minions the rise of gru christian movie review

Minions: The Rise of Gru

Reviewed by: Eric Tiansay CONTRIBUTOR

What is SIN AND WICKEDNESS? Answer

T he fifth film in the “Despicable Me” franchise has gone retro and it’s far out, funky and groovy.

Set in the heart of the 1970s, amidst a flurry of feathered hair and flared jeans, “Minions: The Rise of Gru” tells the origin story of 12-year-old's Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) dream to become the world's greatest supervillain.

A sequel to “Minions,” which was a prequel to the first two films in the series, the animated movie provides fans more of what they’ve seen, specifically Gru acting nefarious, the lovable Minions acting silly, and lots of clever quips and gags that will go over young audiences’ heads but amuse grown ups.

Laugh out loud funny, The Rise of Gru is an entertaining and feel-good (albeit mindless) summer blockbuster that is mostly family-friendly. It’s certainly much more enjoyable than Pixar’s Lightyear!

The Illumination Studios movie, which features colorful, top-notch animation, espouses themes of sticking together, not giving up, loving others and discovering a family. Like the other titles in the franchise, the film features plenty of bathroom humor, including fart guns and limited views of buttocks nudity in scenes of comedy.

Also, small children may be scared by the supervillains who become scarier toward the film’s end. Additionally, Catholics may take offense with a nun character with nunchuks who is portrayed as a villain.

Speaking of which, Gru is a fanboy of a supervillain supergroup known as the Vicious 6--Wild Knuckles ( Alan Arkin ), Belle Bottom ( Taraji P. Henson ), Jean Clawed ( Jean-Claude Van Damme ), Svengeance ( Dolph Lundgren ), Nunchuk ( Lucy Lawless ) and Stronghold ( Danny Trejo ).

Gru hatches a plan to become evil enough to join them. Fortunately, he gets some mayhem-making back-up from his loyal followers, the Minions. Together, Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto--a new Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to please—deploy their skills as they and Gru build their first lair, experiment with their first weapons, and pull off their first missions.

So when the Vicious 6 oust their leader, legendary fighter Wild Knuckles, Gru interviews to become their newest member. It doesn't go well (to say the least), and only gets worse after Gru outsmarts them and suddenly finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil.

On the run, Gru will turn to an unlikely source for guidance, Wild Knuckles, and discover that even bad guys need a little help from their friends. Meanwhile, the Minions receive some kung fu lessons from unassuming acupuncturist Master Chow (Michelle Yeoh).

Part of what “The Rise of Gru” makes a fun movie is its lively soundtrack, including classic '70s hits such as “Like an Eagle,” “Dance to the Music,” ”Black Magic Woman,” “You’re No Good” and “Funkytown.”

“The Rise of Gru” is another example of Hollywood’s penchant for milking a cash cow movie series. But unlike some other franchises (I’m calling you out, “Fast and Furious”), the “Despicable Me” films are amusing and believable.

The “Despicable Me” franchise—“Despicable Me” (2010). “Despicable Me 2” (2013), “Minions” (2015) and “Despicable Me 3” (2017)—have grossed more than $3.7 billion globally.

“The Rise of Gru,” which has garnered a 92 percent audience score and 69 percent critics grade on Rotten Tomatoes, is expected to illuminate the July 4 weekend box office with a $70 million debut. The film reportedly has an $85 million budget.

Featuring no deep meaning or higher message, “The Rise of Gru” is a simple carefree movie that presents another feel-good dose of bad behavior , which likely will be despicably welcomed by some audiences.

Content Watch: “The Rise of Gru” is rated PG for some action/violence and rude humor. There are frequent burps and fart jokes, but no profanity. Nunchuk shouts Hallelujah, but not as a praise to God. The movie’s plot device, the Zodiac Stone, has some type of special powers that is not fully explained. A character does yoga and there are New Age references, including a guru. There are comedic sequences of physical combat and slapstick violence, involving kicks and punches which are shown in slow-motion but without any injury detail. Villains magically transform into monsters who attack protagonists. A character is tied to the hands of a clock, which causes him to stretch alarmingly, but he is rescued before actual damage occurs.

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers .

PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.

Minions: The Rise of Gru (Christian Movie Review)

Verdict: A noisy and disjoined film that offers some funny isolated gags, but very little substance or heart.   

About The Movie

Illumination Studios is back, sparking an important debate: are the minions funny or just annoying?

While it often feels like the gibbering yellow marshmallows are everywhere in culture, it’s been 5 years since they last scampered onto a movie screen. Yet, nothing has really changed. As with the original spinoff, Minions (2015), The Rise of Gru is cinematic cotton candy. There is nothing of nutritional value to be found. The movie offers a quick sugar high.

Let’s start with the positives. As expected, there are some hilarious moments. In an era in which animated films often strive for emotional storytelling and explore mature themes, the Minions maintain the spirit of classic cartoons like the Loony Tunes . I watched the movie with my 7-year-old twin boys, and they laughed throughout.  

Unfortunately, the problem is that there isn’t much else of value. The zany humor that works well in small doses in the Despicable Me films becomes tiresome when stretched into a feature-length movie. Like an overindulgence of sugar, eventually it stops being enjoyable and just leaves you with a headache. It seems that the filmmakers had a collection of ideas for crazy Minion hijinks and then pieced them together with the thinnest of narrative threads. As a result, The Rise of Gru unfolds more like a series of disconnected gags or SNL sketches rather than as a unified story.

Also noticeably missing is the touching relationship between Gru and his three adopted daughters that provided the heart of the Despicable Me movies. There are attempts to fill that emotional void, such as through the storyline of Gru bonding with a grandfatherly supervillain he grew up idolizing or his growing parental relationship with the minions. But the barrage of gags doesn’t give these moments room to breathe.

I didn’t dislike Minions: Rise of Gru . It was exactly the type of movie I expected it to be. I’m just not sure I enjoyed it all that much. My kids laughed while watching it, but they were already talking about other things by the time we left the movie theatre’s parking lot. Overall, while good for some laughs, it felt uninspired. The minions themselves may be indestructible, immortal creatures, but I think their charm is reaching the end of the road.     

For Consideration

Profanity: None, although there are several utterances of “what the heck” and a few other rude words (“stupid,” “idiot,” etc.).

Violence: None.

Sexuality: None.

Other: The movie contains several elements that some Christian parents may find offensive, although the film does not necessarily present them in an offensive way. Two hippy characters (the film is set in 1976) are shown doing strange and almost psychedelic yoga (they’re making weird grunts and sounds), and it’s implied that one smells strongly of marijuana. The story also revolves around the mystical “Zodiac Stone” that can turn anyone into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac (you see the spirits of the animals come out of the stone and into the characters, though it’s not depicted as demonic possession or anything spiritual). Lastly, a kung-fu master teaches characters to “find your inner beast,” which inflames their eyes and allows them to unleash their rage on their enemies and use mystical kung-fu powers (sending blasts of wind, etc.). It is clearly presented as a classic martial art trope, not as anything spiritual or demonic, but it is something for parents to consider (you can get an idea of it by watching the movie’s trailers). Lastly, one of the villains is named Nun-chuck and, as expected, she is nun who uses nunchucks. I personally found the character mildly amusing and harmless, but some Christian viewers might find the character blasphemous or offensive.   

Engage The Film

Living life in a community.

The Rise of Gru isn’t a deep movie, and there is very little going on “beneath the surface.” That’s not necessarily a bad thing (it’s okay for movies simply to entertain rather than explore deeper themes), but it also means there isn’t a whole lot for Christians to engage with.

Amidst the zany Minion shenanigans, there is a wholesome message. The story highlights the importance of community and doing life together (even if that life involves being a despicable supervillain). The Minions are trying to establish a life with Gru after their nomadic existence in Minions (2015). Gru is striving to find his place in the world of supervillains, first by trying to join the famous Vicious 6 and then by embracing his own crew with the minions. Gru summarizes the theme at the end of the film: “He taught me what really matters. You can’t do anything alone. Find your tribe and never let them go.”  

Gru’s newfound understanding is a biblical one: “Then God said ‘It is not good for the man to be alone’” ( Genesis 2:18 ), or “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” ( Hebrews 10:24-25 ). While not anti-family, the movie emphasizes the importance of community and “found family.” My favorite scene in the film depicts the unexpected friendship between a minion and a seemingly gruff and intimidating biker. They form a touching bond, and it’s clear that both are encouraged and blessed by the other.

Daniel holds a PhD in "Christianity and the Arts" from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author/co-author of multiple books and he speaks in churches and schools across the country on the topics of Christian worldview, apologetics, creative writing, and the Arts.

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How many Minion movies have there been?

First off, outside of two of the Despicable Me movies, I have not gone to see the other movies in this franchise. (Please don’t hate me, but I really don’t see the appeal of the minions). I mostly see and review Disney movies with an occasional other movie thrown in for good luck, but with Disney declaring war on the Christian family , my youngest son, (Jack-Jack 17 and autistic) is one of the casualties caught in the crosshairs. He desperately wants to see movies in the theater. So in an attempt to broaden our horizons, we decided to see Minions: The Rise of Gru. Here is my Christian Movie Review, and visit here to see how I review movies.

I attempt to answer your questions regarding this movie, and let you know any content that may be troublesome before you see it yourself.

Minions: The Rise of Gru Christian Movie Review Synopsis

From Universal Pictures: When the infamous supervillain supergroup, the Vicious 6, oust their leader—legendary martial arts fighter Wild Knuckles (Oscar® winner Alan Arkin)— Gru, their most devoted fanboy, interviews to become their newest member. The Vicious 6 is not impressed by the diminutive, wannabe villain, but then Gru outsmarts (and enrages) them, and he suddenly finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil. With Gru on the run, the Minions attempt to master the art of kung fu to help save him, and Gru discovers that even bad guys need a little help from their friends. 

Gru (Steve Carell) is an 11-year-old boy. When asked in school what he wants to be when he grows up, he quickly answers “a super villain.” While most little boys are hoping to be firefighters, police officers, or superheroes, Gru is drawn to the criminal life. 

Before you say, 11-year-old boys don’t want to be firefighters or astronauts anymore – remember this movie is set during the 1970s. 

Gru has his own team in the Minions, but he doesn’t have cool gadgets or formal training. Kevin, Stuart, and Bob are the main minions we see in this movie. Otto is a braces-wearing minion. 

When he fails to impress the leader of the Vicious 6, who demands that he doesn’t return until he has done something evil to impress her, Gru steals the Zodiac Stone. Then when he is almost caught, he gives the stone to one of the Minions who trades it for a pet rock. When Gru goes looking for the stone, he ends up getting kidnapped by his favorite super villain.

Will the Minions find Gru? Will Gru become the ultimate villain? Because this is a prequel, you obviously know the answer to these questions! 

Minions: The Rise of Gru Christian Movie Review

What parents may want to know.

The Good: Overall this movie was pretty tame content-wise. The animated violence was nothing extreme. This movie is so similar to other movies within this franchise, so there really is not much that you won’t expect.

Even villains have a sweet side, and Gru is mostly kind and caring with his minions. 

Potentially Objectionable Content:

While there is very little in the language department, there is plenty of innuendos. Furthermore, there is plenty of words such as stupid, idiot, heck, and sucker. “Holy Guacamole” is stated.

The song from KC and the Sunshine Bank, “Get Down Tonight” plays – “Do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight.”

There is plenty of violence and yet nobody is really hurt. A man falls a very far distance into a river. It is presumed he is dead. Later you see the character alive.

In an Indiana Jones or Romancing the Stone moment, a man is almost killed by spikes, and you do see skulls from previous people. 

A man is attacked by golden evil statues.

There are car wrecks, vans flipping over, crashed vehicles, and high-speed chases through the streets. A house is destroyed. A minion is set on fire and one is hit with a hammer.

Furthermore, there are many fights throughout the movie. 

Gru is tied to a clock on a clock tower. He is also tied to a giant record player with a spinning blade that inches toward him. He is dangled over the edge of a balcony. 

Sexual Content:

Gru gets out of the bath and his towel drops below his butt crack as he is drying, and you see him put on his underwear. You see Minion butts too.

Minions dress as women and put tennis balls in their dresses for look like women. 

Other Content – Spiritual:

One of the Vicious 6 is dressed as a nun and named Nun-Chuck. Her nunchucks are in the shape of a cross.

Someone calls a person a demon child. A woman does yoga and meditates.

The Zodiac Stone is based on the signs of the zodiac. Furthermore, it is mystical and it’s powers allow people to transform into supernatural beasts. Animal spirits are depicted several times. 

An acupuncturist/kung fu master teaches the Minions how to “channel their inner beast” which causes glowing red eyes and they blast people with their voices.

