Minions – The Rise of Gru | Funny and captivating ★★★½

The Minions burst onto the world of animated film in 2010, stealing the show from their master, the not-so-bad villain Gru, in Despicable Me (Despicable Me). This first work from Illumination laid a solid foundation for the computer animation studio, which has since capitalized on the popularity of the clumsy little yellow creatures.

Danielle Bonneau
The Press

This fifth installment in the franchise distances itself from its predecessors while betting (but not too much) on the friendly characters in blue overalls. In this regard, we must not trust the trailers of the animated film, which let poor parents fear the worst by overexposing the stupidity of the Minions. The presence of the latter is much better measured in the feature film, which turns out to be very entertaining.

After realizing minions and Despicable Me 3 Kyle Balda takes over the controls of this new adventure, which precedes in time Despicable Me, and tells how the links were forged between the little yellow beings and the young Gru, aged 11 and a half (to whom Steve Carell still lends his voice, just a little higher). The pointy-nosed tween with the black and gray woolen scarf already aspires to become one of the world’s greatest villains and his idols are the six fearsome members of the malevolent group Vicious Six. When one of them is ousted by his accomplices, Gru volunteers to replace him. Rejected for being too young, he shows the five remaining Super-Villains what he is capable of by stealing an amulet with magical powers from them, incurring their wrath in the process. His plan obviously doesn’t go as planned when he entrusts the precious medallion to the devoted, rather simple-minded Minion Otto, who is going to exchange it for a stone. Follows a crazy pursuit into the dizzying streets of San Francisco.

The action takes place in 1976, in the era of bell bottoms and disco. Those who know how to count and have seen minions (which takes place in 1968) know that Gru couldn’t be so young in 1976. Never mind, since the chosen era is the perfect setting for a story with breathtaking twists, enhanced by high-quality dynamic computer animation with dazzling colors. The well-known songs selected by renowned record producer Jack Antonoff also set the tone for scenes full of sight gags.

Super Villains each have their own devastating abilities. Also joined is a talented martial arts instructor (voiced by Michelle Yeoh), who will stop at nothing to teach kung fu to the Minions who turn to her to save their master. The plot is also well served by emphasizing four faithful creatures, the illustrious Kevin, Stuart and Bob, as well as the newcomer Otto. Of course, what they say makes no sense, in a skilful mixture of French, English, Spanish, Italian and unintelligible exclamations. The merit goes entirely to the French animator Pierre Coffin, who again doubles the voices of the small characters with overflowing enthusiasm.

The inseparable yellow comrades are put to the test, in scenes of great creativity reminiscent of cartoons looney tunes (with Bugs Bunny and Co.) and the Three Stooges. The abuse they suffer and inflict on each other is fun, but may be intense for the little ones. Through the heat of the action, the creators managed to make young Gru likable by showing, as in the other films in the franchise, that beneath his misplaced dreams of grandeur lies a real desire to be loved and appreciated at fair value. He therefore accepts the hand extended by his friends, without deviating from his Machiavellian plans. You wouldn’t expect anything less from him.

Animation

Minions – The Rise of Gru
(VF Minions 2 – Once Upon a Time Gru)

Kyle Balda

With the voices of Steve Carell, Michelle Yeoh, Pierre Coffin

1:27 a.m.
Indoors

★★★½