“Minions” is a blast. It features a lot of pranks and skits, and the minions will, at times, have you splitting your sides. It is not a perfect movie, though. The Academy Award-winning actress Sandra Bullock plays the main villain (named Scarlet), and through no fault of her own, the evil Scarlet is really not funny, just mean, nasty and shrewd. In a scene near the end of the film, a young Gru (Steve Carell) steals the show when he interacts with the minions. Still, the film has enough cute chatter in the minions’ native and distinct language that it balances out the unfunny parts. In the scene with Gru, the minions make Gru’s mother look silly in a picture, adding funny features to her and, when Gru adds to the picture, his mother walks into the room. The minions all point to Gru as the lone culprit. It’s funny stuff. So, “Minions” has its moments.
As with the usual minion fare, the movie has a lot of slapstick and physical fantasy violence, with the minions slapping each other or causing accidents, like when they push a dinosaur over a cliff into a lava pit. It is all in good fun and no children in the audience seemed frightened. Parents should note that one minion, apparently female, puts on a bra, and another minion wears a thong, which is really played up for laughs with its little, yellow rear end. The three main characters — Kevin, Stu and Bob — each have their own identifying features: one has one eye, another one has two eyes, and the third one has two different-colored eyes.
“Minions” is a movie that families will enjoy. The minions, childlike and innocent at times, provide several laughs and some adorable moments. We are awarding the movie our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal for all ages, with a note that parents should consult our content listing in order to make their own informed choices. Kids love these mustard-colored minions, and so do a lot of us adults.