The minions dress as angels.

Cheating/Lying: Gru cheats to get what he wants. The minions also do some deceitful things.

A man fakes a heart attack to rob a bank. 

Gru releases a fart bomb in a movie theater so he can watch the movie without others in the theater. 

Teachable Moments:

While Gru has the opportunity to let his kidnapper die, he ends up saving him. Talk to your kids about compassion and doing the right thing even when you should want to seek revenge.

Additionally, Gru does some mean things – he acts like a bully – such as eating ice cream outside the window of a gym. As a Christian, why would this be something you shouldn’t do?

My Review Recommendations:

Minions: The Rise of Gru is the most boring film I have seen in a long time. I actually nodded off in the theater, something I rarely do. I personally think this franchise is overdone, but my 17-year-old autistic son loved it and so did other kids in the theater.

Warning: The following is said tongue in cheek and should not be construed to be actually parenting advice. I am certain that this movie is just a compilation of a series of other movies with minions thrown in for good luck. Save yourself a lot of money, get old Despicable Me/minion movies from the library and let your kids watch those until they are super bored. Then when this comes out streaming, convince them that they already saw this movie! 

References to other movies:

Jaws is playing in the movie theater

Additionally, a man rides a motorcycle through Death Valley- Easy Rider

The opening song is very James Bond ish!

A very Indiana Jones-like heist

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – is the title a play on that?

Mystery Machine van – Scooby-Doo

References to Actual Places:

San Francisco is prominent in this movie as is the Golden Gate Bridge.

Old St. Mary’s Cathedral clock is featured.

Fisherman’s Wharf

Pacific Coast Highway

The Painted Ladies – row houses in San Francisco

Additional References: A Mad Max magazine from 1961 with Richard Nixon on the cover – before he was President.

The cast of Minions: The Rise of Gru – Christian Movie Review

Steve Carrell as Gru

Alan Arkin as Wild Knuckles

Taraji P. Henson as Belle Bottom

Michelle Yeoh as Master Chow

Julie Andrews as Gru’s Mom

Russell Brand as Nefarious

Jean-Claude Van Damme as Jean-Clawed

Dollops Lundgren as Svengeance

Danny Trejo as Stronghold

Lucy Lawless as Nun-Chuck

Pierre Coffin as the Minions

Rating: PG 

Release Date: July 1, 2022

Run Time: 87 minutes

Director: Kyle Balda

Co-Director: Brad Ableson

Jonathan del Val

Producers: Chris Meledandri

Janet Healy

Chris Renau

Frequently Asked Questions:

When Will this movie be released on DVD?

As of this point, the date of this has not been released yet.

Is this movie available for streaming?

Currently, this movie is not available on streaming on Netflix, Amazon, or any other service. It is only in theaters.

How Many Minion movies have there been?

Despicable Me (2010) – First film in the franchise 

Despicable Me 2 (2013)

Minions (2015)

Despicable Me 3 (2017)

Reviewing movies for parents from a Christian perspective since 2005. Know Before You Go!

Christian Homeschooling mom – 30 years and counting

Autism Mom & Disney enthusiast

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Schooling with disney’s pinocchio movie plus review, 4 thoughts on “minions: the rise of gru christian movie review”.

Hi, I wanted to say thanks because this is our dollar movie this week at the theater and I wanted to check a Christian parent review. Oh and my 8 year old son is autistic as well and we were checking out this movie last minute because expected plans changed and I was scrambling to find a good way to change the plan for him. Blessings.

Did you see the movie? I hope it all worked out for you.

This review was excellent. Subscribed! Our family is in the same boat – wanting to watch movies in theater – except my boys never liked Disney. (“Why do they always kill the mother???!!!”). Seriously, my eldest was traumatized by Nemo back in preschool. His teacher had to come find me in the library, where I volunteered, to explain that he was sitting in the hall outside the classroom because after the opening scene, he refused to watch the end of year movie any further. She explained that “this is all we are doing today… can he come on upstairs with you?” When I picked him up, he was near tears. “Why do all my friends like to watch all the movies like this and I do not?!” I told him that God had blessed him with a sensitive heart and there was nothing wrong with him not liking those movies!!! He would find movies that had better stories. That he had a wonderful understanding of the world, stories, and imagination. Two of his favorite childhood movies were Cars and The Lego Movie. Later, the LOTR trilogy and Marvel movies (with criticism at the ready!). Loved Ford vs. Ferrari. He now tolerates my husband’s suggestions of our favorite movies from 80’s and 90’s. But does not like many of them. ET: is not magical, but depressing. He declared Top Gun to be “terrible… where is the plot?” but was delighted to see Maverick ON THE BIG SCREEN. Story line, character arcs, musical score, and oh – the flight action! : ) Now this young man hopes to film good stories. He is fully able to discern what to see in theaters now, but is still near impossible to find movies worthy of taking our youngest to see. Too many films ostensibly for young children are determined to be intense psychological onslaughts, have super sexy baddies, or are full of bizarre cultural messaging. (Red Panda anyone?) I think I gave up on Hollywood while watching one of the SW prequels and restraining myself from standing up, shaking a fist at the screen, and shouting “EAT the Porg, Chewie.. EAT THE PORG!”

I guess I am still really hoping that this is just a bad period for Disney movies, similar to the 70s and 80s.

God bless your son. He sounds like a wonderful human.

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Minions: the rise of gru.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 36 Reviews
• Kids Say 74 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Groovy 1970s origin story has slapstick violence.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Minions : The Rise of Gru is a Despicable Me prequel/origin story about how young 11-year-old Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) began his life of villainy. As with the other films in this franchise, you can expect peril, slapstick violence, cartoon torture, explosions, and…

Why Age 6+?

Lots of physical and slapstick comedy. Various villains and their sidekicks caus

Glimpses of bare minion bottoms and the top of young Gru's butt. Gru is shown in

Infrequent insult language includes "stupid idiots," "what the heck," "tubby lit

Briefly visible brands and celebrities from the 1970s, including Mad magazine, T

Any Positive Content?

Villainy is admired, but the movie also promotes loyalty, teamwork, and courage.

A few of the minions band together to help rescue Gru, who acts as a parental fi

The Vicious 6 group of supervillains is made up of two women (including a Black

Depicts a bit of pop culture from the 1970s, like music, disco dancing, fashion,

Violence & Scariness

Lots of physical and slapstick comedy. Various villains and their sidekicks cause destruction and personal harm. They use technologically advanced weapons and vehicles. People plunge seemingly to their death but survive, flatten and blow holes in homes, and transform into creatures. After learning kung fu from Master Chow, three minions can channel their "inner beasts." Martial arts fighting. A training montage of minions hurting themselves during kung fu lessons. Gru is tortured by being tied up and forced to listen to a disco single on repeat until an alarm will eventually trigger a blade to kill him; he's rescued before that happens. A minion catches on fire during an emergency in the lair. Two characters nearly get eaten by pet crocodiles.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Glimpses of bare minion bottoms and the top of young Gru's butt. Gru is shown in his villain underwear. Three Tower of London guards are hypnotized to strip down to their boxers and dance/sing to the song "Hair," slapping each other on the behind. Additional innuendo related to minions cozying up to fire hydrants, losing a bathing suit (and covering up with sea life), squeezing bottoms, and staring at the chest of a group of minions disguised to look like a woman. One minion asks Master Chow whether she can exchange kung fu lessons for "smoochie smoochie."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Infrequent insult language includes "stupid idiots," "what the heck," "tubby little punk," "he should be sucking his thumb," "shut up," and "old man." Gru uses the word "tribe" in a non-Indigenous context.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Briefly visible brands and celebrities from the 1970s, including Mad magazine, Tupperware, Jaws movie posters, and stunt motorcyclist Evel Knievel. The film is a spin-off of the Despicable Me series and references other films in the series.

Positive Messages

Villainy is admired, but the movie also promotes loyalty, teamwork, and courage. There's also a running theme about the importance of mentorship.

Positive Role Models

A few of the minions band together to help rescue Gru, who acts as a parental figure to them despite his shortcomings. Villainy is admired, but it's all pretty light and intended for humor (e.g., spraying strangers with canned cheese, eating ice cream in front of people on treadmills, etc.).

Diverse Representations

The Vicious 6 group of supervillains is made up of two women (including a Black leader voiced by Taraji P. Henson ) and four men, one of whom is voiced by Mexican American actor Danny Trejo . A White villain who uses martial arts is named Nun-Chuck -- she's a nun -- and is voiced by a White actor ( Lucy Lawless ). The main character befriends an unnamed Black biker (RZA) who appears in a few scenes. Master Chow ( Michelle Yeoh ) is a female Chinese American kung fu expert who trains three minions. Minions mostly speak "Minionese" but occasionally use Spanish phrases, such as "teléfono" and "mi amor." Some of the horde of baddies are racially/ethnically diverse. A large portion of the second half takes place in San Francisco's Chinatown, and a plot point surrounds a magical pendant with the power of the Chinese zodiac. These cultural aspects are clichéd, shown as mystical and "exotic," and the few Chinese characters are all experts at martial arts. The film's directors and writers are all White men.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Educational Value

Depicts a bit of pop culture from the 1970s, like music, disco dancing, fashion, cars, Mad magazine, and the popularity of Tupperware parties.

Parents need to know that Minions : The Rise of Gru is a Despicable Me prequel/origin story about how young 11-year-old Gru (voiced by Steve Carell ) began his life of villainy. As with the other films in this franchise, you can expect peril, slapstick violence, cartoon torture, explosions, and destruction, as well as martial arts battles (and training), vehicle chases, and fight sequences. Three separate scenes include glimpses of a bare minion bottom or the top of Gru's butt. Gru is also shown in his villain underwear. Insults are infrequent but include "stupid idiot," "tubby little punk," "shut up," etc. Villainy is at the heart of this series, but the minions do exhibit loyalty and teamwork as they work to save the brave (but young and naive) Gru. Although the Vicious 6 are ethnically diverse, the film's depiction of Chinese culture is stereotypical and exoticized. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (36)
• Kids say (74)

Based on 36 parent reviews

Very well done and hilarious

What's the story.

MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU is an origin story set in 1976, when supervillain Gru (voiced by Steve Carell ) is just shy of 12 years old and a fanboy of the Vicious 6, a supervillain collective he dreams of joining. When the group has an opening for a new recruit, Gru applies and is then mocked by his heroes during the interview. He retaliates by stealing a magical pendant that can summon the power of the Chinese zodiac during the Lunar New Year. Gru entrusts the pendant with his minions, but before Gru can recover it, he's kidnapped and taken to San Francisco by infamous villain Wild Knuckles ( Alan Arkin ). A select group of minions travels to San Francisco to rescue Gru; in the process, they meet Master Chow ( Michelle Yeoh ), who trains them in kung fu.

Is It Any Good?

Tween Gru and the ageless and delightfully silly minions make this 1970s-set origin story a short-and-sweet adventure for families and fans of the franchise. There's a universality to watching loner Gru idolize a group (he even has their action figures), even if it is a bunch of villains that includes Belle Bottom ( Taraji P. Henson ), Stronghold ( Danny Trejo ), Jean-Clawed ( Jean-Claude Van Damme ), Svengeance ( Dolph Lundgren ), and Nun-Chuck ( Lucy Lawless ). The supergroup of supervillains is seemingly unstoppable, so being temporarily outsmarted by a kid obviously doesn't go down well, and the ensuing adventure for Gru and his bravest minions strikes a good balance between slapstick, sight gags, and general shenanigans and more serious fight sequences. Matthew Fogel and Bryan Lynch's script is easy enough to follow for younger audiences but also features Easter egg references to the original story by providing a peek at characters and gadgets that show up in the Despicable Me movies. The actors are all very well cast. Oscar winner Yeoh stands out as an acupuncturist who can level any opponent the Vicious 6 sends her way. Arkin is an ideal Wild Knuckles, who experiences a surprisingly tender character arc for a baddie. Henson and Nun-Chuck are the most compelling villains, but the group's individual backstories aren't explored. The animation is familiar, with a bold mix of details that bring the 1970s to life. And once again, the franchise offers up a catchy soundtrack full of covers and originals of big dance hits like "Funkytown" (literally used as a torture device), "Goodbye to Love," and minion-fied versions of "Cecilia" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Bottom line? The Rise of Gru isn't perfect -- in particular, its depiction of Chinese culture feels one-dimensional and clichéd -- but it's true to the original, and the minions are still utterly charming.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in Minions: The Rise of Gru . Do you feel that it's kept age-appropriate for younger audiences? How?

The central characters in the Despicable Me movies are villains, and yet they're still the ones we root for. Is it OK to have a sympathetic villain? How does that impact the characters' status as potential role models?

