Minions Steve Carell, Alan Arkin, Pierre Coffin, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lucy Lawless, Dolph Lundgren, Russell Brand, Danny Trejo, and Julie Andrews provide the voices for The Rise Of Gru.
Minions Kyle Balda directed the motion picture The Rise Of Gru, starring Jonathan del Val and Brad Ableson.
Minions 3.5 stars for the movie The Rise Of Gru
If you're keeping score, "Despicable Me 5" introduces us to 11-year-old Gru (Steve Carell), who aspires to be a supervillain. Given that Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin) has fallen from fame and The Vicious Six gang, the worst villains in the world is seeking someone new, you'd think it would be simple to do.
In "Minions: The Rise Of Gru," those annoying little banana-loving, gibberish-spitting yellow animals make a comeback. And what fun this new adventure turns out to be—exactly what a snappy, upbeat, enjoyable summer movie should be.
If you're keeping score, "Despicable Me 5" introduces us to 11-year-old Gru (Steve Carell), who aspires to be a supervillain. Given that Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin) has fallen from fame and The Vicious Six gang, the worst villains in the world is seeking someone new, you'd think it would be simple to do.
Gru is adamant that he is the real deal. He can let off the foulest fart bombs to empty a packed theatre or freeze people in a crowded supermarket to jump the line. Unfortunately, Belle Bottom (Taraji P. Henson), the Vicious Six's new leader, is unimpressed, and neither are the other gang members who mainly hang out and growl when necessary.
This movie aims to prevent the accompanying adult(s) from passing out from boredom, which is essentially what occurs when adorable little cartoon creatures go about spreading deathly heaviness. Since this movie is set in the early 1970s, there are many references to popular culture from that era, including Nun Chuck (Lucy Lawless), a nun who uses a nun chuck, Jean Clawed (Jean-Claude Van Damme), who has a big mechanical lobster for one arm, and a lot of tall afros and wide bell bottoms.
The more childish jokes can be laughed at by the kids, and here is where the minions come in. Otto, the annoying young Otto, is joined by our old friends Stuart, Bob, and Kevin. It's difficult to assign different identities to what are essentially just bright yellow blobs that squeak rather than speak. But after a little while, you can distinguish Otto from the others. One sign that he is needier is that he immediately trades a rock, which is the only thing that minions truly adore (apart from bananas), for a priceless gem that Gru has given him to guard.
So, Gru and his loyal henchmen are positioned alongside Knuckles as they combat the Vicious Six. The only aspect of your climax that doesn't feel brand-new is that it reminded me of a town hall brawl between humans and dinosaurs from only last week. This is a climactic cliche that never really seems to fade away. The remainder of it glitters.
Gru is never quite completely evil because of his clean appearance, which oddly never conflicts with his desire to be a supervillain. Minions are not either. The nasty things kids do are on a kindergarten level, so you can wipe, wash, and deal with them.
Because of this, we can have so much pure, unadulterated fun with them and at them, even when they take control of a plane and manage to avoid crashing it after a series of heart-pounding events—a great scene that will appeal to both children and adults.
And this time, Michelle Yeoh, a kung fu instructor, teaches the minions how to deal with guys who are a grade worse than themselves. But despite their claws and fangs, even the Vicious Six are pretty appealing.
Excellent animation is used. Some sequences, particularly those that take place in San Francisco and feature those winding roads and trams, are stunning. The fact that each character feels alive, though, is what really makes this movie shine. For a franchise picture whose characters are among the fastest-selling toys on the planet, it's quite a feat.