Displaying items by tag: Pierre Coffin

MINIONS & MONSTERS

US, 2026, 90 minutes, Colour.

Voices of: Pierre Coffin, Alison Janney, Christophe Waltz, Zoe Deutch, Bobby Moynihan, Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg, Phil LaMarr, George Lucas, Trey Parker.

Directed by Pierre Coffin, Patrick Delage.

We have been living with the Minions, enjoying their mischievous company, since Despicable Me in 2010. With their size, yellow colour, one or two eyes, their distinctive language and chatter, their willingness to serve diabolical masters like Gru, audiences now have expectations of them, enjoying when they turn up in the movies (and in a range of commercials!).

The children’s audience will enjoy all the shenanigans here, the origin story of this group of minions, setting sail, settling in different lands, the various tyrants that they served, and, of all things, their finally arriving in the American West, pursuing a bandit and a train, discovering that it actually was being filmed. They are in Hollywood in the 1920s.

For the adult audience, especially movie fans, there are all kinds of references to early movies, experiments by Edward Muybridge, the Lumiere Bros, George Belies and the moon, and jokes recreating Charlie Chaplin in the cogs sequence in Modern Times, Harold Lloyd on his ladder in Safety Last, and glimpses of Buster Keaton, references to Citizen Kane, Hooray for Hollywood, We’re in the Money…  and, the contemporary Hollywood Museum which has George Lucas himself. an exhibit in a glass case, asking to be released from his contract! In fact, this Minions film is really an homage to the movies and, especially to Hollywood in the 1920s, styles of filmmaking, the studio moguls, the directors, camerawork, introduction of sound, awards.

The main characters are the artistic James and his affable friend, Henry, and the good-natured Ed. In Hollywood, they do get a chance to make a movie – but, with the book of spells and their reading them out loud, strange creatures emerge. The culmination of the film is a kind of big gooey Godzilla equivalent, destroying LA in its path. Which means some kind of heroics, the massing together of the minions (which often happens throughout the film from early rowing in prehistoric boats to crowding on vehicles in Los Angeles and, incidentally, breaking the Hollywoodland sign).

A glance at the cast list shows that there is very strong voice talent.

All’s well that ends well, everybody happy with James’s movie, screening at the Chinese theatre, applause, awards, and, at last during the final credits, some upstaging of Gru. So, where to next!  And soon!!

DESPICABLE ME 3

US, 2017, 90 minutes, Colour.

Voices: Steve Carrell, Kristin Wiig, Trey Parker, Julie Andrews, Steve Coogan, Pierre Coffin, Jenny Slate.

Directed by Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin.

If you have been following the career of intense mastermind criminal, Gru, as well as his conversion to the side of right, and also his devotion to agent, Lucy, then there is no doubt that you will want to see what they are up to in this third Despicable Me film.

And, of course, of course, there are the Minions, still with their bright yellow, still some of them with a touch of personality while there are hosts of almost anonymous others, with their particular intonations and language which we scarcely understand, and their propensity for being on the side of those against the law. The animation is the same and it has delighted audiences, especially younger audiences, in the previous two films and the Minions’ own feature and short films.

While there could have been more of the Minions in this film, they turn up at various times, bringing a sense of comic relief, in their turning against Gru because of his law-abiding missions, rounded up and going to prison and causing more than a rumpus there, escaping and flying through the air in their own contraption and able to help out in final confrontations. Steve Carrell voices again the character of Gru, and Kristin Wiig is Lucy.

If you have seen the trailer, then you won’t be surprised that one of the plot developments is the introduction of a villain par excellence, Balthasar Bratt (voiced by Trey Parker of South Park), a superstar child of 1980s television, a young successful criminal. After a bout of acne, he loses popularity and decides to retire to be a criminal in real life, seeming to have unlimited funds (probably his royalties) to create robots, planes, weapons. Gru has a mission to capture Bratt but just misses out so he is fired from the agency as is Lucy when she stands up for him. They retire to home with their three daughters and all seems to move towards a quiet film.

