Minions: The Rise of Gru will see smaller viewers rolling in the aisles
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The second prequel to the Despicable Me trilogy is set in the seventies and follows a 12-year-old Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), who dreams of becoming a super villain. When his idols, the Vicious 6, interview for a replacement, Gru steals a precious stone in order to impress them. However, a series of accidents mean Gru must go on the run from the group, while the Minions try their best to clean up the mess.
2015’s Minions became a huge hit thanks to maximising the little yellow sidekicks that had become the obsession of fans everywhere. Here it’s pretty much the same, with the spotlight being given to Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto (all voiced by Pierre Coffin) in an assembly line of skits designed to make kids laugh at all costs.
There’s a notable list of guest voices: Taraji P Henson, Jean Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Danny Trejo, and Lucy Lawless play members of the Vicious 6, with Alan Arkin as the group’s ousted leader and Gru’s mentor.
None of the stars get much to do other than broadly pay homage to seventies culture, although Michelle Yeoh is fun as Kung Fu teacher Master Chow, who trains the Minions to fight in a sequence that knowingly references the work of Bruce Lee.
Is it vastly different from the previous films? Not at all, but there’s still enough enthusiasm to disguise a series that is fast running out of ideas.
An inoffensive addition to the universe, Minions: The Rise of Gru is more of a brand extension than a prequel. It may drive their parents bananas, but the lightning fast slapstick will see smaller viewers rolling in the aisles.