Minion 2022 story

You won't find any solace in the third instalment of the "Despicable Me" series, "Minions," if those tiny yellow critters from the first film and its follow-up drove you insane. The tracks by Pharrell Williams are also missing, as are Gru and his adoptive daughters.

Instead, the focus is on Gru's devoted sidekicks, who are supported by a 1960s-era Beatles-heavy soundtrack that must have cost a fortune in licencing.

The co-director Pierre Coffin-led minion species receives a genesis narrative that starts in the primordial soup and finishes 42 years before the present (Before Gru).

One would think that "Minions" is a ruthless cash grab by the greedy people at Universal because it eliminates the emotional moorings of this series.

But "Minions" is persistent in many other ways. The slapstick-infused escapades are relentlessly shown in a way that will enthral children and keep them riveted in their chairs.

The movie then constantly blasts every oldies station pop and rock song it can locate at the speakers, knowing the pressure parents were under when their aforementioned crumbsnatchers requested to see it.

The Turtles'

The Turtles' "Happy Together" serves as the theme song for "Minions," which also includes a piece from "Hair" that almost brings the film to a close the way Act 1 of that musical did.

As if that weren't enough, the voice cast also include actors like Jon Hamm from "Mad Men," Michael Keaton from "Birdman," and Sandra Bullock as Scarlett Overkill, Gru's sinister forerunner.

Our narrator, a witty Geoffrey Rush, walks us through the development of the minion before introducing us to the villainous Sandy Bullock. They emerged from the soup to serve T-Rexes, pharaohs, and even Napoleon, who, following an unfortunate cannon accident, exiled them to Antarctica.

Minion leader Kevin decides to find a new master for his fellows since he is tired of their miserable existence. When he asks for volunteers, only little by minion standards Bob and one-eyed Stuart respond.

This endearing foursome periodically breaks into music while travelling, singing in that absurd combination of Spanish, French, and who knows what else Coffin speaks for them. (Some of their talk, which I could understand, made me really nervous.)

One reason "Minions" will perform incredibly well abroad may be due to their lack of a distinguishable dialect. It won't be necessary to dub the film's primary characters in this instance.

This is also the reason why "Minions" is the "Despicable Me" movie best suited for younger moviegoers.

The minion's goal

The minion's goal is to get to the 1968 Villain-Con convention so they can meet potential villains there.

New York City, which is beautifully modelled, is their first trip. From there, they take a robbery family lead by Keaton and Alison Janney's car all the way to Orlando.

Prior to the movie's spectacular clothing sight gag, they make the most of their brief on-screen time by giving their lines a dynamic delivery.

Scarlett Overkill, whose purpose is similarly robbery but of a more royal sort, is much less entertaining than Keaton and Janney.

Overkill could have made better use of her last name while defining her traits. She has a fantastic entrance that showcases Bullock's best line delivery in the movie, but she is a very generic antagonist.

She is known for being the ne plus ultra of villains, although all she seems to do is yell. Scarlett is their Mount Everest since the minions' main goal in life is to serve the world's most despicable lords.

Kevin and his group

Kevin and his group gladly sign up for the audition because she's searching for fresh henchmen to assist her in stealing the crown jewels and ascending to the throne of England.

Unfortunately, Queen Elizabeth II won't be a simple target for Kevin and colleagues. In 1968, she is much more vivacious than she will be in 2015. The moment she meets the minions, she stomps them.

The Queen also strikes me as more of a Swingin' Sixties babe than the Helen Mirren character for which she won the Oscar, though I suppose she may be channelling Helen Mirren from 1968.

Jennifer Saunders is simply fantastic in the role, and she serves as the movie's hidden weapon combined with its colourful focus on its well-known locations.

The second half's attacks at everything British, like everything else in "Minions," arrive as a quick-fire barrage of non-stop jokes, and I can only image how they will be received in the United Kingdom.

A well-known character from the series makes an appearance in the movie's last moments, which can be interpreted as either the biggest fan service or as the setup for yet another prequel that will fill in the time between "Minions" and "Despicable Me."

I want to watch that movie. In actuality, the tale ought to have served as the movie's premise.

Whatever the case, we have to play the hand we are dealt. The screen's incessant thirst for approval is, to put it mildly, draining.

Slobbery dog

A large, slobbery dog named "Minions" turns into a cuddly kitten with big eyes and a heartfelt meow before bringing you your slippers and humps your leg.

So help me, I was unable to maintain my rage for very long. Every time it started to irritate me, it would act in a way that made me smile and accept it.

Remember that I love the minions, as I mentioned in my "Despicable Me 2" review. This movie requires fandom, and if you're not one, your kids probably are.

For them, smile and endure it since "Minions" is probably going to be impossible to avoid, just like the Pharrell song from the previous film.