As the fifth movie in the Despicable Me movie franchise, Minions: The Rise of Gru starts to show a bit of fatigue, but for the most part, the film is totally fine. The Minions are charming and funny, Gru is a likable villain, and the story moves along at a crisp pace. Directors Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson, and Jonathan del Val deliver a vibrant, colorful palette to this 1970s setting. Children will laugh and want more, but the story stalls after its engaging opening moments, and The Rise of Gru never accelerates enough from there. Gru's origin story is just a vehicle for another silly, but entertaining, look into the Minions Universe.
As an ambitious 11-year-old, Gru (Steve Carell), wants nothing more than to be a part of the Vicious Six, a prestigious super villain club that terrorizes the world. When Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin), the leader of the group, gets betrayed by Belle Bottom (Taraji P. Henson) and the rest of the crew, a new opening in the Vicious Six becomes available. Gru receives an invite to interview but is laughed out of the room when they see that he is just a kid. Angry and hurt, Gru steals a secret medallion from the villains and makes a daring escape.
The story is simple but serves its purpose and highlights all of the Minion silliness. The film moves along at a brisk pace, aided by the short 87-minute run time. The Rise of Gru never overstays its welcome, as it jumps from Gru to the Minions to the super villains. There is always something happening, even if that something isn't overly interesting. The voice cast also does a great job, highlighted by Carell's reprisal of Gru. The cast is star-studded, and viewers will constantly be trying to figure out who is voicing each character. This is not to forget Pierre Coffin's voice of the Minions, which is just as important to the franchise as Carell's iconic Gru.
Minions: The Rise of Gru is more of the same when it comes to Despicable Me, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Count on the signature Minion silliness, well-voiced cast, and top-notch production value. The kids will love it, and everyone else will be hard-pressed not to laugh at least a few times. Unfortunately, the strong start doesn't hold up for the entirety of the film, which holds it back from being something great by the time the credits roll. A Gru origin story deserves to be a bit more about Gru, but the Minions hilarity and the 1970s easter eggs make for an entertaining consolation prize.