New Minions Film "Minions & Monster" Premieres in Theaters

The plot begins in ancient Greece, where the Minions, on their search for a "Big Boss," encounter an evil sorcerer with a monster book. From there they travel by rowing boat to the "New World" and land in 1920s Hollywood. There they meet the set of a Western with a train robbery and cross paths with director Max, who is voiced in the original by Christoph Waltz.

Homage to the Silent Film Era

The film is clearly inspired by the early days of cinema: cameos of the Minions in works by the Lumière brothers, Georges Méliès' fantasy films, and slapstick classics of Charlie Chaplin run throughout the plot. Specifically, the film references Buster Keaton's "Steamboat Bill, Jr.," in which a house facade falls on the hero, as well as Chaplin's "Modern Times." Scenes from Méliès' "A Trip to the Moon" are also quoted.

A central role is played by a villain's magical book, which can summon various monsters. Among the creatures is Irene, an orange slime blob that devours everything and everyone. The villain Cyclops is one-eyed and driven by a childlike destructive frenzy. The Minions deliberately search for monsters in order to shoot a monster film that outshines everything that has come before.

"The Minions appear in all the classics – from Chaplin comedies to 'Citizen Kane' – before they decide to make their own monster film; from then on, the anarchic fun lets up a little," writes reviewer Christian Schachinger. The film is at once a homage to early cinema, which was characterized by action, anarchy, and lunacy.

Monsters, Magic, and Slapstick

In terms of character, the film reveals itself as a return of the "cinema of attractions": tumult, slapstick, and anarchy instead of thoughtful dramaturgy. According to Schachinger, the charm also lies in the fact that the signature of creator Pierre Coffin is still recognizable. The theatrical release is being promoted with the slogan "Respect, Power, Banana!"

Since 2010, the Minions have populated the "Despicable Me" universe around villain Gru as cute, mischievous henchmen and from there conquered toy shelves. In the meantime, the yellow figures have grown out of their supporting roles and become stars in three spinoff films themselves. "Long ago, the Minions freed themselves from their supporting roles in the 'Despicable Me' universe," the current press release states.

From Supporting Actor to Star

"In the Minions spinoffs they are the stars and in 'Minions & Monsters,' the most inventive Minions film to date, rewrite the history of Hollywood," the review judges. Whether the film will be successful at the box office despite or precisely because of competition from superhero films, Schachinger sums it up as follows: "Bet that 'Minions & Monster' will still lure more people into theaters this summer than any destructively minded superhero film?"

The sound film era in the late 1920s actually ended the careers of many silent film stars, whose voices could not be reconciled with their on-screen personas – a real historical phenomenon that the film's plot takes up. Why should it go any differently for the Minions than for silent film diva Norma Desmond from Billy Wilder's "Sunset Boulevard"?