What does young Gru learn about teamwork and asking for help? How does he need his minions?

Which of the Easter eggs/references to the Despicable Me movies did you catch? Do you think there should be more movies in this universe?

Discuss the way Chinese culture is depicted in the film. How is Lunar New Year celebrated in real life? Is it similar, or different from what appears in the movie?

Movie Details

• In theaters : July 1, 2022
• On DVD or streaming : September 6, 2022
• Cast : Michelle Yeoh , Steve Carell , Jean-Claude Van Damme
• Directors : Kyle Balda , Brad Ableson
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Asian actors
• Studio : Universal Pictures
• Genre : Family and Kids
• Topics : Friendship
• Character Strengths : Curiosity , Perseverance , Teamwork
• Run time : 87 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• MPAA explanation : some action/violence and rude humor
• Award : Kids' Choice Award
• Last updated : August 3, 2024

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Movie review: ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’

A ‘70s vibe adds verve to the animated origin story “Minions: The Rise of Gru” (Universal).

Thus, director Kyle Balda’s addition to a franchise that began with 2010’s “Despicable Me” draws on such nostalgic tropes as blaxploitation movies, kung fu films and Tupperware parties, not to mention the memorable – for better or worse – music of the period.

The result is a generally wholesome and breezy bit of entertainment. But a minor ingredient in the mix plays on Catholic sensibilities in a way that may prove slightly grating to parents of faith.

At the height of the disco era, paradoxically good-hearted would-be supervillain Gru (voice of Steve Carell) is a still a preteen boy living with his overbearing mother (voice of Julie Andrews). Yet he already yearns to join the Vicious 6, a crew of famed criminals founded by martial arts master Wild Knuckles (voice of Alan Arkin).

In an effort to impress his heroes, Gru swipes a jewel-studded pendant endowed with magical powers that can be used for evil purposes. But complications imperil him, and the Minions – the diminutive, comically incomprehensible creatures whom he’s taken under his wing – scramble to rescue their beloved leader.

The laughs provoked by screenwriter Matthew Fogel’s script come frequently and its emphasis on loyalty, teamwork and true friendship is pleasing. But the fact that the Vicious 6 numbers among its members a traditionally habited religious sister called – what else? – Nun-Chuck (voice of Lucy Lawless) may not sit well with some viewers.

Initially present simply to play up her punning moniker, Nun-Chuck’s fleeting screen time is mostly devoted to harmless sight gags. Yet she does make the sign of the cross at one point and consistently holds her hands together in a prayerlike pose.

While impressionable moviegoers should probably not be introduced to the subtleties of what is or is not acceptable about this silly character, teens – like their elders – will easily shrug off the momentary lapses of taste involved in her depiction. Then they can return to riding along with the rollicking, though sometimes diffuse, proceedings.

The film contains much comic mayhem, brief irreverent and mild scatological humor and glimpses of partial rear cartoon nudity. The Catholic News Service classification is A-II – adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG – parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

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Minions: The Rise of Gru

Dove Review

When 11-year-old Gru (Steve Carell) gets kidnapped for displaying great courage in an effort to prove his villainy, his ever-faithful Minions (Pierre Coffin) come to the rescue: Kevin, Stuart, and Bob are back at the head of the gang, and a new Minion, Otto, is an welcome addition to the crew as a braces-sporting people-pleaser. It’s the 1970s, and the soundtrack of this movie never lets us forget it – just about very Karen Carpenter and popular funky song of the day is in the background setting the scene, as this origin film is a prequel to the ever popular Despicable Me franchise. Gru has not yet grown into the villain he will become, and as a cute youngster with a big dream, and always out to make trouble, we are asked to once again root for the bad guy. I found myself questioning if this is really the message we want to expose young children to, but the film’s charming portrayal is somewhat endearing nonetheless.

Gru is trying to break into the world of villainy, and when a position opens up with the world famous “Vicious 6,” he does all he can to get the job. When that goal seems out of reach, Gru goes about making his own way, and teams up with Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin), the ousted Vicious 6 leader with a vendetta of his own, to beat the popular villains at their own game. With an amulet that is patterned after the characters of the Chinese calendar acting as the holy grail, everyone is scheming to possess the power it holds. Gru lucks out and ends up on the run, and he and Wild Knuckles work together to beat the Vicious 6 at their own game.

Expected antics ensue as chase scenes, martial arts fighting, and slapstick violence reigns. The mischievous Minions are typically in and out of trouble, but remain loyal to their favorite villain Gru, as they employ teamwork to outsmart even worse villains than themselves, coming off as the heroes. There are a few scenes that could frighten children when characters transform into giant Chinese dragons and snakes; breath fire on other characters; and wreak overall havoc, but all of this is done in fairly benign cartoon-style portrayals. As bad as they all are, they portray some good qualities by loving their friends, and even sacrificing themselves for others.

The Dove Take

This high-energy take on the early years of Gru the villain don’t reveal many surprises, but it is entertaining enough to hold a place in the hearts of Minion lovers.

Dove Rating Details

Gru and Wild Knuckles are faithful to one another and rescue each other from danger.

Slapstick violence, explosions, destruction, and fight scenes.

Gru is seen with part of his buttocks showing, and in his underwear.

Villainous characters are transformed into giant, roaring, fire-breathing dragons and similar animals that represent the Chinese Calendar and could be frightening for very young children.

More Information

Film information, dove content.

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Minions: The Rise of Gru

“Minions: The Rise of Gru” takes place in 1976. Had I seen it that year, I would have laughed my six-year-old self silly and demanded to see it again and again. Alas, I’m not six years old anymore. My sense of humor, on the other hand, still hovers around that age. As a result, this latest (and hopefully last) chapter in the Despicable Me Universe (DMU) felt tailor-made for the less mature aspects of my sensibilities. It was as if a checklist had been made to cater to me. Afros and ‘70’s era fashions? Check! Badass women in action? Check! Awful puns and wordplay? You got it! Disco music? I can dig it! Potentially blasphemous, violent nun jokes? Oh baby!

Readers of this site know of my soft spot for the Minions, those yellow, pill-shaped purveyors of trouble who are hopelessly devoted to Gru ( Steve Carell ). They make me laugh and I’m not even remotely remorseful about that. After their own prequel, “ Minions ,” and a pit stop for the lackluster present-day sibling rivalry plot of “ Despicable Me 3 ,” Kevin Le Minion and his one and two-eyed pals have returned to the past to support the “eleven and three-quarters” years old version of Gru. They affectionately call him “mini-boss.” When he’s not wondering how his employees “got so much denim” for their outfits, Gru is fantasizing about joining The Vicious 6, an Avengers-like conglomerate of villains created by Wild Knuckles ( Alan Arkin ).

We see Wild Knuckles and his crew in action in an exotic, Indiana Jones-style locale. They are there to retrieve a necklace of gems called The Zodiac Stones. Once retrieved, it will give the Vicious 6 an unlimited amount of power on the night of the Chinese New Year. Considering all the groan-inducing needle drops that occur in this series, I expected The Zodiac Stones to be accompanied by that trash classic-slash-astrology lesson “Float On” by the Floaters. Unfortunately, the filmmakers are not that clever. Granted, that song came out in 1977, but “Minions: The Rise of Gru” uses Lipps Inc.’s 1980 banger, “Funkytown” not once, but twice.

After braving death to retrieve the gems, Wild Knuckles is betrayed by team member Belle Bottom ( Taraji P. Henson ), who cruelly explains that honor among thieves is a myth before dropping him to his presumed death from their plane. With her ever-changing wardrobe and enormous Afro, (which is animated with an impressive amount of texture) Belle looks like Cleopatra Jones. The other four members have equally pun-based names. There’s Stronghold ( Danny Trejo ), a nunchaku-wielding nun named Nun-Chuck ( Lucy Lawless ), the Nordic strongman Svengeance ( Dolph Lundgren ), and a dude with an enormous lobster claw for a hand. His name is Jean-Clawed and he’s voiced by Steven Seagal . Just kidding! He’s voiced by Jean-Claude Van Damme . I told you this movie wasn’t that clever.

Now that the much-older Wild Knuckles is out of the picture, The Vicious 6—I mean Five—are looking for a much younger replacement. Gru applies for the position and receives a response housed in a self-destructing 8-track tape. He enters the record store that secretly houses Belle Bottom’s lair, meeting his future colleague Dr. Nefario ( Russell Brand ) in the process. Nefario gives Gru a 45 of Linda Ronstadt ’s cover of “You’re No Good,” the key to entering the secret hideout. Since he’s barely out of junior high, Gru is dismissed, but not before stealing the Zodiac Stones. Belle and her crew pursue him in order to get them back.

Believe it or not, there are two other plot-heavy stories in “Minions: The Rise of Gru.” One concerns the surviving Wild Knuckles’ San Francisco-based quest for revenge, and the other involves the Minions learning kung fu from Master Chow ( Michelle Yeoh ) in order to save Gru after he’s been kidnapped. Well, those two kind of go together; Gru’s been taken by Wild Knuckles in an attempt to retrieve what’s rightfully his. Unbeknownst to Mr. Knuckles, Otto, the newest, and most talkative of the Minions, has traded the jewelry for a pet rock. As punishment, Gru is subjected to a type of torture I would happily endure: He’s tied to a giant record player that will spin, for 48 hours straight, the greatest disco song ever recorded, the Andrea True Connection’s “More More More.”

“Don’t call my mother for ransom,” Gru begs, “she will probably pay you to keep me.” Gru’s mean ol’ Mom is once again played by Julie Andrews , who characteristically has no use for her son nor his henchmen. The Vicious 6 show up to extract a pound of flesh from her anyway. Seeing the star of “The Sound of Music” get her ass kicked by a nun is my kind of meta! That’s one way to solve a problem like Maria, I tell ya!

As with “Minions,” “Minions: The Rise of Gru” moves at breakneck speed. This time, however, it’s a tad less exhausting and actually works to the film’s advantage. The laughs are well-paced and the viewer isn’t given too much time to reflect on how ridiculous Matthew Fogel ’s screenplay is. The animation is striking, from the gorgeously rendered Chinatown of the City by the Bay to the charming look of young Gru. He has the same big, expressive eyes that fill the emotional faces of his “little gurls.” Carell does a fine job of making his Gru voice younger and less pronounced. Henson and the rest of the cast sound like they’re having a blast, and their enthusiasm is infectious.

Even if you can’t stand the Minions (who are once again voiced in “Minionese” by Pierre Coffin ), you might find this one tolerable. Especially if you’re old enough to get the 1976 jokes yet feel young enough to find bemusement in all the goofy slapstick. If nothing else, everything gets tied up neatly in a bow, bringing the DMU up-to-date, thereby making any further films unnecessary. That is, unless this one makes a ton of money. 

Now playing in theaters.

Odie Henderson

Odie “Odienator” Henderson has spent over 33 years working in Information Technology. He runs the blogs Big Media Vandalism and Tales of Odienary Madness. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire  here .

• Steve Carell as Gru (voice)
• Pierre Coffin as Kevin / Stuart / Bob / Minions (voice)
• Russell Brand as Dr. Nefario (voice)
• Alan Arkin as Wild Knuckles (voice)
• Taraji P. Henson as Belle Bottom (voice)
• Jean-Claude Van Damme as Jean Clawed (voice)
• Lucy Lawless as Nunchuck (voice)
• Dolph Lundgren as Svengeance (voice)
• Danny Trejo as Stronghold (voice)
• Michelle Yeoh as Master Chow (voice)
• Julie Andrews as Gru's Mom (voice)
• RZA as (voice)

Director (co-director)

• Brad Ableson
• Jonathan del Val
• Brian Lynch
• Claire Dodgson
• Heitor Pereira

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Movie review: ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’

A ’70s vibe adds verve to the animated origin story “Minions: The Rise of Gru” (Universal).

Thus director Kyle Balda’s addition to a franchise that began with 2010’s “Despicable Me” draws on such nostalgic tropes as blaxploitation movies, kung fu films and Tupperware parties, not to mention the memorable — for better or worse — music of the period.

The result is a generally wholesome and breezy bit of entertainment. But a minor ingredient in the mix plays on Catholic sensibilities in a way that may prove slightly grating to parents of faith.

At the height of the disco era, paradoxically good-hearted would-be supervillain Gru (voice of Steve Carell) is a still a preteen boy living with his overbearing mother (voice of Julie Andrews). Yet he already yearns to join the Vicious 6, a crew of famed criminals founded by martial arts master Wild Knuckles (voice of Alan Arkin).

In an effort to impress his heroes, Gru swipes a jewel-studded pendant endowed with magical powers that can be used for evil purposes. But complications imperil him, and the Minions — the diminutive, comically incomprehensible creatures whom he’s taken under his wing — scramble to rescue their beloved leader.

