious about it… and nonetheless not so great. That seriousness cuts against the drives of the artistically-minded James (Pierre Coffin), which draws the ire of his fellow minions save for the ever-amused Henry (Pierre Coffin) and their level-headed friend Ed (Pierre Coffin). The friends eventually land in silent-film era Hollywood, where they meet director Max (Christoph Waltz), who encourages James to follow his little yellow dream. He wants to make a monster movie on a minion’s salary budget, so they conjure a real monster in Goomi (Trey Parker), and it was a pretty bad plan. Henry, James, Ed, alien robot Dort (Jesse Eisenberg), and friends need to save the world and make a good movie.
Pierre Coffin is hilarious as the totality of the Minions. He gives individual vibes to James and Henry, while each of the Minions are equal parts adorable and ludicrous. Christoph Waltz is a solid cast for classic director Max, with a warmth that befits the character, while Jesse Eisenberg’s Dort is a perfect would-be conqueror who falls in love with Earth’s coolest suffragette. Trey Parker’s Goomi is a flawlessly-delivered apocalyptic terror, tiny and adorable but not to be trifled with. It’s a solid cast, with everyone filling roles well.
Minions & Monsters Reveals Franchises Can Have Bold Choices, Too
All the Minions movies have big laughs and interesting set-ups, but Minions & Monsters’ pivot to silent film Hollywood establishes its best groundwork yet. The film is full of old-Hollywood in-jokes, like the Minions’ tribes roles in key silent comedy moments. Turns out they played major roles in Chaplin’s Modern Times gear gag, Keaton’s house-fall in Steamboat Bill Jr., and that dangerous clock hang in Safety Last! As the film continues into the sound era, these gags evolve in a hilarious way. They’re quick bits that add humor for classic film fans, but they work on their own merit and never stay too long. It’s brilliant.
The whole premise is also delightful: in a monster-movie heavy early Hollywood era, Minions accidentally conjure real beasts. It’s wildly charming, and a solid opening for great set pieces. Divergent plotlines aren’t always intuitively coherent, but they’re made to work in the end. The finale is fun and visually interesting, but it resolves entirely too quickly given the gravity of what occurs. There’s a bit of a surprise in the finale that solves some problems and creates some additional questions about what we’ve just seen, but overall it works. I still wonder why Minions pursue serving villains when they aren’t evil and continue to do good, but that’s neither here nor there.
Monsters & Minions is, as a whole, a stellar new entry in a franchise that’s finding fresh new stories. The old Hollywood pivot is well-used to celebrate classic cinema but work as a standalone, like a Babylon that’s as good as intended. The voice acting is charming, and Pierre Coffin brings a childlike silliness that makes it all work while the rest of the talented cast are great. It’s a fun world, an engaging and hilarious film, and a love-letter to classic cinema in one. It also shows that even with the third iteration of a spinoff franchise, you can still take risks, bring big ideas, and craft a great film. Stalled Hollywood franchises take note, because Minions & Monsters is excellent.
Minions & Monsters invades theaters July 1, 2026.
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