Directed by Kyle Balda, “Minions: The Rise of Gru” sees the minions once again doing all they can to help their villainous boss achieve his goals. This time around, that boss is an 11-year-old Gru.
“Minions: The Rise of Gru” is full of goofy jokes and wacky characters. Steve Carell is back voicing Gru and his portrayal of the young boy who just wants to be like his heroes tugs on the heartstrings. The minions, who are again voiced by Pierre Coffin, act as Gru’s support staff and the movie’s major source of comedy.
Many of the characters that first appeared in the original “Despicable Me” movie also return and give the audience a glimpse at what they were like before the events of that first film. Julie Andrews reprises her role as Gru’s mother, Marlena Gru, and Russell Brand is back as Dr. Nefario. There are also a few new, compelling characters, one of which is Wild Knuckles, voiced by Alan Arkin. Knuckles is one of Gru’s heroes in the film and acts as a role model, albeit a questionable one, to Carell’s character.
The plot of the movie itself moves rather quickly. The minions and Gru go on their adventure through 70s San Francisco meeting new people, learning kung-fu, and fighting super villains. All the different tracks through the plot are easy to follow and tied together with many silly jokes.
One of the film’s weaknesses is when it was released. The first Minions film was released in 2015 and “Despicable Me” was released in 2010. “Minions: the Rise of Gru” is supposed to move the franchise forward while showing the audience the backstory of Gru and his minions. With the large gap between this movie and the last, the same children that the first entry in the franchise appealed to are all grown up. The jokes that worked then do not work as well now. This makes the film overly silly and “slapsticky” at times. That can get tiresome quickly for the older audience.
“Minions: The Rise of Gru” is far from being a perfect movie, but children will undoubtedly enjoy it. It does a good job appealing to the audience it is initially made for. It hits that mark well, just like the other movies in the franchise did. The movie is fun, colorful and of course, goofy. The minions themselves keep the fun going throughout the whole hour and 27-minute runtime.
“Minions: The Rise of Gru” is an entertaining way to spend time with younger siblings, kids or even just a group of friends in the mood for a simple, lighthearted comedy. While it may get old or a bit annoying for adults, it has enough amusing moments to keep them interested and laughing.
