Minions
Starring Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm
Directed by Pierre Coffin, Kyle Balda
It may be breaking box office records but the Minions can’t sustain an entire 90-minute film. Relegated to adorable comic relief in the Despicable Me movies, the pint-sized characters, who speak mainly in broken gibberish, wear out their welcome quite quickly in this tiresome origin story; kids will most likely love their manic antics, adults will be fighting their mounting annoyance.
Curiously, the plot begins at the dawn of time, when the gang starts out as single-celled organisms following the biggest, baddest predators around like a pack of opportunistic remoras. Some amiable time lapses ensue that depict them evolving and teaming up with the likes of T-Rex, Dracula and even Napoleon. But, after many eons, the bunch is left aimless without a master so a trio embarks on an adventure to find a new boss.
It’s not that Minions isn’t entertaining, the film is sometimes beautifully rendered, utilizes 3D technology effectively and does contain its fair share of clever gags. However, it’s hard to avoid cynicism when Brian Lynch’s overly familiar story makes it all seem like a cash grab.
The movie also strikes out in the vocal talent department. Sandra Bullock, Michael Keaton, Allison Janney, and Jon Hamm lend their voices to the escapade but can never elevate their thin characters beyond anything more than annoying cartoons. Bullock in particular, playing the film’s central villain, almost seems bored in her role as Scarlett Overkill. With so much depth in today’s animated flicks, Minions merely offers cheap and repetitive fodder.