The laughs provoked by screenwriter Matthew Fogel’s script come frequently and its emphasis on loyalty, teamwork and true friendship is pleasing. But the fact that the Vicious 6 numbers among its members a traditionally habited religious sister called — what else? — Nun-Chuck (voice of Lucy Lawless) may not sit well with some viewers.

Initially present simply to play up her punning moniker, Nun-Chuck’s fleeting screen time is mostly devoted to harmless sight gags. Yet she does make the sign of the cross at one point and consistently holds her hands together in a prayerlike pose.

While impressionable moviegoers should probably not be introduced to the subtleties of what is or is not acceptable about this silly character, teens — like their elders — will easily shrug off the momentary lapses of taste involved in her depiction. Then they can return to riding along with the rollicking, though sometimes diffuse, proceedings.

The film contains much comic mayhem, brief irreverent and mild scatological humor and glimpses of partial rear cartoon nudity. The Catholic News Service classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

— John Mulderig

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‘minions: the rise of gru’: film review.

This fifth installment in the 'Despicable Me' franchise delivers the origin story of how the devilish little yellow creatures became allied with their villainous cohort.

By Frank Scheck

Frank Scheck

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In case you were keeping track, the fifth film in the Despicable Me franchise is a sequel to 2015’s Minions , which was itself a prequel to the first two films in the series. It’s a testament to Hollywood’s commitment to recycling, and certainly understandable in light of the series’ blockbuster status. Minions: The Rise of Gru gives fans more of what they’ve come to expect, mainly Gru acting evilly, the Minions acting stupidly, and enough clever gags that will fly over its target audiences’ heads but keep their adult chaperones from dozing off.

Not that sleeping would be possible, considering that this entry is the most frenetic and action-packed of the bunch. Parents may want to consider taking their tykes early in the day, since they may be so revved up after seeing it that bedtime could become contentious.

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Release date : Friday, July 1

Cast : Steve Carell, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, RZA, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lucy Lawless, Dolph Lundgren, Danny Trejo, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Alan Arkin

Director : Kyle Balda

Co-directors : Brad Ableson, Jonathan del Val

Screenwriter : Matthew Fogel

Set in 1976 California, the film is an origin story depicting how Gru ( Steve Carell ) became allied with the diminutive yellow creatures (all voiced hilariously by Pierre Coffin, provided, one hopes, with plenty of throat lozenges) and embarked on his career path to villainy. Only 11 years old (11 ¾, to be precise), Gru sees his chance when given the opportunity to apply to become a member of the evil supergroup the Vicious 6 after they violently oust their leader, the elderly Wild Knuckles ( Alan Arkin , giving the impression that he’s having a lot of fun).

Adults will get a kick out of the Vicious 6 members’ names and the voice talents behind them. The new leader is Belle Bottom ( Taraji P. Henson ), while the others are the aptly named Jean Clawed (Jean-Claude Van Damme), the nun’s habit-wearing Nunchuck (Lucy Lawless), the Swedish roller-skater Svengeance (Dolph Lundgren), and the iron-handed Stronghold (Danny Trejo). Michelle Yeoh , who’s certainly on a roll these days thanks to Everything Everywhere All at Once and Shang-Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings , continues her hot streak with her delightful voicing of the acupuncturist Master Chow, who tutors the Minions in martial arts.

Gru’s audition doesn’t go so well when Belle Bottom sees that he’s a child, and it gets even worse when he steals their Zodiac Stone, an ancient amulet that holds the key to world domination. He suddenly finds himself their mortal enemy and joins forces with the Minions and the revenge-seeking Knuckles to escape their clutches. Also on hand is an adorable new Minion, Otto, who amazingly proves to be even more dim-witted than his cohorts.

The filmmakers have a lot of fun with the period setting, with much of the action taking place in a groovy San Francisco. There are plenty of gags relating to 70s-era excesses, from Blaxploitation to kung-fu films to Evel Knievel to, in one of the most amusing plot developments, Pet Rocks. The opening credits are a witty homage to the ones in the Bond films, and the soundtrack features a bunch of terrific cover versions of the decade’s hits, including Phoebe Bridgers’ take on The Carpenters’ “Goodbye to Love” and St. Vincent singing “Funkytown.” The most priceless musical moment, however, is the Minions’ rendition of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” which, from now on, must really be the only version played at Trump rallies.

The film features many hilarious moments — demonstrating, along with Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers and The Bob’s Burgers Movie , that the funniest screenwriting these days seems to be for animated films. A particular highlight involves two of the Minions piloting a passenger jet, with predictably raucous results. Unfortunately, as is so often the case with this type of fare, the final act features a plethora of extended fight and chase scenes that quickly prove wearisome.

Carell, necessarily adopting a higher-pitched but still amusingly accented voice, continues to be a hoot as the devilish Gru, who somehow manages to be endearing even when behaving at his worst. And kids will continue to adore the gibberish-speaking Minions, especially when they bare their cartoon butts. But hey, they could have worse role models.

Full credits

Production company: Illumination Distributor: Universal Pictures Cast: Steve Carell, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, RZA, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lucy Lawless, Dolph Lundgren, Danny Trejo, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Alan Arkin Director: Kyle Balda Co-directors: Brad Ableson, Jonathan del Val Screenwriter: Matthew Fogel Producers: Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy, Chris Renaud Editor: Claire Dodgson Composer: Heitor Pereira

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MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU – Review by Valerie Kalfrin

Minions: The Rise of Gru is cheerfully bananas. After sitting on the shelf for two years because of the pandemic, this sequel to 2015’s Minions arrives in theaters at last, boasting plenty of expected mayhem—and surprising heart.

Opening in 1976, roughly after Minions ended (in the 1960s—don’t mind the math), Minions: The Rise of Gru presents the future supervillain-turned-secret agent of the Despicable Me franchise as an impish 11-year-old. Gru (Steve Carell, The Morning Show ) has grand ambitions and adorable wide brown eyes that offset his mini gray suit and scarf. He’s not happy just clearing out a movie theater with fart spray or cutting in line for ice cream. He wants to be recognized as the world’s greatest villain—and his loyal yellow sidekicks resembling Twinkies in overalls are eager to help.

Yet Gru isn’t sure at this point whether he likes these little guys, who are more enamored with mischief than capable of malice. He appreciates their enthusiasm and the lair they build in the suburban home he shares with his disinterested mom (Julie Andrews, Julie’s Greenroom ). But he also finds them awkward, particularly Otto, a plump Minion with more braces than brains.

Gru first sends the Minions away after he receives a job interview with the Vicious Six, a villainous cell that operates out of a record store. Once they meet him and realize he’s a child, they send him packing like their former leader, Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin, BoJack Horseman ), whom they thought too old for the job. Soon Gru meets up with Wild Knuckles, whom he’s long admired—and who’s still fast on his feet—in pursuit of the film’s MacGuffin, a green magical amulet activated during the Chinese New Year.

What they’ll do with that amulet is a side note to the core theme: finding your tribe, and recognizing the value in others.

That sounds a bit cuddly for a franchise that cheekily exposes Minions’ butts for a quick laugh, but it resonates with charm. Credit that to Carell’s and Arkin’s voice work, and the script by Matthew Fogel, who handled the story on The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part . ( Minions screenwriter Brian Lynch receives story credit here.)

As in Minions , the villains have their own news network and wacky world skirting our own, with secret entrances, gadgets, and puns galore. Returning Minions director Kyle Balda shares directing duties this go-round with Brad Ableson ( Legends of Chamberlain Heights ) and Jonathan del Val ( The Secret Life of Pets 2 ). They and the animators have a loose, let’s say groovy, vibe befitting the 1970s, with a hilarious opening credits sequence reminiscent of a James Bond film that sets the tone for the antics to come. The film also makes fun use of several needle drops, including Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good,” “Bad Moon Rising,” and a Minion choir complete with robes and angelic gibberish.

The slapstick is clever and funny, and the rest of the voice talent is rich. Taraji P. Henson ( Empire ) has a blast as Belle Bottom, a Vicious Six villain who rocks a purple motorcycle, jumpsuit, and an outsize afro to match her attitude. Action veterans Jean-Claude Van Damme ( Kickboxer: Retaliation ), Dolph Lundgren ( Aquaman ), Danny Trejo ( Big City Greens ), and Lucy Lawless ( Ash vs. Evil Dead ) round out the vicious crew as Jean-Clawed, Svengeance, Stronghold, and Nun-Chuck, the latter a fierce nun.

French writer-director Pierre Coffin ( Minions ) again voices the Minions patois, giving the central ones different personalities, from overconfident Stuart to responsible Kevin, innocent Bob, and motor-mouthed Otto. Speaking of Otto, he gets an unexpected hand from a cool biker (RZA, Clean ) while the others learn kung fu from Master Chow (Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All At Once ), an acupuncturist who rescues them from being bullied, wiping the floor with three henchmen half her age.

The smallest of us are capable of great things, she says, encouraging kids in the audience while showing how she and Wild Knuckles still have plenty to offer. That’s a heartening subtext for adults that this silly concoction makes extra sweet.

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Valerie Kalfrin

Valerie Kalfrin is an award-winning crime journalist turned freelance film writer whose work appears at RogerEbert.com, In Their Own League, Script, The Hollywood Reporter, and other outlets. Also a screenwriter and script consultant, she’s passionate about challenging stereotypes about gender and disability. Let’s tell better stories and tell stories better.

MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU

"the groovy rise of a comical supervillain".

What You Need To Know:

Miscellaneous Immorality: Stealing and kidnapping, and the supervillains are scary and become more scary toward the end.

More Detail:

In MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, Gru is just a boy who longs to be a villain, but when he leaves his minions to do so, he realizes he needs them. A funny, entertaining movie, MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU has some scary villains and some New Age elements about finding a “Zodiac Stone,” which has special powers, but it also has some positive moral, redemptive elements about sacrifice, helping others and finding a family.

Gru has always wanted to be a super villain, but when he tells the other students in his school, they tease him about it. When Gru goes home, his mother isn’t interested in talking to him or spending time with him. Gru goes down to the basement, where all the minions are there to support and help him. He soon finds out that the Vicious 6 need another villain, and they’ve asked Gru to come in for an interview. Gru tells the minions he no longer needs them, since he is making the big time now. The minions are distraught and decide to follow Gru, but without him knowing.

Once Gru arrives, the Vicious 6 tease him, saying that Gru is just a child, but just then he steals the Zodiac Stone from them. The group, who is fierce and extremely villainous, come racing after Gru to retrieve the Zodiac Stone. Thus, it’s a good thing the minions followed Gru, because they are able to save him from the supervillains. However, during the chase, Gru gave the stone to a minion, who lost it.

Gru is so furious, he leaves the minions for good, only to be kidnapped by a villain named Wild Knuckles, who takes Gru to San Francisco. Wild Knuckles was once a member of the Vicious 6, but they kicked him out and took the Zodiac Stone from him. So, of course, Wild Knuckles wants the stone from Gru and wants to destroy the Vicious 6.

However, the minions don’t know where the stone went. Will the minions be able to find the stone and save Gru from the Vicious 6?

MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU has New Age elements centered on a plot of finding a Zodiac Stone, which will give special powers to anyone who uses it. The movie also mentions the Chinese New Year, a Yoga Guru and using an inner force to defeat others. Despite all this, the movie also has moral, redemptive elements stressing sacrifice and helping others, even if it puts you in danger. At his core, Gru really isn’t a villain. He’s just someone who wants a family.

MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU is a funny, entertaining movie but has some characters and action violence that may scare younger children. The minions themselves are cute, hilarious, adorable, and loyal, but the villains in the movie are very scary and grow to be even scarier toward the end. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for younger and older children.

‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ Review: The Twinkie-Shaped Horde Picks Sides in This Delightfully Silly Sequel

The fifth movie in the 'Despicable Me' franchise genially bridges the hench-whozits' origin story with the rest of the franchise, featuring Gru in enfant terrible mode.

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

Chief Film Critic

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Every entry in the “Despicable Me” franchise is technically a Minions movie, since one way or another, the adorable yellow buggers manage to steal the show. But the fun thing about 2015’s stand-alone prequel was just that: It allowed the Minions to stand alone, pairing them with someone other than Gru for a change.

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With every film, Illumination ’s technique improves. But unlike some studios’ output, these movies aren’t showoffy in the slightest, using incremental advances (like the capacity to host set-pieces in various San Francisco neighborhoods) to support the action, rather than distracting from it. The creative team, led by director Kyle Balda, blends Three Stooges slapstick routines with the classic squash-and-stretch character animation of the golden era, while getting creative with how to stage such gags in three-dimensional space. (Consider the movie’s kung fu training section, which accomplishes most of its laughs through clever cutting.)

