The Minions are back in an all new adventure, but instead of Stuart, Kevin and Bob, this time around we’re following James, Henry, Ed, and a whole new batch of Minions. The film is set during the Golden Age of Hollywood. It’s the 1920s, and the Minions are looking for a new evil boss to follow, but each time they find one, something happens to their new leader, and the search resume. The Minions’ quest ultimately takes them to Hollywood, California where they accidentally stumble onto a Hollywood set while chasing after some bandits on a train, hoping that their new boss is among them. The Minions quickly become silent movie stars, thanks to director Max (Christoph Waltz) and producers Frank and Elwood Bright (Jeff Bridges). However, with the dawn of sound in movies, their gibberish way of talking quickly brings their film career to an end.

James, who has always had a love of drawing and telling stories, refuses to give up, and is determined to make his own movie and fulfill his dream of winning an Oscar. Joining him are best friend Henry, and hard-of-hearing Ed. They have decided to make a monster movie, and use an old spell book belonging to one of their former bosses to summon a kaiju. But Gary Orkam Oliver Magma Ichabid the Deceiver aka Goomi (Trey Parker) is not menacing enough for their film. Goomi offers to help the Minions, and thaws out two of his old acquaintances, monsters Phillips (Bobby Moynihan) and Howard (Phil LaMarr). However, the monsters have ulterior motives, and Hollywood—and possibly the whole planet—is soon in grave peril, and the Minions need to figure out a way to stop it.

Meanwhile, the other Minions, led by Dick (whose name can be a bit fitting at times) continue to look for a new evil master to serve. They believe they may have found him when they encounter Dort, an alien robot who was sent to Earth by the Supreme High Ruler to judge the planet and determine if it should be invaded. Dort is looking for loyal assistants, and the Minions are eager to sign up. But when Dort meets suffragette Debbie (Zoey Deutch) and falls in love, he starts to question his eagerness to destroy the Earthlings. Soon, the paths of these two groups of Minions intersect, and they must work together in order to save the planet…and the future of Hollywood!

Minions & Monsters has a bit of a different feel from the previous movies, though it’s just as entertaining. I thought I was going to miss Stuart, Kevin and Bob, but James, Henry and Ed make for an fun new trio, always seeming to cause trouble for the other Minions. The film has this Princess Bride-style framing device, with modern-era museum tour guide Olivia (Allison Janney) recounting the story of how Minions James and Henry changed Hollywood forever—a story that none of her tour group are familiar with. Occasionally the film, will cut back to this tour group as they have questions or comments to make about what’s happening in the story.

The 1920s setting is a fun change for the franchise. The second Minions film took us to the 1970s, but now we get to see the Minions in yet another era, against the backdrop of the Gulden Age of Hollywood. James has this love of filmmaking, and the filmmaker’s own love of the Golden Age can also be felt in this movie. There are loads of fun nods and homages to iconic moments from early, classic films, recreating these scenes with the Minions. Even if you haven’t actually seen these movies, you most certainly will recognize the references. The film also starts off with an entertaining montage of the Minions trying out various new bosses, =we see how James and Henry became best friends, and we even discover how the Minions got their signature outfits.

In addition to the Minions (who are once again voiced by writer/director Pierre Coffin), the film also introduces some great new characters, voiced by some recognizable actors. Christoph Waltz usually plays a bad guy, but here he’s the kindly film director who encourages James in his film career pursuit. South Park‘s Trey Parker is the seemingly-friendly monster Goomi, and his bumbling monster pals Howard and Phillips are played by comedic talents Bobby Moynihan and Phil LaMarr, who bring a lot of comic relief. Jesse Eisenberg plays the alien robot Dort, who feels a lot like Gru. He is always talking up his evil game, but he is truly a kind and caring being at heart, and when his heart falls for Debbie—played by the hilarious Zoey Deutch—that becomes even more evident. There’s even a cameo from George Lucas playing himself.

