Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
A fanboy of a supervillain supergroup known as the Vicious 6, Gru hatches a plan to become evil enough to join them, with the backup of his followers, the Minions.
Minions: The Rise of Gru is a lightweight, energetic but largely formulaic entry in the Despicable Me franchise. The plot is thin and predictable — young Gru's scheme to join the Vicious 6 offers little narrative surprise, leaning heavily on slapstick setpieces rather than story depth. The voice acting is competent and fun, with solid performances carrying the comedy, but nothing groundbreaking. Cinematography is polished with vibrant 1970s-tinged color palettes and smooth Illumination animation, though it doesn't push any technical boundaries. Novelty is low — this is a prequel/spin-off that largely recycles established Minions humor and franchise tropes without a distinctive new vision. The ending wraps things up in a predictable, crowd-pleasing but uninspired way, tying neatly back to the broader franchise continuity without emotional resonance.