Review: “Minions & Monsters” is a giggly celebration of movies, both new and old

The Minions are in Hollywood in Minions & Monsters, the third instalment of the beloved franchise. But can the non-stop gags carry the film all the way through?

Is the "Minions" franchise the modern-day equivalent of "Looney Tunes"? These yellow creatures who speak their own language (Minionese) and have spent centuries serving different master villains can easily be thrown into any story.

Every time I watch a new Minions movie, I tend to remember the gags rather than the story, because most of the time the story never really matters. Minions & Monsters is the third instalment in their own standalone film franchise. Their "Despicable Me" master Gru is absent from this one (save for a few end credits jokes), but the Minions are now serving the big industry keeping them afloat: Hollywood.

After being noticed by a Hollywood director, "Minions & Monsters" follows the Minions' rise to film royalty as they churn out hits during the silent film era. As actors, they always strive for authenticity, usually doing their own stunts. If the director calls for a battle scene, they assume it is the real thing and put their war faces on.

The film exhausts its Hollywood setting with non-stop film references. Who would have expected George Lucas, voiced by the real George Lucas, appearing in a museum glass box because the industry told him so, or the Minions recreating the opening scene of "Citizen Kane" where the Minion says "boob" instead of "rosebud"? These are silly jokes that 90% of the intended audience will never understand. I found myself chuckling alongside a handful of parents in the opening minutes as the Minions disrupt scenes from the early silent era, including Georges Méliès' "A Trip to the Moon" and the Lumière Brothers' "The Arrival of a Train".

Funny as these moments are, they only land well early on. I glanced at my watch and there was an hour and twenty minutes left. I kept wondering how the film would sustain itself through to the end.

The remainder of "Minions & Monsters" is not bad at all, save for a poorly conceived villain. Over the course of the film, the Minions must learn the importance of heroism when others have failed to protect the city from an emerging threat. Coming in with no expectations, I was genuinely surprised to find actual substance here. The young audience will find something to love. 

“Minions & Monsters” gets ★★★☆☆.

“Minions & Monsters is opening in New Zealand cinemas on 25 June 2026.

Featured images from Universal Pictures.