The film is a quick 90 minutes and takes viewers on a fun, gibberish-filled adventure. There is so much going on in every scene, and so many clever film nods, that the movie lends itself to repeat viewings.

Universal has released Minions & Monsters on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital (unfortunately there is no 3D disc release—and Fandango has stopped offering 3D digital films—despite the film getting a 3D theatrical release). We were sent the Blu-ray release for review, which looks and sounds excellent. The picture looks crisp and clear, with a solid level of detail throughout, and capturing the bright beautiful colors of the Minions. The film does an excellent job of capturing the look and feel of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and even presents some scenes in black & white to recapture the films of the era. The audio track provides clear dialogue (as much as Minionese can be considered clear) and provides a fully-immersive experience when the craziness ensues and the action-packed adventures of these minions are afoot.

The Blu-ray release contains just a single Blu-ray disc, packed in a standard HD keepcase, covered with a carboard slipcover with an embossed title. There are also redemption instructions for an HD digital copy of the film. The disc contains over 25-minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes with the filmmakers as well as 3 How-To instructional featurettes for some Minions-related activities to do at home.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:29:57)

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus, French 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital (code may not be valid after 9/30/2027):

• HD Digital Copy (Movies Anywhere compatible)

Extras:
Play All, or select from:

• Minions Take On Hollywood (10:49)
  The filmmakers discuss how the film came about, the premise of the movie, the era it is set in, the history of cinema, using black & white, the importance of storyboards, 3D modeling and lighting, and how the various departments work together to create the final product. Includes concept artwork, storyboards, computer demonstrations, and interviews with director/co-writer Pierre Coffin, editor Gregory Perler, animation directors Hichem Arfaoui & Pierre-François Duhamel, co-director Patrick Delage, computer graphics supervisors Nicolas Brack & Boris Jacq, art director Charlotte Hutchinson, head of story Nima Azarba, layout cinematography supervisor Damien Bapst, character modeling supervisor Marc-Antoine Cesari, supervising animator Alice Charreton, lighting supervisor Victor Pajot, compositing supervisor Loïc Lecygne, and effects supervisor Eric Carme. Some of this is in French with English subtitles.
• Casting Minions & Monsters (11:42)
  The filmmakers discuss the characters and cast that provide their voices. Includes recording booth footage of the actors—Allison Janney (“Olivia”), Christoph Waltz (“Max”), Jeff Bridges (“Frank and Elwood Bright”), Trey Parker (“Goomi”), Phil LaMarr (“Howard”), Bobby Moynihan (“Phillips”), Jesse Eisenberg (“Dort”) & Zoey Deutch (“Debbie”)—and interviews with director/co-writer Pierre Coffin, editor Gregory Perler, co-director Patrick Delage, art director Charlotte Hutchinson, animation directors Hichem Arfaoui & Pierre-François Duhamel, computer graphics supervisors Nicolas Brack & Boris Jacq, and head of story Nima Azarba. Some of this is in French with English subtitles.
• Hollywood Sound (4:27)
  Composer John Powell and director/co-writer Pierre Coffin talk about how the score was inspired by Hollywood’s golden age. Includes behind-the-scenes footage of the orchestra.
• How To Make Your Own Irene Blob Monster Slime (3:29)
  Slime influencer Snoopslimes provides a step-by-step tutorial for viewers to create their own Irene-inspired blob monster using simple ingredients found at home.
• Movie-Making Minions Style (5:58)
  This narrated instructional video shows viewers how to create their own flipbook to replicate an early movie-making technique.
• How to Draw (12:24)
  Head of Story Nima Azarba teaches viewers how to draw the Minions, monsters, and other characters from the film. Play All, or select from:
  • James (1:26)
  • Henry (1:13)
  • Ed (1:15)
  • Max (1:39)
  • Dort (1:13)
  • Goomi (1:15)
  • Irene (1:19)
  • Howard (1:42)
  • Phillips (1:41)

Final Thoughts: