(Image credit: Universal Pictures)
Tom's Guide Verdict: 'Minions and Monsters'Rating: 3.5/5 starsVerdict: Unlike Pixar films, "Minions and Monsters" doesn't even attempt to delve into a deeper emotional story. But that's OK. The movie is clearly aimed at Minion-sized humans and their parents, and both are sure to laugh plenty in this 90-minute animated romp.Where to watch: See "Minions and Monsters" in theaters now"Minions and Monsters" is not only a contender for best animated movie of the summer, but it's inarguably one of the biggest summer movies to watch this year. But it's not the only contender; "Toy Story 5" came out a few weeks ago, and it laid down the gauntlet both critically and commercially. I rated it four stars in my "Toy Story 5" review, praising it for its fresh story.Here's the thing, though: I'm not sure "Minions and Monsters" cares.Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that the people over at Illumination and Universal want this animated movie about the golden age of Hollywood to make enough money to fill a studio lot. But it's clear, watching the follow-up to "Despicable Me" and "Minions," that this movie isn't concerned about plumbing the emotional depths of its characters the way Pixar tries to. Instead, "Minions and Monsters" just wants to be funny. It wants you to laugh, it wants your kids to laugh and it doesn't want you to stop laughing. And on that front, the movie undeniably succeeds.Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022. He watches dozens of new releases every year to make sure you don't have to watch any of the bad ones.Get the latest from Malcolm in your inbox'Minions and Monsters' is here for a good time, not a long time"Minions and Monsters" is a story told almost entirely in flashback, at least at first glance. In a tale narrated by a tour guide, Olivia (Alison Janney), she recounts how the minions traveled from villain to villain looking for work.They weren't particularly successful, in no small part due to the incompetence of two Minions, James and Harry. James wants to make stories, and Harry wants to hang out with James. It leads to some hilarious mishaps until, finally, the Minions end up in 1920s Hollywood and start making movies with a desperate director named Max (Christopher Waltz).Unsurprisingly, this, too, ends in uproarious disaster. But it shows James that he can tell stories through filmmaking, and so he decides to make his own monster movie ... by summoning a monster.From here, hilarity ensues. I could get into more of the finer workings of the plot, but the plot is frankly irrelevant.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.That's not to say it's bad! It's not. But it's irrelevant. The entire purpose of this movie is to deliver physical comedy and animated stuntwork on par with a Buster Keaton movie, peppered with somewhat intelligible Minionese. You're simply supposed to laugh the entire time, whether you're a kid laughing at the way the Minions say things or an adult laughing at an ancient Lego brick entering the rear orifice of a giant cyclops or the fact that the writers named the lead Minion, Dick, because ... well, he's kind of a ...You know what? I'll let you fill in the rest.Verdict: You'll definitely want to take your kids to 'Minions and Monsters'