Everybody has idols. The Minions look up to their new “mini boss,” even though he’s no taller than they are at the moment. Meanwhile, Gru decorates his childhood bedroom (he still lives with mama Marlena, voiced by Julie Andrews) with pinups and action figures of the best baddies in the biz: Belle Bottom (Taraji P. Henson), Stronghold (Danny Trejo), Nunchuck (Lucy Lawless), Svengeance (Dolph Lundgren), Jean-Clawed (Jean-Claude Van Damme) and Gru’s personal favorite, the legendary Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin). Together, they form the Vicious Six. Thing is, you can never truly trust a supervillain, and midway through their latest heist — stealing the Zodiac Stone from its jungle hideout — Belle lets Knuckles fall to his likely death.

Hence the vacancy Gru so desperately covets. The kid shows up to interview for Knuckles’ old spot and is all but laughed out of the room. “Evil is for adults,” Belle tells him, “not for tubby little punks.” Refusing to go home empty-handed, Gru nabs the stone from right under their noses, sparking a high-stakes game of hot potato. The agitated quintet comes after him, while Knuckles (who’s a lot harder to kill than anyone might have thought) also looks for a chance to recapture his prize.

Where do the Minions fit into all of this, you ask? The movie answers how Gru came to adopt them in the first place. If “Despicable Me” was about how three orphan girls make Gru an unlikely father figure, this one suggests the Minions were good practice for the job. But even though it’s nice to have a dedicated team of extra hands, Gru isn’t convinced that these silly, clumsy, earplug-looking assistants can earn their keep. They’re always messing things up. Like the Zodiac Stone theft. Pursued by five of the Vicious Six, Gru hands the prize off to a squatty, chatty, more-than-slightly SpongeBob-y new Minion named Otto (like the others, he’s voiced by Pierre Coffin in a high-pitched mix of surprisingly intuitive gibberish), who trades the magic stone for a pet rock.

Furious, Gru fires the lot of them, effectively putting the pressure on these bumbling groupies to earn their jobs back. And thus, the Minions reclaim their role as the movie’s main characters. But instead of dealing with the whole herd of them, director Balda focuses on Otto and everybody’s favorite trio — tall-and-skinny Kevin, one-eyed Stuart and attention-deficit mini-minion Bob — who all make their way to Northern California after Knuckles kidnaps their master (only to become his mentor).

Script-wise, “The Rise of Gru” takes a few too many shortcuts, as with the RZA character, who bikes off with the stone, then hands it over as soon as he’s asked. The movie is missing a scene in which Otto must convince him to give it back. This overly familiar franchise could use a chapter where misguided Gru really does manage to be evil for a time. Instead, everything here is in service of either a laugh or an easy emotional reaction (Balda pulls the Puss in Boots trick of making the Minions’ eyes real big when they’re trying to get their way). Six months into 2022, it’s the funniest film Hollywood has produced thus far. Audiences know what to expect, and Illumination delivers, offering another feel-good dose of bad behavior.

VIP+ Analysis: New ‘Minions’ Is End of 2020 Movie-Delay Mayhem

Reviewed at annecy animation festival (opener), june 13, 2022. mpa rating: pg. running time: 87 min..

• Production: (Animated) A Universal Pictures release and presentation of a Chris Meledandri production. Producers: Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy, Chris Reynaud. Executive producer: Brett Hoffman. Co-producer: Jean-Luc Florinda.
• Crew: Director: Kyle Balda. Co-directors: Brad Ableson, Jonathan Del Val. Screenplay: Brian Lynch, Matthew Fogel; story: Matthew Fogel. Editor: Claire Dodgson. Music: Heitor Pereira. Original songs and theme: Pharrell Williams.
• With: Steve Carell, Pierre Coffin, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Alan Arkin. (English, Minion dialogue)

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• DVD & Streaming

Minions: The Rise of Gru

• Action/Adventure , Animation , Comedy , Kids

Content Caution

In Theaters

• July 1, 2022
• Voices of Steve Carell as Gru; Pierre Coffin as The Minions; Alan Arkin as Wild Knuckles; Taraji P. Henson as Belle Bottom; Michelle Yeoh as Master Chow; Julie Andrews as Gru’s Mom; Russell Brand as Nefario; Jean-Claude Van Damme as Jean-Clawed; Dolph Lundgren as Svengeance; Danny Trejo as Stronghold; Lucy Lawless as Nun-Chuck

Home Release Date

• August 2, 2022
• Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson, Jonathan del Val

Distributor

• Universal Pictures

Movie Review

Most kids want to be doctors or firemen or astronauts when they grow up. But not 11-year-old Gru. As he grows up in the 1970s, Gru wants to become a super villain .

He already has a team of henchmen in the Minions (yellow, Twinkie-like characters who love to cause mischief but aren’t very good at it). His first evil lair is under construction. And he’s even invented a jet bike. Now he just needs to prove himself to the Vicious 6—a team of the world’s most famous bad guys—to realize his dream.

But the members of the Vicious 6 aren’t interested in the Minions’ mini boss. “You seriously think a puny little child can be a villain?” asks Belle Bottom, leader of the crew.

“Yes. I am pretty despicable,” Gru defends.

“Come back when you’ve done something evil to impress me!” Belle demands.

Gru doesn’t waste any time. He steals the Zodiac Stone (an ancient relic with mystical powers that the Vicious 6 stole themselves to take out the Anti-Villain League) from the Vicious 6 and dashes off.

Unfortunately, Gru entrusts the Stone to one of his Minions, who promptly loses it. And before Gru can get it back, he’s kidnapped by Wild Knuckles, former leader of the Vicious 6 who wants the Stone for himself to carry out revenge on his old squad for trying to kill him.

Now, it’s up to the inept Minions to track down the Stone and rescue Gru before the Vicious 6 can take over the world.

Positive Elements

The Minions may love mischief and mayhem, but they’re also very sweet. They don’t cause trouble for the sake of being mean, but rather because they think it’s funny and they think others will find it hilarious too.

Gru, despite his claims otherwise, is also pretty sweet. Yes, he loves to torture people trying to lose weight at the gym by gloatingly eating ice cream right in front of them. But he also allows his Minions to sleep in his bed when they have nightmares.

Gru and Wild Knuckles both learn the important lesson that they can’t do anything alone. And it’s important to have friends you can trust who will support you no matter what.

An old woman comes to the Minions’ defense when she sees they are getting beaten up. A man gives a Minion a ride out of the desert after he sees it is dying from the heat.

Spiritual Elements

The Zodiac Stone is mystical in nature, allowing the Vicious 6 to transform themselves and others into powerful animals. We see the Stone glow on its own several times, and when it’s first picked up, we see animal spirits fly into the Stone.

A kung fu master teaches the Minions to channel their “inner beast” which turns their eyes red, creates fire when they run and allows them to blast people with a gust of air created by their voices. The same person also works as an acupuncture therapist, and she has potent powers herself.

One of the Vicious 6 is called Nun-Chuck. She dresses as a nun, carries her nunchucks in the shape of a crucifix and can even be seen crossing herself in prayer. At times, she appears to levitate with a glowing light over her head—though it’s revealed that’s how she enters her ship, which is designed to look like a church organ. She calls Gru a “demon child” and shouts “Hallelujah” in response to some evil plans. The evil nun is quite likely one of many visual nods to icons from the 1970s, in this case, Mother Bernadette from The Exorcist .

At a funeral, the Minions dress as angels, complete with wings and halos. Gru’s mom meditates and does yoga with a guru. In their garbled Minion language, they perform a gospel-ized version of the Rolling Stones hit song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

Sexual & romantic Content

Minions have a penchant for having their overalls fall down. Accordingly, we see the bare behinds of a couple of them. Gru’s unclothed rear end is also partially seen as he dries himself after a shower. He dances around in a towel for a bit and we see him slap on some tighty whities.

A Minion tries to trade smooches for kung fu lessons (he is rejected). Several Minions dress as women, putting tennis balls in their dresses to look like human women in scenes played solely for humor. One Minion repeatedly shakes his backside while dancing.

After falling onto a bed of spikes, a man grabs hold of a spike between his legs to help him sit up.

We hear a number of songs from the ‘70s, including these lines from KC and The Sunshine Band’s smash 1975 hit “Get Down Tonight”: “Do a little dance/Make a little love/Get down tonight.”

Violent Content

We see someone fall thousands of feet into a river, apparently sealing his doom. But that character shows up later with nothing more than a black eye to show for it.

A man falls into a booby trap and nearly gets stabbed by a bed of spikes. (His limbs somehow all fall in between them, but we see the skulls of other not-so-lucky victims.) He is also attacked by hundreds of golden robots in the shapes of animals.

Several bad guys, including Gru, drive recklessly, sometimes causing crashes. (They also purposely smash up some cars during a car chase.) Characters get into fights throughout the film. And while they mostly come out unharmed, some henchmen are seen wearing casts after an encounter with a kung fu master.

Belle Bottom uses the Zodiac Stone to transform into a giant snake. She then eats a Minion and blasts Wild Knuckles with fire (though both survive their respective attacks). The Vicious 6 also tie Gru to a clock tower, which works as a type of stretching rack until the Minions save him.

Wild Knuckles threatens to kill Gru with a giant spinning blade on a huge record player playing disco music, claiming that if the disco doesn’t kill him, the blade will. But he eventually turns the machine off.

A man’s fingers are slammed in a door. Gru is dangled over a balcony by some henchmen. He and Wild Knuckles are both nearly eaten by the latter’s pet crocodiles. A man gets electrocuted (we see his skeleton when this happens), but he is OK. The Vicious 6 destroy Wild Knuckles’ house.

A Minion gets set on fire (and we later see him charred black but completely unharmed). Another Minion hits his fellow with a hammer. One gets attacked by a duck.

Basically comedically violent pratfalls continue to be the name of the game in this movie from start to finish.

Crude or Profane Language

None. But we hear the terms “heck,” “sucker,” “stupid” and “idiot,” which some parents may not want their kids repeating. Gru exclaims, “Holy Guacamole.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

None. However, parents and teens may notice a reference to hotboxing when a car fills with smoke from a cassette tape explosion (especially since a Minion hops out and starts blowing smoke rings). This scene is another clear wink at marijuana use in the ‘70s, albeit one that parents will get and young children almost certainly won’t.

Other noteworthy Elements

Gru claims to be despicable, and while his offenses are pretty minor, it’s important for kids to know not to repeat them. He and the Minions cheat at arcade games, use a cheese-ray gun to get free ice cream and then mock gym members with that same ice cream. (The Minions also first tricked Gru into hiring them by using a water hose to mimic rain.)

People steal, kidnap and lie. A man fakes a heart attack so his partner can break into a bank. Later, he fakes his own death to evade authorities.

There are multiple jokes about flatulence throughout the film. (Gru releases a flatulence bomb into a movie theater so he can watch Jaws with his Minions.) One Minion is sucked into an airplane toilet. The Bank of Evil (which is used by villains) is accessed through a urinal. A Minion sneezes into another’s mouth. The Minions fly a plane full of passengers haphazardly, scaring them and making a few turn green.

Gru is mocked by his classmates for wanting to become a super villain. Several Minions are mean to Otto, another Minion, for talking too much (and Gru yells at him to “shut his yapper” after Otto disappoints him).

Multiple scenes involving a motorcycle rider in the desert pay visual homage to the 1969 countercultural statement movie Easy Rider .

Everyone, even villains , needs friends they can count on.

Wild Knuckles formed the Vicious 6 because he wanted to do bad stuff with his buddies. But they didn’t care about the old geezer nearly as much as they did about having power . So they betrayed him, leaving Knuckles alone and lonely.

Gru thought he wanted to join the Vicious 6—so much so that he fired his loyal Minions once he was offered an interview with the group. But after witnessing Wild Knuckles’ heartbreak, Gru realizes that he doesn’t need the coolest, baddest friends around. He needs friends he can trust. And the Minions, despite their many failures, have never let him down when it truly mattered.

That’s a nice little message to come out of a film that centers around despicable villains who kill (or at least try to) and kidnap others. But despite the Vicious 6’s threats and best attempts, nobody actually dies here.

Then there are the Minions. They’re practically indestructible. You can set them on fire, smash them with a hammer or even drop a safe on their heads, and they’ll still come out smiling. In fact, the only problem there is that you may need to remind your kids not to imitate their silly, slapstick antics at home.

Language and overt sexual content are nonexistent. We do see a few of the Minions (and Gru’s) naked behinds, but it’s played for kiddy giggles.

