I was always impressed with the previous Minions movies by the depth and intelligence of some of the references and jokes.
This one just doesn't seem that clever -- the Minions are adorable as always, but many of the same old gags are recycled -- they slap each other. They laugh at farts. They get covered in muck. Got it.
One challenge is that Gru is portrayed throughout as a kid -- in previous movies I think Gru's weariness at the adult world and its challenges added a layer that is missing here.
I was amused to re-read the credits -- some pretty heavy-duty voice actors here, many of whom get one line. (Will Arnett? Steve Coogan? Russell Brand is promoted prominently and has maybe five lines in the whole film).
The kids will love it, and there are worse ways to spend an afternoon, but it just didn't ring for me.
PS -- I am intrigued in the worst possible way by some of the reviews here -- at least a dozen proclaiming it the best film of all time, a life-changer, it saved my marriage... stupid internet troll joke or the PR department at the studio trying to boost the average review score? Hmm...
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