This Illumination Flick Is the Best Animated Family Movie in Theaters Right Now

Minions & Monsters, the third standalone movie about the yellow scoundrels, has been released and has already become the highest-rated film in the entire Despicable Me franchise.

Director Pierre Coffin, known for the first three Despicable Me flicks, set the action in 1920s Hollywood this time. It's not just another adventure, it's a true love letter to the golden age of cinema.

What Is 'Minions & Monsters' About?

The story centers on three underdog minions: the dreamy director James, his supportive friend, Henry, and Ed, who is mute and communicates using sign language. In the 1920s, they accidentally stumble upon a film set and become silent film stars.

However, with the advent of sound, their careers are ruined – the minions don't speak English and can't stop laughing on camera. James then decides to make his own monster movie and uses a magical grimoire to summon real monsters.

This leads to the emergence of monsters that threaten to destroy the planet, forcing the minions to clean up their own mess.

'Minions & Monsters' Is a Witty Love Letter to the Golden Age of Hollywood

The first half of Minions & Monsters is the best thing that has ever happened to the franchise. The opening credits, set to a montage of iconic stills from early cinematic masterpieces where Minions replace the moon in Georges Méliès' masterpiece, are a genuine delight for cinephiles.

The filmmakers then unleash a satire of Hollywood's golden age studio system – with greedy producers, capricious directors, and the tragedy of changing eras.

The most hilarious scene features a minion resembling the dying tycoon from Citizen Kane uttering the meaningful "poop" instead of "Rosebud." However, the decision to turn the minions into victims of the transition to sound film is even funnier.

It's not just a collection of Easter eggs, it's a painstaking stylization in which the animators recreated the texture and lighting of early movies.

'Minions & Monsters' Stumbles in the Second Half, but There's Still a Genuine Sense of Creative Joy Throughout

Unfortunately, the second half of Minions & Monsters is noticeably inferior to the first. When the creators focus on making a commercial blockbuster, the movie reverts to the style of 1950s B-movies.

The parallel storyline about Dort, a robot who wants to enslave humanity but falls in love with a suffragette, is amusing but distracts from the main story.

Nevertheless, even in its second half, Minions & Monsters remains the best family movie at the box office – it's bright, witty, and incredibly charming.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Minions & Monsters'?

• Minions & Monsters has 89% from critics and 75% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.5/10.

• On Letterboxd, Minions & Monsters scored 3.3/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Minions & Monsters'?

Minions & Monsters is currently playing in theaters.