In fact, the main things for parents to be mindful of are likely a bunch of allusions only they will get, some of which flirt with being ever so slightly naughty. The KC and The Sunshine Band lyric referenced above is the most blatant offender here. Likewise the visual nods to pot smoking and The Exorcist’ s nun. We also get an homage to the silhouetted figures at the beginning of every James Bond film in the 1970s (although here, they’re not sensual at all.)

Elsewhere, references to Jaws , Evel Knievel’s Snake River Canyon Jump, roller skating and bell-bottom jeans round out the list of winks at a decade many people have tried to forget ever since.

These things will go straight over the heads of most littles. In fact, there were a few that went over my own. But it’s still something parents may want to be aware before buying tickets this otherwise innocuous, often joyfully innocent film.

Emily Tsiao

Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.

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Minions: The Rise of Gru

Where to watch.

Watch Minions: The Rise of Gru with a subscription on Prime Video, rent on Fandango at Home, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Apple TV.

What to Know

The Minions ' antic shenanigans are beginning to grate despite this sequel's injection of retro chic, although this loony marathon of gags will still delight young children.

Minions: The Rise of Gru might not be the best of the series, but it's got all the colorful silliness that fans of the franchise will be looking for.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Steve Carell

Taraji P. Henson

Belle Bottom

Michelle Yeoh

Master Chow

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Jean Clawed

Movie Clips

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‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ Review: They’re Yellow but Not Mellow

This latest edition featuring the animated creatures is an origin story of sorts for their master, Gru.

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By Glenn Kenny

The cartoon characters called Minions , sufficiently popular to anchor two ostensibly discrete animated film franchises, are diminutive capsule-shaped yellow yammerers outfitted in goggles and overalls, whose bearing for the most part is simultaneously hyper and insouciant. While one of their number seems a relatively competent D.J., the remainder of this innumerable lot aren’t very adept, especially as henchminions. Kids love them. Parents, as far as one can see, tolerate them.

Their latest outing, directed by Kyle Balda, Brad Abelson and Jonathan Del Val, is “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” in which the arguably epicene creatures again try to help out their master Gru — only, as the title implies, Gru here is a kid and it’s the cartoon 1970s. The movie opens with a nostalgia-inducing, feel-good Earth, Wind and Fire song, no surprise given contemporary movie convention, as the gang called the Vicious Six engages in Indiana-Jones-style high jinks for a heist of a supernatural stone. Double crosses ensue: The Vicious Six try to ax their senior member, Wild Knuckles (voiced by Alan Arkin), and little Gru auditions for the gang, then makes off with the aforementioned stone after being insulted by the baddies.

The title characters have classic toon precedent — remember the maladroit elves in Tex Avery’s 1950 “The Peachy Cobbler,” or the gremlin in that Bugs Bunny cartoon? The peculiar nonchalance of the Minions is funniest when they hijack an aircraft and successfully fly it to San Francisco without having a clue as to what they’re doing.

Throughout, the gang speaks speedy gibberish derived from at least six recognizable European languages — a westernized variant of Stitch-speak, maybe. Michelle Yeoh lends her voice to a character who’s both Kung Fu master and acupuncturist. And that’s all, folks — amiable and colorful as it is, the movie is also spectacularly inconsequential.

Minions: The Rise of Gru Rated PG for action, violence and rude humor. Running time: 1 hour 27 minutes. In theaters.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Minions: The Rise of Gru

The untold story of one twelve-year-old's dream to become the world's greatest supervillain. The untold story of one twelve-year-old's dream to become the world's greatest supervillain. The untold story of one twelve-year-old's dream to become the world's greatest supervillain.

• Brad Ableson
• Jonathan del Val
• Matthew Fogel
• Brian Lynch
• Steve Carell
• Pierre Coffin
• 606 User reviews
• 159 Critic reviews
• 56 Metascore
• 1 win & 18 nominations

Top cast 54

• The Minions

• Wild Knuckles

• Belle Bottom

• Master Chow

• Gru's Mom

• Jean-Clawed

• VNC Announcer

• Mr. Perkins

• Silas Ramsbottom
• Brad Ableson (co-directed by)
• Jonathan del Val (co-directed by)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia The original soundtrack contains cover versions of 1970's hits, while in the movie, contains the actual versions by their respective artists. For example, "Goodbye to Love" is performed by Phoebe Bridgers on the soundtrack, while in the movie, it is performed by The Carpenters .
• Goofs In the Bank of Evil, Vector's father shows us the same photo that was on his desk in Despicable Me (2010) . This would put Vector's age at least the same as Gru's. In the first film, young Gru watches the moon landing. In this film he's supposed to be 11 years old. Set in 1976, that would make young Gru 4 years old in 1969.

Gru : [to Otto] Did you just trade my future for a PET ROCK?

• Crazy credits In a mid-credits scene, Gru hires Dr. Nefario in gratitude for an invention of his that helped him steal the stone. Nefario originally declines but decides to join him after he and the Minions beg, giving them a ride on a jet, similar to the one Gru would ride in the future.
• Alternate versions Chinese version adds an addendum which states that Wild Knuckles was caught by the police.
• Connections Edited from The Boss Baby (2017)
• Soundtracks Shining Star Written by Philip Bailey , Larry Dunn (as Lorenzo Dunn), Maurice White Performed by Brittany Howard feat. Verdine White Brittany Howard appears courtesy of ATO Records

User reviews 606

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• Aug 2, 2022
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• July 1, 2022 (United States)
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• $80,000,000 (estimated)
• $370,270,765
• $107,010,140
• Jul 3, 2022
• $940,203,765

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 27 minutes
• Dolby Digital
• IMAX 6-Track
• Dolby Surround 7.1

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'Minions: The Rise of Gru' Review: Villains Abound in this Action-Packed Origin Story

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What does it take to become a world-renowned supervillain? Minions: The Rise of Gru , Illumination's latest installment in the Despicable Me franchise out this Friday, explores this question and more as it traces the origin story of everyone's favorite power-hungry supervillain, Gru ( Steve Carell ). Set in the 1970s, Minions: The Rise of Gru situates itself in between Minions and Despicable Me timeline-wise. The Minions, including Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and a new braces-clad Minion named Otto ( Pierre Coffin ) have just answered Gru's wanted ad and are now helping their mini-boss build his first basement lair, design his first set of super weapons, and carry out his very first super scheme. Gru, though, he's ready for the big time. He's ready to join the Vicious 6, a notorious supervillain supergroup, and he's fairly certain that's a leap he's got to make on his own — without the Minions' help.

Meanwhile, the Vicious 6 have ousted their leader, Wild Knuckles ( Alan Arkin ) and are hosting interviews to fill his spot. While they do initially extend an interview invitation to Gru, once this 11-year-old boy shows up, the group is unimpressed. They don't need some kid tagging along! Yet just as this notorious crew underestimates Gru, he outsmarts them, setting in motion the film's non-stop action heist adventure. Gru is on the run, the Minions must learn Kung-Fu to save him, and it's not long before Gru realizes that even the most despicable villains are better off with friends by their side.

RELATED: 'Minions: The Rise of Gru' Clip Shows the Minions Preparing to Fight

Starting with the original Despicable Me , this franchise has always hit its strongest stride when pairing the wild action sequences and insanely creative weaponry of villainous heists with tender-hearted moments of empathetic connection. One of the most powerful aspects of Gru's character from the onset has been the fact that his cold, power-hungry heart thaws for the people who matter most. Whether that's his eventual adopted daughters, his faithful Minions, or other villains struggling with loneliness and insecurity, Gru's superpower has always been connection — proving that he does deserve the love his mother never seemed interested in showing him. Here, in his origin story, we get to see this essential core nature of his character on full display in a way that aligns well with where we know his story will eventually lead in 2010's Despicable Me.

This movie positions Gru as a naïve, impressionable, yet at the same time wise-beyond-his-years boy at its heart, but the film's lifeblood is a fun, fast, bounty of villainous vendettas. Instead of focusing too long on one storyline, a trap the original Minions movie seemingly fell prey to, this heist bonanza switches from storyline to storyline faster than a gaggle of whack-a-moles. This frantic energy keeps the momentum at top speed, constantly leaving us on the edges of our seats, wondering when each of these villains, all chasing one another to varying degrees, all desperate to achieve their various goals, will collide and what mayhem will then ensue.

While we get to spend ample time in this fun summer sequel with all the characters we already know and love, Minions: The Rise of Gru also introduces exciting new cast members. In the Vicious 6 alone we've got Jean Clawed ( Jean-Claude Van Damme ) armed with a huge robotic claw, Nunchuck ( Lucy Lawless ) who keeps her deadly nun-chucks concealed underneath her seemingly pious get-up, Svengeance ( Dolph Lundgren ) a Swedish rollerskating agent of death, Stronghold ( Danny Trejo ) who's got huge hands primed for fighting, and their maniacal leader Belle Bottom ( Taraji P. Henson ) dead-set on proving that her crew is NOT to be messed with — especially by some young punk. And outside this crew is Master Chow ( Michelle Yeoh ) a wildly talented Kung Fu master spending her days treating patients as an acupuncturist. The Minions turn to her in their time of need, and the lessons she provides do not disappoint. All of these fun new characters are delightfully inventive and if anything, we don't get to spend long enough with them.

But that is part of the fun of these Minions movies. The fast-paced, vaudevillian-style humor keeps us laughing despite the fact that we never really have any clue what any of the Minions themselves are saying. This movie affords itself more surface-level moments with lesser-developed villains because of the relationships we're immediately invested in between Gru and his Minions. Gru thinks he's outgrown these Minions — starter henchmen who constantly make his life far more complicated than it ever needed to be in the first place. But Gru's frustration with his Minions is the frustration of teamwork, the frustration of collaborating with folks who aren't necessarily blindly following your will despite the fact that they chant their blind devotion to their mini-boss over and over and over again. Getting to see Gru and the Minions' relationship deepen over the course of this movie is a profound inquiry into what you do or don't need to sacrifice in order to reach higher heights and achieve ambitious success.

Why are these children's movies about world-dominating villains so fun? Because at their core, they're not about anything evil at all. Minions: The Rise of Gru, like the other Despicable Me films, uses the guise of villainy to explore how broken people turn to ambition and validation to compensate for all the love missing in their lives. While we may not all be able to relate to or approve of a little boy who cheese-rays innocent bystanders or fart-bombs an entire movie theater, we can instantly feel compassion for that same little boy's desperate search for validation. Gru wants more than anything to join a group. To be wanted. And even though his sweet Minions have already adopted him as their fearless leader, he wants more. He wants better. More prestige. Over the course of this film, it's the exploration of that desperate search for connection and validation that imbues a silly animated movie about evil supervillains full of heart. At the end of the day, we see that even the evilest of supervillains benefits from a little collaboration and companionship. Minions: The Rise of Gru proves that even the worst of the worst, as it turns out, get by better with a little help from their friends.

Catch Minions: The Rise of Gru in theaters this Friday, July 1, 2022.

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Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) Review

THE RISE OF IMPROVEMENT FOR THIS

Animated prequel endeavor.

In 2015, Illumination Entertainment released Minions , an animated spin-off tale to the Despicable Me series, and offered plenty of cartoon mischief for fans of the franchise. Directed by co-director Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda, the movie, which starred Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton, and Allison Janney, followed the journey of the Minions (focusing on characters Bob, Stuart, and Kevin) as they travel the world in search of a new leader to follow as well as stopping the efforts made by popular supervillain named Scarlett Overkill. Despite facing mixed reviews and thoughts from both critics and moviegoers alike, Minions , which was praised for its animation, voice acting, and score, was a surprising and major box office success, raking in roughly $1.15 billion at the global box office as well as becoming the fifth highest grossing film of 2015. Thus, given the amount of money that the film had received during its theatrical run, a sequel Minions movie was eventually put into the works following the release of 2017’s Despicable Me 3 . Now, almost seven years later since the release of the first film, the Minions are back and ready to get caught up in more maniac tomfoolery in the movie Minions: The Rise of Gru. Is this sequel-prequel worth a look or has the franchise itself run of ideas for these small, yellow pill-shaped creatures?

In 1976, Gru (Steve Carrell) is a young evil mastermind; working on his ultimate plan to become the world’s most notorious supervillain, with his Minion henchmen happily working for their “mini boss”. Looking for inspiration, Gru finds hero worship in the Vicious 6, a super team of villains that includes Stronghold (Danny Trejo), Svengeance (Dolph Lundgren), Jean-Clawed (Jean-Claude Van Damme), Nun-Chuk (Lucy Lawless), and Belle Bottom (Taraji P. Henson) and during an operation to retrieve the all-powerful Zodiac Stone, the gang turns on their founder, Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin), leaving him for dead. Learning of the new position opened in the elite group of supervillains, Gru applies for a chance to join the Vicious 6, only to be laughed out of the room. Although, Gru, on his way out, swipes the Zodiac Stone from the bad guys, commencing a fierce battle for ancient magic control that finds Gru encountering Wild Knuckles, learning more about the ways of evildoing from experience master who (in turn) wants to exact revenge on his former team. At the same time, some of Gru’s Minions, including Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto (Pierre Coffin) head to San Francisco, receiving some unexpected kung fu training from Master Chow (Michelle Yeoh) along the way, as they search for their “mini-boss” and the Zodiac Stone.

