By Melissa Antoinette Garza
I really didn’t have much desire to see the prequel to the Despicable Me (2010) films. I never saw the original movie. I brought my nephew to see the second and was impressed. I didn’t think it was as good as Megamind (2010), but I certainly laughed out loud in more scenes than I was expecting to. That said, sitting through a film where the side characters were the main focus didn’t sound appealing.
I paid zero attention to the advertising and didn’t know what the plot was when I rented it. My 10 year old nephew and 5 year old niece however knew the back-story and had been waiting for months to see it. I happened to be babysitting them today so for $5,99, it was an easy decision and it kept them hooked for the full 90 minutes. It never lost their interest.
I wasn’t hanging on every word like they were, but it was enjoyable. For the record, Despicable Me 2 (2013) was better, but this did have quite a few funny moments and a whole bunch of great songs from the 60s and 70s.
The film opens with a narrator describing the history of Minions. Apparently they have been around prior to human-kind’s existence. Their only goal was to gleefully follow the worst society had to offer. Whether it was a killer dinosaur, a caveman, or Napoleon, they did their best trying to protect their boss, only to frequently be the cause of their demise.
Years go by and the Minions find shelter but are dissatisfied with the cold location and the lack of villains to assist. The Minions named Stuart, Bob and Kevin step up as heroes and go on a trip to find their next boss. They end up in New York City only to find out there is a conference where the worst of the worst will be present. The issue is that the Villain Conference is in Orlando Florida.
They end up hitchhiking and are picked up by an entire family of villains only on the surface they seem very nice. Though chased by the police, they befriend the Minions and wish them luck on their venture to find a new master.
Once there they see Scarlet Overkill who is looking for people to hire to assist her in stealing the crown. She holds in her hand a ruby and anyone who can steal it from her has the job. Everyone jumps on stage and by sheer luck the Minions win.
They attempt to steal the crown for Scarlet but when things go wrong, she locks them in a dungeon and turns her anger and hatred toward them. In the end, a familiar face shows up and the entire history of The Minions is revealed.
At the conclusion, both my niece and nephew loved the movie calling it “awesome” and “hilarious.” I wouldn’t go that far but I was happy to see the kids enjoy it and I did like hearing some old songs that have now been introduced to the next generation. Whether The Who, The Doors, or even The Turtles, it was great to hear some all-time great tunes. There were a few times that well-known songs like Hey Hey We’re the Monkees and Hair were sung in the language of The Minions, and even that was really cool.
The animation was topnotch and even certain segments that showed animation within animation were beautiful to watch. For example, in one scene Scarlet is telling the Minions a story and the film tones down the realism of the CGI which made it differentiate from reality in an intelligent and creative matter.
Sandra Bullock portrayed the villain Scarlet magnificently. There are roles I absolutely love Bullock in and then there are times I can’t stand her characters. I was never a fan of her comedies. Whether The Heat (2013) or the Miss Congeniality (2000) movies, I was bored out of my mind. That said her performance in Murder by Numbers (2002) and The Blind Side (2009) really explored her capability as an actress.
Oddly, the role of Scarlet does that as well. This is the first time that I found her character genuinely funny due to her delivery. This is definitely a movie children will love and that adults can find some enjoyment in as well. Michael Keaton and Jon Hamm are always treats and here is no exception. I wouldn’t necessarily suggest buying it unless your kids (or yourself) is attached to the Despicable Me series, but with or without kids, it’s definitely worth the rent.
Scared Stiff Rating: 6.5/10 (rating from an adult’s perspective)
