The yellow mischief-makers are better enjoyed in small doses.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Jan 16, 2025

Minions: The Rise of Gru eventually (and inevitably) progresses into a exhausting, frenetic midsection and second half that slowly-but-surely alienates the viewer...

| Original Score: 2/4 | Oct 6, 2024

Minions: The Rise of Gru is solid. The runtime doesn’t overexert the potentially irritating nature of the Minions, and the new characters breathe life into the franchise.

| Feb 25, 2024

The minions are brilliant animated slapstick... and there's something about it that just tickles my funny bone.

| Jan 3, 2024

Apart from the notion of individuality and discrediting age as a barrier to success, Minions: The Rise of Gru rides entirely on the fumes of its inept yellow punchlines

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Oct 5, 2023

It is definitely not the destination but the giggle-filled journey that creates the laughs.

| Original Score: B | Aug 9, 2023

A course correction for the Franchise. Winning me back over with the heart, hilariousness, & insanity that I felt was missing since the 1st Despicable Me… with a short run time there’s a lot of fun to be had! Voice Cast is STELLAR!

| Jul 25, 2023

It’s broad, loud and frantic, barely stopping for a minute to craft a story. At 107 minutes, the energy sputters out, particularly in a rushed third act. Yet, the movie gives exactly what it promises, a fun ride full of antics galore.

| Original Score: C+ | Nov 28, 2022

While the pill-shaped yellow minions still generate some laughs, the novelty’s quickly wearing thin. Overall it’s just sensory overload with too much bombastic animated action.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Nov 3, 2022

the humor is persistent and we can’t help but care for Gru and his nascent villainy

| Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 2, 2022

Minions: The Rise of Gru might not be sophisticated storytelling, but not all animated films have to be. Sometimes they can just be about joy.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 27, 2022

In four years, Minions: The Adventure of Chicken Minion will make two billion dollars and save the cinematic experience once and for all.

| Sep 20, 2022

A few time-capsule gags break the tedium that has now come to define this deathless series.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Sep 17, 2022

Gru is 11, but appears the same age he was in the first movie, 10 years prior. Yes, this is a cartoon about gibberish-spewing ovate goblins where humans morph into giant Chinese New Year monsters, but one does want a *hint* of narrative consistency.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Sep 16, 2022

By bringing in a couple of veteran talents to the voice cast in Arkin and Yeoh, the freshness abides in this sequel--instead of being a stale, shameless money grab that gets forgotten after the lights come up.

| Original Score: B | Sep 9, 2022

Director Kyle Balda has been at the helm of a number of others in this franchise and he sure knows what his audiences want. The kids in my sessions were laughing out loud and the parents seemed to be enjoying it too.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 15, 2022

The animated comedy is an 88-minute delight, further enlivened by the talented voice cast...

| Aug 8, 2022

It is, at best, unforgettable.

| Aug 4, 2022

A fun treat for the whole family, “Minions: the Rise of Gru” is another in a string of successful and well made animated films starring these Twinkie-looking oddities and their hook-nosed leader.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Aug 2, 2022

There’s nothing innately wrong here, it just feels uninspired, like some of the franchise's joy and pizazz has worn off. There is still plenty for the kids to enjoy, so that’s a win in my eyes even if the movie itself isn’t.

| Original Score: 5/10 | Jul 22, 2022