THE GOOD / THE BAD

I will say that Despicable Me franchise is the flagship staple of Illumination Entertainment. While the animated studio has other films in their catalogue (i.e., The Secret Life of Pets , Sing , and The Grinch ), Despicable Me is the one that has been expanded upon the most; providing plenty of cartoon humor and zany mischief that incorporates heart and warmth, especially in Gru’s relationship with his three adopted daughters. 2015’s Minions was an off shoot of the main series, with the prequel primarily focusing on the origins of the Minions in a time before meeting with Gru and, while that’s an interesting notion to present, the results were (at least to me) a bit of a mixed bag. Sure, the animation was great, and the voice talents were solid across the board (I personally loved Bullock as Scarlett Overkill), but the film itself (as many would come to realize) was a bit too weak to solely focus on the exploits and misadventures of three Minions characters. There just wasn’t enough substance to make a story centered around Bob, Kevin, and Stuart…. let alone an entire dedicated feature film to them. Plus, most of the movie’s jokes and gags were a bit “hit or miss”. I sure did laugh at few of them, but those were few and far between. Even more to the point, Minions lacked the emotional heart that the main Despicable Me subtly provided within the endeavor that, while not as palpable as say a Disney or Pixar film, still provides plenty of context to make it wholesome. Thus, in the end, Minions , despite having its fair share of problems, provide to be a an effective, yet imperfect spin-off endeavor; acting as a sort of “pit stop” or “steppingstone” placeholder for moviegoers until Despicable Me 3 came out.

Of course, this brings me back to talking about Minions: The Rise of Gru , a 2022 animated film, the fifth Despicable Me movie of the series, and the second installment of the Minions prequel narrative. Given how the 2015 ended, there was a little bit of room to provide a further continuation of this spin-off project, but it wasn’t fully there….at least for me. After the release of Despicable Me 3 in 2017, I was satisfied with the franchise, but felt like it had run its course a bit and really didn’t need a Despicable Me 4 . Nevertheless, when it was announced that Minions 2 would be coming out, I was little bit leery about it, especially since that means that franchise would be returning back to the main focus of Minions and not so much on Gru and his family life of Margo, Edith, and Agnes as well as recent love interest Lucy. After its initial announcement, I really didn’t hear much about the upcoming film until sometime after the film’s movie trailers started to appear online and in “coming attractions” previews at the movies. From the trailers alone, the new Minions looked to be something a little bit better than its 2015 predecessor, which featured more of the character of Gru, a younger iteration of the character, and have more of a plot than just the Minions trying to be find a new master / boss. Thus, I was bit more interested in seeing Minions: The Rise of Gru was originally going to be released in theaters on July 3 rd , 2020. Unfortunately, the film was one of the many 2020 movies that got delayed and shuffled around due to the on-going effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; further pushing back the new movie from 2020 to 2021, and then one last time in 2022, with a firm theatrical release date set for July 1 st , 2022. I did the film a week after its release, but I had to get a few other movie reviews done and completed before tacking this particular animated feature. And what did I think of the movie? Well, both good and bad. While the feature does have its fair share of problems, Minions: The Rise of Gru has plenty goofy and large-than-life moments to make this Despicable Me prequel installment superior to its Minions predecessor. It’s still not quite as a good as the original Despicable entries, but it’s still plenty of zany and wacky fun throughout the cartoon feature.

Minions: The Rise of Gru is directed by Kyle Balda, whose previous directorial works includes co-directing 2015’s Minions as well as Despicable Me 3 and co-director for The Lorax . Given his overall familiarity with the Despicable Me franchise, Balda seems like a quite the reasonable (and suitable) choice to helm this latest project in this series; approaching the material with the same type of finesse and energy as he did with the previous two Despicable Me endeavors. To that end, Balda succeeds by creating a very kid-friendly and fun cinematic cartoon adventure for its various character to bounce around in for some harmless “juice box crowd” entertainment. While I did mention above that the first Minions movie felt a bit disjointed because the movie didn’t have much of a central plot nor a proper focus on its main characters, The Rise of Gru refocuses on that notion by placing a larger emphasis on the character of Gru, who is a younger iteration of the character from Despicable Me movies and not quite the “supervillain” that he would later become. Thus, Balda makes the movie exactly the “rise of Gru” by intertwining the film’s plot to make the character show his rise to villainy as a young age, including seeing a few callbacks and references to the main features. This then makes the film itself feel more like a direct prequel to the original Despicable Me feature (and its subsequent sequels) than the previous Minions flick and definitely has more substance to it than what was previously done. Like before, the movie will definitely strike a strong chord with its target audiences quite well, with lots of maniac and zany mischief and fun that is customary for a Despicable Me movie. Of course, this being a Minions 2 endeavor, Balda knows that many viewers have come to see the actual Minions character themselves of which they are plenty to see and laugh over in the film. The Rise of Gru , while having a better connection with the Despicable Me movies, is still a Minions feature; finding the likes of the little mischiefs running around and getting into all sorts of trouble is the order of the day. It works and provides plenty of humorous scenarios that are littered throughout. I did always like the Minions characters in the Despicable and it’s still great to see them again, especially though all the jokes and gags that await in this sequel motion picture.

This goes into another big part of Balda’s contribution to the movie, which is how fun The Rise of Gru. Yes, despite its problems and shortcomings, the movie itself is a fun ride to go on and, while it doesn’t hit all the right notes exactly, it’s still a entertaining to sit through. Of course, the younger audiences will enjoy more than the adults out there, but the movie is design for the “juice box” crowd in mind. Nevertheless, the overall enjoyment fun of the feature is worth a positive for me as it was an amusing animated film to just watch and get lost in for a good hour and half. Looking beyond, I would also say that the film’s pace moves at a pretty brisk pace. With the feature having a runtime of only 87 minutes (one hour and twenty-seven minutes), there is not a whole lot of bloated feeling in the movie, which is kind of a good thing, with Balda keeping his “eye on the prize” to make the feature function properly. Some substance could’ve been added a bit more, but more on that below. Suffice to say that Balda makes The Rise of Gru lean enough for its lean runtime to be effective by never straying away from the main plot and / or filled with unnecessary subplot threads. In the end, while not the absolute best, The Rise of Gru manages to be make the most of its narrative, with plenty of comedic angst and gags littered throughout as well as Balda keeping the feature light on its toes.

In terms of presentation, The Rise of Gru is solid animated feature; finding its dazzling array of colors have a very vibrant display throughout many of the feature’s scenes. Given the film’s narrative time setting (circa 1976), Balda and his team utilizes the 70s period throughout the feature, with the backdrop looking alive with its visual aesthetics as well as the costume outfit attire for many of its characters. Thus, the film’s era is nicely represented through its presentation, with Illumination Entertainment utilizing the latest CG effects and computer wizardry / artistry to bring this particular cartoon movie with such great detail. Seriously…. the level of detail that was used in The Rise of Gru was amazing and is definitely one of the studio’s best-looking films (as of reviewing this movie) to date. This, of course, means all the visual artiste team, the entire art department team, and cinematography work on the project should be commended for their work on the movie. Lastly, while the film’s score, which was composed by Heitor Pereira, is great and definitely helps bolster a lot of the various parts of the film through the usage of musical composition building, The Rise of Gru features a lot of songs in the picture and are quite fun to listen to throughout.

Unfortunately, The Rise of Gru isn’t quite as awesomely great, with the movie being weighed down by some problematic areas. These points of criticisms don’t derail the movie from being enjoyable, but hold the feature back from reaching cartoon greatness. Perhaps the most apparent in the film is the overall predicable nature of the film’s plot….and what goes along with that. Yes, the main story in The Rise of Gru is indeed quite the formulaic conception, with the narrative trending familiar territory quite often that it becomes a bit redundant at times. This, of course, means the movie’ script, which was penned by Matthew Fogel and Brian Lynch, doesn’t really color outside the lines of your standard animated feature film endeavor, with a set of problems that are atypical to follow, challenge, and eventually overcome in a very traditional manner. Sometimes this can be a good thing, but not in the case of The Rise of Gru , which does “drop the ball” in this category; producing a narrative that, while fun at times, is quite stale and predictable. To even had more salt to the wound, most of the narrative structure for the film is a bit haphazardly put together, with the movie feeling disconnected at times. Yes, I did praise Balda for keeping the feature more focused that the previous Minions movie, but still doesn’t help the fact that the feature’s story feels lacking in substance, especially in a few certain scenarios and even the film’s final big conflict.

This creates a sort of unbalanced feeling in several crucial parts, which hamper the movie down. The Rise of Gru could’ve been something a bit more with a beefed-up finessing in the storyboard process, but it just wallows in its predictable narrative as well as its underwhelming balance of juggling everything together. It wasn’t a complete “deal breaker” for me, but for some out there….it might. Additionally, struggles to find a medium within its heart and emotional. Well, basically, the movie doesn’t really have that much emotional heart. Much like the first Minions flick, The Rise of Gru doesn’t have that emotional connection. Of course, there is a slight one with the bond between Gru and White Knuckles, but that’s very strenuous and shouldn’t be the “crutch” for the entire feature. This (again) goes back to the unbalanced nature that the film has, including some of the film’s character getting sidelined.

Much like the previous movies in the franchise, the greatest strength of the movie lies within the various recognizable voice talents that brings these colorful characters with strong (and almost) memorable performances more so than the actual story being told in the animated endeavor. The Rise of Gru fits perfectly into the category, with the cast involved on the project elevating the points of criticism that weigh the feature down. However, some of these characters fell a bit generic and underwhelming in the feature. Perhaps the best (of course) in this Minions movie are the actual the Minions themselves, especially in the primary focus of Bob, Stuart, and Kevin. Like in the 2015 film, these three characters, who are once again voiced by Pierre Coffin, are the feature’s “bread and butter”, with a large emphasis on their personal journey to help find and save Gru. Additionally, each one as their own personal quirks and traits that are displayed, with Kevin being the leader of the trio, Stuart being the youngest of them, and Bob is more of the comic idiot (as the movie points out several times). Collectively, this trio works together much like the “three stooges”, with the group running around and getting caught up larger events. It worked in Minions (to a certain degree) and The Rise of Gru further proves that point by refine them slightly and make room for other major players in the narrative, which helps bolster the film more efficiently. Interestingly, the movie also introduces a new Minion character called Otto, who is also voiced by Coffin, and it’s quite an amusing journey that he goes solo on.

Behind Coffin, it’s also nice to see that actor Steve Carrell returning to his Despicable Me character in The Rise of the Gru as (of course) the younger version of Gru. Known for his roles in The Office , Foxcatcher , and The Big Short , Carell is no stranger to this particular cartoon franchise; headlining most of the films with his comical supervillain role of Gru. In The Rise of Gru , Carell shares the limelight a bit more with Coffin’s Minion character, yet he is still quite vital to the main narrative in the film, which (again) feels more like direct connection to the main Despicable Me storyline. Throughout the movie, we (the viewers) see how Gru starts to become a supervillain and Carrell is up to the task to interject the same type of humor, energy, and zippy one-liners into the character. Thus, regardless of if one doesn’t really particular care for the movie, there is no denying the fact that Carrell’s reprisal of Gru is terrific fun.

Behind Carrell’s Gru, the character of Wild Knuckles, a former member of the Vicious 6 and who is voiced by actor Alan Arkin ( Little Miss Sunshine and Argo ). To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure that this particular character was going to get enough screen time, but sure enough he had plenty and actually became part of the part of the movie’s plot, especially as a mentor-like character to Gru. Plus, Arkin has fun playing such a role like Wild Knuckles, which makes the character than much more endearing from beginning to end. I personally liked him in the movie and I’m sure a lot will do as well. Another great supporting character in the movie is the role of Master Chow, an acupuncturist and kung fu master who helps the Minion on their quest to save Gru and who is voiced by actress Michelle Yeoh ( Crazy Rich Asians and Everything Everywhere All at Once ). Yeoh is put to the task of playing such a character in a Minions movie and one can tell she had fun playing the role of Master Chow, with plenty of cheekiness as well as playing up the “old school” kung-fu master from vintage 70s era feature films. Yet, despite that, I felt that the character could’ve had been added a bit more than what was given, especially since she’s presented during the second act and then quickly dismissed by the time the movie reaches its climax. Still, for better or worse, Yeoh is another voice talent that is welcomed addition to the movie.

