Minions: The Rise of Gru hits theaters today…FINALLY! This Minions prequel was originally scheduled for a Summer 2020 release, but we all know what happened there. Finally in theaters, is this the movie your family has been waiting for? Let’s chat about Minions The Rise of Gru, #spoilerfree of course!
Illumination Presents
Minions: The Rise of Gru – In Theaters July 1, 2022
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About the movie
Minions: The Rise of Gru is the untold story of one 12-year-old’s dream to become the world’s greatest supervillain. In the heart of the 1970s, amid a flurry of feathered hair and flared jeans, Gru (Oscar nominee Steve Carell) is growing up in the suburbs. A fanboy of a supervillain supergroup known as the Vicious 6, Gru hatches a plan to become evil enough to join them. Luckily, he gets some mayhem-making backup from his loyal followers, the Minions. Together, Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto—a new Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to please—deploy their skills as they and Gru build their first lair, experiment with their first weapons and pull off their first missions.
Minions: The Rise of Gru is rated PG and has a runtime of 1 hour 30 minutes. We will talk about the rating and runtime later.
My thoughts
I love a movie with great detail, and Minions: The Rise of Gru is no exception. Set in 1976, this movie is chock full of 70’s goodness – down to the sounds emitted from a rotary dial phone! Little Gru is adorable as he continues to climb the supervillain ladder of success. Of course, you can’t have a tween-age Gru without his mother. Julie Andrews reprises her role as Gru’s inattentive, yet hilarious mom. I can attest to the fact Marlena Gru fit perfectly in the 70s.
The soundtrack to this movie provided many incredible 70s tracks, like Turn Up the Sunshine, Fly Like an Eagle and Funkytown. The best, though, was a Minion-ized version of Cecilia. You couldn’t help but hum along. There were also many cameos and Easter eggs to look for. Keep your eyes open!
Minions: The Rise of Gru provides detail to the backstory of how the Minions joined forces with Gru, while including Gru’s introduction to Dr. Nefario. Everything makes sense and all the storylines just fall into place. While a prequel to the Despicable Me franchise was not exactly necessary, it absolutely was fun and makes for a great family outing this summer.
I really enjoyed every minute of this movie. You cannot help but fall in love with 12 year old Gru. With a 90 minute runtime, it keeps the story in perspective and does not feel “too long.” It is perfect for little ones that just can’t sit for very long. Minions: The Rise of Gru stays action-packed and busy for the entirety of the movie.
Safe for the Whole Family?
Everyone knows Minion humor – typical slapstick littered with plenty of butt/fart jokes. This movie is no different. Minions: The Rise of Gru is rated PG for some action/violence and rude humor. The action/violence is in line with other cartoon style action, similar to Looney Tunes behavior. If you are familiar with the Minions, it’s very typical behavior, not awful or shocking. There were no surprises in this movie in that sense.
Overall
My teen said it best – the Minions are just a franchise that will never get old.
How many other franchises can survive several prequels and sequels like this one? There are 3 Despicable Me movies, 2 Minion prequels, several shorts and TV specials, a Saturday digital series and a new film coming in 2024. Each time, they have created a new story to entertain families. Don’t get me wrong – all of these stories are similar with predictable plots. But they still make us laugh and help to create fun memories. Isn’t that what it’s all about?
Minions: The Rise of Gru is in theaters now.
A Disney blooded, crafty, fun-lovin’ wife/mom/organizer/planner, etc who is obsessed with all things Disney 🙂 Maria grew up with the Magic Kingdom and has loved watching WDW evolve into what it is today. A firm believer in the Power of Pixie Dust, she is the owner of The Disney Driven Life – A Community for Neurotic Disney People & a d.i.y. crafty blog, Carousel of Projects – create~inspire~share.
