Film Review: “Minions: The Rise of Gru” (2022)
by Emily Nagle
“Minions: The Rise of Gru” is a departure from Illumination’s “Despicable Me” films. Instead of following the reformed supervillain and his family, it serves as a prequel, following the 2015 spinoff “Minions“. “The Rise of Gru” introduces us to young Gru (Steve Carell), whose ultimate dream is to become a supervillain. When he scores an audition for a spot in the Vicious 6, his favorite team of supervillains, Gru sees this as his big chance to make his fantasy a reality. However, the gang of baddies turns up their noses at him – how could a tiny kid who’s only 11 (and three quarters!) be villainous enough to join their squad? It is this moment that compels Gru – along with his newly hired Minions – to go on the run and prove himself to the Vicious 6.
One strength of the “Despicable Me” films has always been great soundtracks, and “Minions: The Rise of Gru” is no exception. Because it’s about Gru’s childhood, the film takes place in the 1970s, and features catchy tunes from that time period. There’s also several references to musicians from that era, which will probably be appreciated by parents whose kids dragged them to the theater.
The introduction of the Vicious 6 is admittedly fun, with each villain having their own distinct aesthetic. It would’ve been nice to see more of them in the film, especially since they’re voiced by some big stars, including Danny Trejo, Lucy Lawless, and Jean-Claude Van Damme. The characters with the most screen time in this film are, unsurprisingly, the Minions, who are…well, their usual goofy, banana-loving selves. Nothing new here. If you’re a diehard fan of these gibberish-speaking yellow creatures, then this movie is right up your alley. But other than their antics, not much else goes on in this movie.
“Minions: The Rise of Gru” has a short runtime of only 88 minutes. As a result, the story is chaotic and rushed, and that’s why we don’t really get to know any of these new, intriguing characters. Sure, we know Gru and the Minions, but that’s because we already met them 12 years ago. When the end credits started rolling, I was left confused, and thought to myself, “Wait…what just happened?” The story moves so fast that we’re not given enough time to get engrossed in it.
My final thoughts on this long-awaited summer flick? Unless you’re bananas for the Minions, you probably won’t be wowed by it. If you’re itching for some animated goofiness this summer, then you’ll get a kick out of “The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog“, available now on demand on Watch It KID!, or en español on ZAZ, exclusively on Galxy TV!