Keaton and Janney are a lot more fun than Scarlett Overkill, whose goal is also robbery but of a more royal variety. They makes the most of their short screen time, bringing a lively delivery to their lines before the film executes a hilarious clothing sight gag.

From there, they hitch a ride to Orlando with a family of bank robbers led by Keaton and Alison Janney. Their first stop is a gorgeously rendered New York City. The minion mission is to reach the 1968 Villain-Con conference, where they can hook up with eligible baddies.

This is also why, out of all the “Despicable Me” films, “Minions” is the most suited for the youngest of moviegoers. This is a film where dubbing of its main characters will prove unnecessary. (I understood some of their dialogue, which scared the hell out of me.) Their lack of an identifiable dialect may be one reason “Minions” will do gangbusters overseas. On their journey, this cute trio occasionally breaks into song, singing in that nonsense mix of Spanish, French, and God knows what else Coffin utters for them. He asks for volunteers and gets one-eyed Stuart and goofy runt Bob, who is small even by minion standards. Fed up with their frigid existence, minion leader Kevin sets out to find a new master for his brethren. They climbed out of the soup to serve T-Rexes, pharaohs and even Napoleon, who banished them to Antarctica after an unfortunate cannon accident. If that weren’t enough, the voice talent includes 'Mad Men'’s Jon Hamm, 'Birdman’'s Michael Keaton and Sandra Bullock as Gru’s villainous precursor, the delectably named Scarlett Overkill.īefore we get to evil Sandy Bullock, our narrator (a droll Geoffrey Rush) takes us through the evolution of the minion. “Minions” opens with The Turtles’ “Happy Together,” ends post-credits with The Beatles’ “Revolution” and finds time for a number from “ Hair” that threatens to end the way Act 1 of that musical did. Then, sensing the duress that parents were under when their aforementioned crumbsnatchers demanded to see it, the film relentlessly throws every single oldies station pop and rock song it can find at the speakers. It’s relentless in its depiction of the slapstick-infused shenanigans that will keep the little ones entranced in their seats. “Minions” is relentless, however, and in more ways than one.

Minions 2015 movie poster