On the villains’ side, the character of Belle Bottom, the newly appointed leader of the Vicious 6, gets the attention for some screen time throughout the movie and makes for an interesting main baddie. Voiced by actress Taraji P. Henson ( Hidden Figures and Empire ), Belle Bottom has a unique character design by rocking the classic 70s African American attire and vibe, which makes for a visual fun antagonist. Additionally, Henson completely owns the voice, and her bombastic voice and personality comes through Belle Bottom’s character in the spades. As for her written character, she’s pretty straightforward and not much of a backstory other than just a simple bad guy looking for world domination. Still, Belle Bottom makes for a fun main bad guy in The Rise of Gru . Perhaps the most disappointing characters in The Rise of Gru are the rest of the team members that make-up the Vicious 6, which is a little bit of a shock because the recognizable voice talents behind them. This includes actor Dolph Lundgren ( Rocky IV and Creed II ) as the roller-skate bad guy Svengeance, actress Lucy Lawless ( Xena: Warrior Princess and Spartacus ) as the nun-chunk wielding nun who goes by the name of Nun-Chuck, actor Danny Trejo ( Heat and Machete ) as the big metal hands baddie Stronghold, and actor Jean-Claude Van Damme ( JCVD and Double Impact ) as giant mechanic lobster claw villain as Jean-Clawed. For most part, these antagonists are merely there to round out the “bad guys” team in the Vicious 6 and really don’t make an impact on either the film’s narrative nor on their own respective villainy. That being said, these characters are good physical constructs, with the animation artist deliver some fun-looking designs for the villains. I sort of kind of expected this a few minutes into the movie, so it didn’t bother me as much, but I would’ve been better

The rest of the cast, including actress Julia Andrews ( The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins ) as Gru’s mother Marlena, actor Russell Brand ( Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Death on the Nile ) as Dr. Nefario, actor Steve Coogan ( Philomena and Alan Partridge ) as AVL agent Silas Ramsbottom, actor Will Arnett ( The LEGO Batman Movie and Up All Night ) as the banker teller and the Bank of Evil called Mr. Perkins, musician artist / actor RZA ( American Gangster and The Man with the Iron Fists ) as the unnamed biker who befriends Otto in the movie, and actors Jimmy O. Yang ( Crazy Rich Asians and Patriots Day ), Kevin Michael Richardson ( Mortal Kombat and Lilo & Stitch ), and John DiMaggio ( Futurama and Adventure Time ) as White Knuckles three unnamed henchmen. While are delegated to smaller roles in the feature (making their appearance in this movie), the other half are younger iterations of Despicable Me characters and are a welcome sight for their cameo-like appearance throughout the feature as well as the return of the voice talents that had previous played them before is a small yet delightful treat.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Looking to fulfill his dream of being a supervillain, a young Gru seizes an opportunity to claim a coveted prize, which sets off a chain of events that involves him, the villainous Vicious 6, and several of Gru’s loyal minions off on adventure in the movie Minions: The Rise of Gru . Director Kyle Balda’s latest film sets the return of the spin-off Despicable Me endeavor by providing a prequel-style animated tale is loads of fun to watch and offers comical escapism to all who watch it While the movie does falter slightly with its conventional / formulaic plot, unbalanced structure, and a few underwhelming characters, the film still does manageable to a surprise hit, especially thanks to the film’s lighthearted humor, fun entertainment, Balda’s direction in a few parts, a solid visual presentation, and some terrific voice talents. Personally, I thought that this movie was good. It wasn’t great as the Despicable Me movies, especially the first one, but it definitely was an improvement upon 2015’s Minion . Still, the film was amusing and fun to watch and I, for one, enjoyed for it was. A good animated distraction. Thus, my recommendation for the movie is a favorable “recommended” as I’m sure it will delight the younger “juice box” audience as well as being an acceptable family friendly movie viewing. The film’s ending leaves a little wiggle room open for a possible third Minions movie, but I’m not quite sure about it, but I do have feeling that one might materialize. Or maybe just a Despicable Me 4 would suffice. In the end, Minions: The Rise of Gru sets out what it was made to accomplish…. providing a comical and high energy filled animated feature that breezy, light, colorful, and easy to digest for a vibrant (and often humorous) viewing cartoon experience that’s filled with everyone’s favorite yellow-ish pill-shaped beings and their “mini boss”.

3.8 Out of 5 (Recommended)

Released on: july 1st, 2022, reviewed on: july 26th, 2022.

Minions: The Rise of Gru   is 88 minutes long and rated PG for some action/violence and rude humor

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Looking at Film from Every Angle

Review: Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)

Wesley Lovell

Minions: The Rise of Gru

Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson, Jonathan del Val

Matthew Fogel, Brian Lynch, Matthew Fogel

Steve Carell, Pierre Coffin, Alan Arkin, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, Julie Andrews, Russell Brand, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Danny Trejo, Lucy Lawless

MPAA Rating

Original preview.

Another trip to the cineplex for the critters that built Illumination, Minions: The Rise of Gru tries very hard to deliver on its promise of excessive and unending laughter with seriously mixed results.

While the minions themselves have always been brilliant punchlines, they’ve never been the kinds of characters that deserve their own film. The original Minions was a downgrade from the Despicable Me films and highlighted how quickly the simplemindedness of the creatures could wear thin. Yet, a second film was ordered because of the huge success of the mind numbingly-banal prior version and there’s no hint that they’ve managed to learn a lesson with this movie.

Minions: The Rise of Gru moves the story forward to 1976 where a precocious villain-in-the-making gets the opportunity to pledge his services to the notorious Vicious 6, a supervillain group who double-crossed its previous leader and is in need of a new member. Gru (Steve Carell) wants desperately to be part of the group he’s long looked up to, but his age and timidity earn him ridicule from the group, yet his inventiveness enables him to steal from them the artifact they plan to unleash on the Chinese New Year. The ineptitude of his minions and the reemergence of the fallen leader conspire to bring the multiple forces to bear against one another in a chaotic melee to end the film.

Individual bits in the film work, most notably the minions stealing and flying a plane to San Francisco, but they are parts of a flawed whole that struggles to maintain momentum, shifting from one segment of lunacy to another with the thinnest of plot threads to bring them together. That Michelle Yeoh got pulled into this mess and was given the role of a platitude-spouting acupuncturist who is also a former Kung Fu master is a disappointment for her fans and it ultimately adds almost nothing to the film itself.

Yeoh’s vocal performance matches the weakness of the character’s story arc, sounding weary only shortly before the audience feels the same. Pierre Coffin (as the main minion characters) never disappoints with his line delivery, not that he has much to do without understandable dialogue. Carell doesn’t fare much better while Alan Arkin, Taraji P. Henson, and others, who voice the major bad guys, sound like they are putting forth the smallest effort possible to get the film out the door without risking their reputations. It doesn’t entirely work, but you can’t blame actors for having nothing to work with.

Screenwriters Matthew Fogel and Brian Lynch manage to accomplish as a pair what Disney’s cadres of writers have to put forth with a large writers room: making the effort feel overfull with comic moments that don’t reveal deeper truths about the storyline.

Apart from the notion of individuality and discrediting age as a barrier to success, Minions: The Rise of Gru rides entirely on the fumes of its inept yellow punchlines. Someone passionate for these little characters and their barrel bottom-scraping humor will undoubtedly be delighted and some of the animation is strong. In the end, though, the only people likely to be thoroughly pleased by the entirety of the output are small children, who don’t understand narrative complexity to begin with, and ardent fans who don’t care if every joke lands as long as enough of them do to be entertaining.

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7 movies to watch if you liked Minions: The Rise of Gru

Directed by Kyle Balda, Minions: The Rise of Gru is an animated comedy movie that is a sequel to Minions and a prequel to Despicable Me. Starring the voices of Steve Carell, Pierre Coffin, Russell Brand, and others. After the audiences are introduced to a young Gru in the previous film , one now sees him as an 11-year-old boy who wants to become a super villain with the help of the minions.

He wants to become a part of the supervillain group 'Vicious 6' and even auditions to become their new leader. But he steals a precious stone and gets kidnapped by the group's ex-leader. It is now up to the minions to help save their master.

After the delayed release of the film by two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the movie was a success and was praised for its animation and humor. The movie also explored the deepening bond between Gru and the minions.

For those who enjoyed Minions: Rise of Gru , here are seven other movies to watch.

Kung Fu Panda, Hotel Transylvania, Megamind , and other movies to watch if you liked Minions: The Rise of Gru

1) megamind - amazon video.

Directed by Tom McGrath, Megamind revolves around Megamind, who is an intelligent alien supervillain. After defeating his nemesis, Metro Man, Megamind gets bored and decides to create a new villain. But trouble ensues when his creation goes out of control, and now Megamind has to play the role of the hero.

The movie spawned games, a short film, and a sequel. It was also praised for its visuals and humor. Just like Gru from Minions: The Rise of Gru and the Despicable Me series, Megamind is a traditional villain that has to turn into a good character.

2) The Angry Birds Movie - Netflix

Based on the superhit video game, The Angry Birds Movie brings back all the beloved characters on film. In the movie, Red, the grumpy bird, is an outcast bird on an island of other flightless birds. He is suspicious of the arrival of the green pigs and bands together with his friends, Chuck and Bomb, to save the island.

Just like Gru has a band of minions who obey him in Minions: The Rise of Gru, Red also turns into a hero when he saves the island. Both the movies have an unconventional protagonist, whom the audiences root for. And both of them are filled with adventure and humor.

3) Big Hero 6 - Amazon Video

Directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams, Big Hero 6 is about Hiro Hamada, a genius young boy with interest in robotics, and Baymax, a healthcare-provider robot of Hiro’s late brother Tadashi. Both of them form a superhero team to fight against the villain responsible for Tadashi’s death.

While the movie is based on fighting for good, which is opposite to the antics in The Rise of Gru. Both the movies have young protagonists and themes of family that play an important part in the Minions and Despicable Me franchise. The movie was praised for its emotional aspect and also has its own series, titled Baymax.

4) Spies in Disguise - Amazon Video

Directed by Troy Quane and Nick Bruno, the movie revolves around a secret agent, Lance Sterling, who becomes a pigeon by mistakenly ingesting a concoction made by a young scientist, Walter Beckett. The duo must also stop a revengeful cybernetic terrorist and bring Lance back into his human form.

Just like Minions: The Rise of Gru, the movie Spies in Disguise has a young boy at the center of action, and just like the minions and Gru work together, so do Lance and Walter. The movie also involves a lot of technology and supervillains, just like Minions: The Rise of Gru. The movie is a fun and fast-paced watch.

5) Penguins of Madagascar - Amazon Video

This is a spin-off of the Madagascar movies, directed by Eric Darnell and Simon J. Smith. Penguins of Madagascar takes place after the events of Madagascar 3. The audiences are once again entertained by the antics of Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private as they join an intelligence agency and have to race against time to stop a giant Pacific octopus, Dave.

Disguised as Dr. Octavius Brine, he wants revenge from all the penguins because he was ignored at the Central Park Zoo after the penguins’ arrival. Just like the three minions in Minions: The Rise of Gru, who each have their own personality, one also sees this in the four penguins. Both the movies also have a central villain—Brine and Knuckles—that has to be fought with.

6) Hotel Transylvania - Amazon Video

Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, the movie is about Count Dracula, the owner of the titular hotel, where monsters come to take rest in hiding from humans. But on the birthday of his beloved daughter, Mavis, a human traveler, Jonathan, ends up at the hotel.

The Count now has to stop the others from learning that a human has entered their place. The movie spawned a successful media franchise comprising of sequels, short films, video games, and a TV series. Just like Gru loves his daughters in the Despicable Me trilogy, so does the Count love his daughter. And in both movies, the traditional notion of a villain is twisted on its head for children to laugh and enjoy.

7) Kung Fu Panda - Amazon Video

Directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne, Kung Fu Panda is a critically acclaimed animated movie that revolves around Po, a naïve panda who loves martial arts. When a kung fu tournament is held in honor of the Grand Master Oogway, and to decide the next Dragon Warrior, Oogway unexpectedly selects Po.

The film then shows his dedication towards attaining the title of Dragon Warrior and also fighting off the snow leopard, Tai Lung. The movie has a great mix of adventure and comedy, like The Rise of Gru. It was also a breakout success and spawned sequels and TV series. It was also nominated at the Oscars for the Best Animated Feature.

Fans who loved the antics in Minions: The Rise of Gru and those who love animated movies can go through this list to select their next pick.

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