Product Info

Studio

Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment

Director

Pierre Coffin

Genre

Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family

Rated

NA

Theatrical Release Date (NA)

Jul 1, 2026

Film Length

1hr 30min

Purchase From

Director Pierre Coffin returns for another family comedy film and turns to the popular Minions once more in the third spin-off of the Despicable Me franchise, Minions & Monsters, which starts off slow but turns up the pace with slapstick humor and energetic scenes that children will enjoy this summer.

Let’s Make a Movie!

Illumination’s Minions & Monsters, directed by Pierre Coffin. © Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

The animated film goes back in time once more, but to the 1920s in Hollywood during the golden age of filmmaking. The Minions search for a “bad guy” to follow and encounter a “cops vs. robbers” scenario, but they are unaware that they are actually following an actor, which leads to them ruining the shot, or so Director Max, voiced by Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained, Inglourious Basterds), first believed. The Minions are now involved with the movie business, and there are three Minions, James, Henry, and Ed, that are enthusiastic about filmmaking a monster movie.

However, things don’t go as planned as the three Minions summon monsters for their film, “Minions y Monsters” (a translated name for this film), and Goomi, voiced by Trey Parker (South Park, Team America: World Police), has his own plans to utilize the Minions’ filmmaking. The Minions’ slapstick humor will have to fix things. It may not be as deep and feels more simple to follow compared to the Despicable Me films, but it carries on as a fun summer movie for families.

The beginning of the film feels like a rehash of the first Minions spin-off, as it attempts to find a “bad guy” to follow while also providing backstories for the three movie-enthusiastic Minions. By the time the story dives into the Hollywood scene, the film begins to become intriguing by focusing more on the Minions’ interest, which is not just finding a leader. There are comical moments that showcased how their actions affect them in the near future, such as their attire. The film also throws in classic cinema references such as Charlie Chaplin, montage references to “A Trip to the Moon,” and more. If you know some of your movie history, you’ll enjoy some of these references. It’s like a love letter to the golden age of Hollywood.

Minions continue to bring the slapstick humor and do a fantastic job carrying it through the film. The film doesn’t rely on fart jokes; instead, it uses the Minions’ silly behavior to generate laughs. There were moments in the second half that could have been trimmed down to steady the pace, such as Henry being chased by monsters. Overall the experience was enjoyable, and kids will get many laughs throughout the film with its comical and off-the-wall moments.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Illumination’s Minions & Monsters, directed by Pierre Coffin. © Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

The animation continues to shine well for Minions & Monsters. The monster design for Goomi resembles a cuter version of Cthulhu and works well with sharing the spotlight with the Minions. Human characters, while sharing some of the time, do make a wonderful support system, such as Max and Dort, voiced by Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland, The Social Network). Though Dort is in his sci-fi outfit and becomes a comical punchline through the film in how he interacts, he comes to appreciate the Minions. The vibrant world depicted in the animated film, set in an emerging city of Hollywood, offers a captivating visual experience and brings joy to viewers.

The soundtrack utilizes moments of suspense, using piano music to illustrate the use of silent films and the sound effects used for the first audio used in movies. Though the slapstick humor does detract from the musical background, it also serves to tone down some of the effects.

The Final Shot!

Minions & Monsters is a delightful love letter to classic Hollywood with hilarious slapstick humor and vibrant animation. It’s slow to start, and has some bumps in the pacing, but it’s a fun summer adventure for the whole family.

An early screening for the film was provided for this review. Minions & Monsters arrives in theaters on July 1, 2026. Fans can visit the film’s official website for tickets and showtimes.