We , like everyone , have been feeling the pinch recently with the ridiculous increase in cost of living prices and so we are always on the look out for ways to save a bit of extra money. Just because you are saving money shouldn’t mean that you can’t have a bit of fun every so often! As a self-confessed movie fanatic, I have found that one of the best ways of cutting down cost is signing up for cineworld’s unlimited card which allows its member’s access to unlimited cinema experiences for the low price of just £10 a month. A standard ticket to the cinema usually costs around £7 a visit which means you only need to visit the cinema twice a month to get more than your money back! So far this month we have been able to watch the highly controversial new movie lightyear on opening night (with our review available at https://rhysreviews.com/2022/06/19/lightyear-screening-review/) , the latest Elvis movie staring Austin Butler and now I was able to go watch the second instalment in the despicable me spin off ‘Minions 2: the rise of Grum all of which were including in the small payment of ten pounds to cineworld! On top of this , if you use my referral code RAF-41UF-82LQ-14EX-70BM then we will both be gifted with a completely free month of unlimited cinema!
The first thing I noticed when walking into this cinema was the legion of dedicated fans who eagerly anticipated this latest film! It seems that the tiny yellow ‘minions’ have gained a cult following that is greater than I have personally seen for the entire despicable me franchise. There were a group of young people within the cinema who were clearly very invested into the story with them launching into into thunderous applause when the movie title appeared on the screen , breaking out into hysterics during the more comedic scenes and delivering all the oohs and aahs you could possibly want! While I appreciate the audience remembers may have been exaggerating slightly , it is clear that the little yellow companions called the minions have gained a cult following since their creation! This latest movie follows the journey of the mini-boss Gru as he auditions to become one part of one of the worlds most villainous groups despite being only aged eleven. Gru decided that the best way to prove he is deserved member of the super villain super group is by stealing a magical artefact but is then kidnapped by the wild knuckles who has recently been kicked out of the group. The movie follows the minions as they try to regain the zodiac artifact, rescue Gru and overcome the villainous six which proves to be no easy feat for the tiny yellow creatures!
As is expected from any movie prequel , this movie fundamental explains some of the plot points in other movies while keeping some fundamental elements the same to make for a coherent viewing experience for the audience. Steve Carrel reprises his role as the main protagonist of these movies and leader of the yellow minions Gru but this time with an youthful edge added to the character to match the setting of the movie. As this is a story that describes Gru’s rise to infamous villainy. As expected , Steve easily manages to bring this character back to life complete his iconic voice! We see the introduction of Dr Nefario (who is again played by Russel Brand) who , at the time , is a record shop clerk which doubles as the home of the villainous six. By the end of the movie we learn about the alliance that is later formed between these two characters. In general , the movie keeps up the fast paced action sequences and hilarious antics in the previous films in the franchise with a series of hilarious sketches involving the iconic minions! One of the highlights was a montage of the minions learning Kung fu from a lady doing acupuncture who disappears after this scene untill the end for the movie.
This movie however is set in the seventies and so the movie creatives have decided to infuse the movie with numerous classic disco elements. We see one of the character reference a new torture machine as his “disco inferno” , we hear excerpts from the iconic tune funky-town by Lipps inc, other songs from the incredible Dianna Ross and the home of the super group is set in a classic vinyl shop! I think that all these nods to the disco genre were incredibly fun and also made sense within the narrative of the movie which makes for a coherent viewing experience for the audience. What is also new about this movie is the inclusion of the villainous six who manage to gain control of the zodiac stone and suddenly transform into some of the more vicious creatures of the zodiac. I think the whole inclusion of horoscopes did seem like a random addition for this movie and the idea would have worked better if there been twelve villains. I will show however I throughly enjoyed the name of the key villains such as as the soulful Belle bottoms (voiced by the amazing Taraji P. Henson) , the hilariously named hybrid crab Jean clawed (cleverly played by his name sake Jean Claude van Damme) and the religious sister turned nun-Chuck specialist brilliantly named Nun Chuck (voiced by Lucy Lawless.)
Overall , this movie is a perfect example of mindless fun that does help to explore future plot point which fundamental is the key purpose of any sequel movie. The disco elements made for an enjoyable nod that would enjoyed more so for the older members of the audience. I did however find some of the elements unnecessary and almost random with the narrative at times being hard to follow due to the three different journeys that were all happening simultaneously. I would rate this movie 3.5 out of 5 stars and would recommend minions two to families with young children!
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