Films for Breakfast

The Despicable Me and Minions franchise has reached a fascinating point in its cultural dominance where it feels both impossible for its popularity bubble to burst and as though there’s hardly anywhere left to take these characters. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy laughing at the Minions’ antics as much as anyone else, but these films haven’t felt particularly fresh since Despicable Me 2. Minions & Monsters, however, is easily the biggest departure the series has taken.

Virtually disconnected from the franchise’s main storyline, Minions & Monsters follows three Minions; Henry, Ed, and James – as they navigate 1920s Hollywood after breaking away from their larger pack, led by their leader, Dick. While the rest of the Minions continue their search for a new villain to serve, the trio find themselves crossing paths with iconic movie monsters, mythical creatures, and legendary Hollywood figures. Along the way, James pursues his dream of making it in Hollywood and becoming a storyteller.

If your first thought after reading the synopsis is, “Huh… that sounds like a lot more characterization than I’m used to from a Minions movie,” you’d be absolutely right – and that’s precisely why Minions & Monsters is easily the best film of the trilogy and stands alongside the original Despicable Me as one of the franchise’s strongest entries.

The film finds an unexpectedly endearing protagonist in James, who becomes a genuinely lovable driving force as he falls head over heels for cinema and dreams of becoming a storyteller. Naturally, the film is only as nuanced in its exploration of Hollywood as a Minions movie can be, but I was pleasantly surprised by how sincere its emotional core is. Asking the audience to invest in James’ passion for creating art could have felt silly, yet it ends up being genuinely touching.

What elevates the story even further is James’ relationship with his friends, Henry and Ed. Considering that most of the dialogue is spoken in “Minionese,” it’s surprisingly impressive how clearly the film communicates their hopes, dreams, and friendship. Their chemistry gives the film a warmth that feels refreshingly genuine and makes it far more emotionally engaging than I ever expected from one of these spin-offs.

As for the Hollywood side of the film, it’s unsurprisingly packed with affectionate homages to classic Hollywood cinema and the legendary stars of the era. I especially loved its riffs on the silent film period, Charlie Chaplin’s body of work, Buster Keaton, and one particularly hilarious Citizen Kane gag that completely caught me off guard. Better yet, many of these sequences are animated to emulate the aspect ratios and visual styles of the films they’re paying tribute to. The result is a series of parodies that are not only genuinely funny but also feel like a heartfelt celebration of the filmmakers’ love for cinema.

That said, as much as I appreciated the film’s cinephile sensibilities, Minions & Monsters wisely balances them with a concurrent storyline for audiences who may not catch, or care about, all of the references. Dick, the leader of the main Minion pack, sets out to find a new villain to serve and instead stumbles upon a seemingly hostile robot named Dort (Jesse Eisenberg), who dreams of taking over the world and is searching for loyal followers. I was surprised by how charming this storyline turned out to be. Once the film introduces Dort’s love interest, Debbie (Zoey Deutch), it blossoms into a surprisingly sweet romantic subplot filled with clever jokes and wonderfully playful character dynamics.

On the monster side of things, Trey Parker voices a little green creature named Goomi, who promises to help James create the ultimate authentic monster movie. Goomi is an absolute scene-stealer, and Parker’s vocal performance is consistently hilarious. He brings an infectious energy to the role, making Goomi the perfect comedic foil for the Minions. Beyond that, I loved how naturally the film weaves real monsters into a story about making fictional monster movies. It ends up feeling like another affectionate love letter – this time to classic creature features and monster mash films.

By the time the third act rolls around, the film becomes delightfully chaotic, and there were moments where it bordered on sensory overload. Even so, I was impressed by how effectively it brings all of its seemingly disparate storylines together. The action is energetic, the emotional payoff lands, and everything ultimately circles back to James’ journey in a way that feels satisfying and surprisingly heartfelt.

While Minions & Monsters is far from the best animated film of the year, it succeeds because of its enormous heart, charming new characters, and consistently clever gags. Its affection for classic Hollywood and monster movies shines through in nearly every scene, making it an absolute delight for film lovers without ever losing sight of what makes a Minions movie fun. As I said earlier, this is easily my favorite Minions film and, for my money, every bit as good as the original Despicable Me. It’s an absolute blast.