Minions: the Rise of Gru is a CGI animated film by Illumination. It was released in 2022 and is the second Minions film and the fifth film in the Despicable Me franchise. While it is a sequel to Minions (2015), it is a prequel to Despicable Me (2010), explaining how the Minions' 'miniboss' Gru's career as a supervillain began. It features music by Heitor Pereira as well as classic pop by Simon and Garfunkel and others. It was released in 3D as well as 2D format.

Made at a cost of around $80 million, Minions: The Rise of Gru accrued over $900 million at the box office worldwide, gaining it a place among the most successful animations of all time.

In Minions, audiences learned that the Minions are yellow dome-shaped entities whose purpose in life is to serve an evil master¹. In 1968 Kevin, Bob, Stuart² and the other Minions were the henchmen of Scarlet Overkill, the first female supervillain. They became Gru's henchmen after Scarlet's plan to steal the crown of Queen Elizabeth II went wrong.

In this film, it is 1976. Leaving the Minions at home in his mother's house, Gru auditions to join the Vicious 6 group of supervillains. However, the five remaining members of the group laugh at him because he is only 11¾. To prove his despicable nature, he steals a powerful weapon, the Zodiac Stone, from them. Rather than accepting him into the group, they go after him to get the Zodiac Stone back. Gru meets his hero Wild Knuckles, the sixth member of the Vicious 6 who was thought to have died during the mission to obtain the Zodiac Stone. Wild Knuckles kidnaps Gru and takes him to his home in San Francisco. He thinks the boy has the Zodiac Stone, but Gru had given it to Otto, one of the Minions, who traded it for a pet rock. Meanwhile, Kevin, Bob and Stuart travel to San Francisco and learn Kung Fu. Otto also goes to San Francisco, thanks to a biker who had been wearing the Zodiac Stone as a medallion. Gru and the Minions are reunited in San Francisco's Chinatown during Chinese New Year, but the Vicious 6 are also there. The Zodiac Stone transforms the Vicious 6 and the Minions into Chinese Zodiac animals. Will good evil triumph over bad evil in the final battle?

Cast and Characters

The Minions are all yellow and dome-shaped with two arms and two legs. Some have two eyes, and some have just one eye, but they all wear goggles. Some are taller or wider than others and they have varying amounts of hair on their heads, ranging from nothing to several short strands. In this film, they are all voiced by director Pierre Coffin³ - the Minions speak in a squeaky way with their own dialect incorporating French, Italian and English words.

Gru is again played by Steve Carell, who is known for films such as Evan Almighty, and the US version of Ricky Gervais' sitcom The Office. Gru may still be at school, and may still have a full head of hair, but he wears the grey outfit with striped scarf that he will favour as an adult. He knows he wants to be a supervillain when he grows up.

Wild Knuckles is voiced by Alan Arkin, an actor and director whose career has spanned 65 years. Arkin has had roles in films such as Inspector Clouseau (1968) and the live-action version of Dumbo (2019) as well as playing Grace's father in a 2005 episode of the television series Will and Grace.

The other members of The Vicious 6 are: Belle Bottom (Taraji P. Henson), Jean-Clawed (Jean-Claude Van Damme), Svengeance (Dolph Lundgren), Stronghold (Danny Trejo) and Nun-chuck (Lucy Lawless).

There are cameos from various other characters and actors, too. Julie Andrews reprises her role as Gru's mother. Russell Brand again plays Dr Nefario, the Q-like inventor. Silas Ramsbottom (Steve Coogan) and the Anti-Villain League (who played a key role in Despicable Me 2) appear during the final battle.

Themes

Even though the film is rated U (suitable for all) in the UK, it is rated PG (Parental Guidance) in the USA as there is a considerable amount of cartoon violence. The 'Laws of Cartoon Physics' apply, so for example when a Minion's goggles are punched into his face, they soon pop out again rather than causing permanent damage. Minions: the Rise of Gru was included in the quota of overseas films that were permitted to be shown in China in 2022. However, a slideshow was added to change the ending. To avoid any suggestion that a bad guy escaped justice in the original film, the slideshow states that Wild Knuckles was captured and spent 20 years in Villainmax Prison. The slides also praise Gru for becoming 'one of the good guys' and for 'being the father to his three girls'.

Humour of various kinds is important in the film. There is something for everyone to enjoy, from basic toilet humour when a Minion is nearly flushed out of the aeroplane en route to San Francisco, to comedy that would be appreciated by adults, such as when Master Chow, an acupuncturist, uses the acupuncture needles to make her client slap the Minions on the face when they propose that she teaches them Kung Fu in return for 'smoochies'.

Another strong theme is that the film was made to be shown in 3D. This influences the look of the film - for example, the room where Gru auditions to be in the Vicious 6 contains a bridge over a gaping chasm that would look particularly good through 3D glasses. Consideration of 3D effects influences the scenes that are included - for example, the scene where Bob, Kevin and Stuart travel to San Francisco features the aeroplane approaching the camera as if it will fly through the audience.

The film displays fascinating attention to detail, and there are plenty of references to the other films to look out for. For example, an old poster depicting Scarlet Overkill is seen for a few moments in one scene, and Stuart has a Scarlet Overkill lunchbox. Gru uses a Cheese Ray weapon, which is reminiscent of the Freeze Ray that he would use in Despicable Me. He visits the Bank of Evil, meets the grandfather of his future enemy Vector, and steals the Mona Lisa, which he will hang in his adopted daughters' room when he is an adult.

The soundtrack is another key element of the film. There is some classical music including 'The Blue Danube Waltz' by Johann Strauss II, but the classic 1970s pop songs also fit in well with the storyline, such as 'Cecilia' by Simon and Garfunkel when the Minions are building their lair. The poignant 'Goodbye to Love' by The Carpenters also features. 'Mighty pop diva' Diana Ross performs 'Turn Up the Sunshine', which plays during the film's end credits.