But, then comes the news that Gru has a twin brother, Dru (also voiced by Steve Carrell but in a higher register), so Gru contacts his making whoopee mother (voiced by, of all people, Julie Andrews!) who tells him the truth and he goes to find his long-lost brother who has yellow hair while Gru has none. The whole family moves into Dru’s luxurious home. But, Bratt is not to be put down and has stolen a jewel from Paris – which means, of course, that Gru will be after him again, with the help of Dru (who actually wants to be a criminal). So, finally, plenty of action as Bratt takes his plane and then his giant robot of himself and laser in a pretty successful attempt to demolish a lot of Hollywood, only to be defeated by Dru – and the Minions coming to the rescue.

And there it is, more or less what we might expect, a lively entertainment, especially for younger audiences.

DESPICABLE ME 4

US, 2024, 95 minutes, Colour.

Voices of: Steve Carell, Kristin Wiig, Joey King, Will Ferrell, Sofia Vergara, Miranda Cosgrove, Pierre Coffin, Steve Coogan, Stephen Colbert.

Directed by Chris Renaud, Patrick Delage.

We might wonder how often we use the word “despicable” in real life. However, since 2010 and the first Despicable Me film, the first thing we think of when we hear the word (well, most of those who are younger) are the films and, especially, with all respect to Gru, the Minions. They appeared in Despicable Me 2 in 2013, had their very own film in 2015, reappeared in Despicable Me 3 in 2017. And, of course, these films can be regularly seen on streaming. The Minions are always with us. But, it is something of a surprise to find that it is seven years since the previous film.

It takes up where 3 left off, the Institute for villains, the escapades of some of the graduates, the agency led by Silas Ramsbottom (Steve Coogan) engaging the help of now reformed Gru (the popular Steve Carell).

This time we have a new villain, top graduate to Gru’s jealousy, a Frenchman, Maxime (voiced by Will Ferrell). He is vain, something of a peacock in clothes and strutting, has an odd criminal girlfriend who spends most of her time putting on lipstick, determined to be a worldwide criminal phenomenon.

It doesn’t quite work out that way, Ramsbottom summoning Gru into action. Since we know Gru from the past, we know that this isn’t going to be swift justice being done, a whole lot of situations going wrong, Maxime actually caught and imprisoned but, of course, escaping and continued to threaten.

We have seen it before but we are happy to see it all again! This time we see Gru’s wife and children again but there is a new bundle of joy, a baby son. He is a bundle of joy for his mother, always smiling and goo-gooing, but scowling at his father. Which means then that the baby offers an opportunity for Maxime to take him as a hostage, Gru in pursuit (even on high buildings, on an aircraft, all over the place).

And the Minions, plenty of them, their shapes, yellow colour, range of situations, sometimes awkward, often to the rescue, then mumbling and chirping, even, at one stage, their Academy, and dozens of them there on screen. And we are thinking and feeling, long live the Minions!

Lots of action, lots of colour, lots of comic situations (and the question of how long this kind of action franchise can continue), happy family reunion, and the baby now goo-gooing its daddy.

1. The popularity of the Despicable Me series, Gru and his adventures, the presence of the Minions?
2. The animation style, colour, movement, settings, real and imaginative? The characters in this style? The range of the Minions? The voice cast? The musical score?
3. The continuation from the previous film, the Institute, villains, the management, the awards? The social, Gru dramatic arrival, with the Minions, his expectations, the clash with Maxime? Maxime winning the award? His speech and attitudes? Ambitions? The picture of his girlfriend, Valentina, lips on lipstick?
4. Maxime and his career, the clash with Gru, the threats, the threats to the family, their going to the safe house, the continued threats? The visit of the old lady from the Institute?
5. Gru, his wife, support, the family, the happy scenes, the teenage daughter, the little children, the scenes with the new baby, severe with his father, smiling at his mother? His finally being abducted, Gru to the rescue, Maxime and his controlling the baby, the baby finally acting, reconciled with father, family?
6. Maxime and his actions, crimes, reputation, daredevil? Is arrest, imprisonment? His escape?
7. The buildup to the confrontation between Maxime and Gru, the action sequences, in the air, the flight, the baby, over the city, precarious situations?
8. Ramsbottom, his organisation, warning Gru, wanting his help, supervision?
9. The comedy with the Minions, the characters, behaviour, voices and sounds, action? And the variety of Minions, being called from all occupations, gathering, the Minion force?
10. An entertainment for children and adults?