In 2010, Illumination Entertainment released its first animated feature film, "Despicable Me", about an evil genius named Gru who was struggling to stay on top of the evil genius business, with the help of his pint-sized henchmen known as minions. That film made over $250 million in the U.S. alone (almost quadruple what it cost),so, naturally, there was a sequel. In 2013, "Despicable Me 2" made over $368 million domestically and was rated by audiences as even better than the original. The minions were a small big reason for all that. They were a hit in the first film and they played a larger role in the second film, which performed even better than the first, so, naturally, they got a movie of their own.

The minions are child-sized, yellow, pill-shaped creatures whose sole purpose in life is to serve an evil master. Some are a little taller than the others, they have slightly different styles of (sparse) hair, some have two eyes and some have one, but all wear goggles and they speak in a kind of child-like babble which combines English, Spanish, French and possibly bits of a few other languages too (it's kind of hard to tell). Oh, and one more thing – they're simply and completely ADORABLE! In spite of their evil inclinations, these are simple-minded, child-like innocents who mainly want to have fun and fulfill their potential as minions. And they are front and center in "Minions" (PG, 1:31).

This sequel to the "Despicable Me" movies is really a spin-off and also a prequel, which takes us back to the beginning of the minions' story – ALL the way back. We see how the minions originated and, through a short series of vignettes, we observe their well-meaning, but hilariously botched attempts to serve a wide variety of ill-tempered masters throughout history. Finally, they are driven into exile in an ice cave in Antarctica. They build a civilization and do their best to entertain themselves, but without a master to serve, they're unbearably bored. So, in 1968, Kevin (voiced by co-director Pierre Coffin, who does all minion voices),a tall(ish) minion, tells his tribe he's going on a quest to find them a new master. With only the extremely child-like minion (even by minion standards) named Bob, and a "volunteer" named Stuart to help, Kevin begins his journey.

The three minions end up at Villain Con, a secret convention of super villains and their fans, where the minions meet and get hired by Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock),the first female supervillain. Scarlet is taking her typical girlish fantasy of being a princess a little too seriously. She wants her newly-hired helpers to steal the British crown jewels so she can be Queen of England. Scarlet's husband, Herb (John Hamm) sets up Kevin, Stuart and Bob with a variety of his evil inventions and they embark on their mission. Of course, this being the minions, nothing goes according to plan, one thing leads to another, Scarlet feels as if the minions have betrayed her, and she sets out to get revenge on Kevin, Stuart and Bob, while still trying to accomplishing her goal. Meanwhile, the rest of the minions have received word that Kevin has found them a new master in the U.K. and the entire tribe is working to get there ASAP.

"Minions" has a slightly different target audience than the "Despicable Me" films and feels like a little too much of a good thing. Don't get me wrong – I LOVE me some minions, but they're schtick can wear thin. Even their powerful minion cuteness can't sustain an entire film. Plus, while the "Despicable Me" movies seemed to appeal nearly equally to kids, teens and adults, the minions' spin-off is more squarely aimed at kids. The animation, voice work and story are all as strong as the previous films in which the minions appeared, but the humor in this one aims a little lower. The adults will enjoy the soundtrack and there are plenty of cute, clever, and funny moments. "Minions" works well as a family movie, but I think the little yellow guys should stick to being fun, naughty side-kicks. It's what they do best. "B+"

Quickie Review:

Minions from the dawn of time have always searched to serve the most despicable masters in the world. After failing to keep their masters numerous times, the minions feel without purpose. That's when three brave minions, Kevin, Bob, and Stuart set out on a journey to find their new master. Despicable Me franchise has done a lot of things right, one of which that clicked with all ages were the adorable little minions. This film could've been very basic, continuously rehashing a collection slapstick comedy, and just simply depend on the popularity of the minions. Instead, the creators of this film added heart to the characters, delivering a movie that kids will love and adults will have fun with.

Full Review:

As much as I love the minions in the Despicable Me movies, I was quite pessimistic on how good Minions was going to be. It just felt like a cash grab. Of course, all movies aim to grab some cash but this movie in particular felt like the studio was just capitalising on the popularity of the characters. Gratefully, the movie got me to set aside my pessimism.

One of my biggest concerns was whether a collection of side characters can really carry an entire movie. Short answer as it turns out: yes they can. It works because we are focusing on just three minions for the majority of the movie. Each of them have their unique personality that shines through without a single word of comprehensible dialogue. That in itself is an amazing feat, the minion-gibberish is all non-sense and yet I am able to empathise with them. I can't even say the same for actual human actors in other movies sometimes! So in that sense, job well done animators. I also liked the small story arc that was given to the villain of the movie, Scarlett Overkill (Sandra Bullock). She wasn't a villain just for the sake of it, which added another dimension to what could have been a generic character. There is relatable back story to her that made us understand where she was coming from, while still retaining the unpredictable evil-ness.

The movie is not without flaws. There are times where the jokes might be too slapstick for adults to enjoy. These scenes are obviously aimed for the kids. They don't completely alienate us grown-ups but it is still noticeable. On top of that, I have to say I felt the absence of Gru and the kids from the Despicable Me movies. What I love about the minions is their relationship with Gru's family, the pranks, the shenanigans, the care they have for each other, is all so delightful to watch. This absence was bound to happen since we are concentrating on the minions. At the same time, aside from Scarlett Overkill there are no other memorable supporting characters.

Even with the problems, I really did enjoy my time watching Minions. It was a great light hearted, charming, fun movie. If you have little kids, nephews or nieces, don't hesitate to take them to the cinema. They will have an awesome time. Together you too will find some amusing entertainment.

The little yellow fellows who assist Despicable Me's Gru have, over the centuries, always sought to help the biggest, baddest Boss around. And so, in the 1960s, Stuart, Kevin and Bob, seeking out a new Boss, end up working for villaness Scarlet Overkill as she seeks to usurp the British throne for herself.

The Minions find themselves in their own well-deserved feature, and it's a hoot. The story concentrates on just 3 of the Minions – a smart move, since we get to know them personally – although the full crew do turn up when necessary. Scarlet Overkill is a very good baddie, and the various scenarios are all colourfully realised (London is great, if geographically inaccurate). It is daft, and great fun.

For Beatles fans it is worth mentioning that there is a lovely Beatles-related gag in it. And, while the voice talent is all excellent, it is worth singling out Pierre Coffin, whose voice characterisations in the Minions' almost-language is a huge part of their charm.

The 3D is good in places, but mostly forgettable.