George Lucas’ Minions & Monsters Cameo Is Done the Right Way

It has been confirmed that Star Wars creator George Lucas was one of Minions & Monsters‘ hilarious cameos. This was a dream come true for the acclaimed filmmaker, who has previously expressed his love for the Despicable Me franchise, particularly Gru’s chaotic yellow henchmen.

Minions & Monsters was directed by Despicable Me filmmaker Pierre Coffin, who co-wrote the screenplay with Brian Lynch. The movie features the voices of Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg, Zoey Deutch, Trey Parker, Bobby Moynihan, and Phil LaMarr. So far, it has already received a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

“The film introduces us to an entirely new tribe of Minions, who find themselves in Hollywood at the dawn of cinema. Our heroes are two brand-new Minions: James and Henry,” reads the synopsis. “This is the rambunctious, ridiculous, and totally true story of how the Minions conquered Hollywood, became movie stars, lost everything, unleashed monsters onto the world, and then banded together to try and save the planet from the mayhem they had just created.”

How does George Lucas’ cameo fit into Minions & Monsters?

In Minions & Monsters, Lucas made a brief cameo as himself, appearing among the statues in a Hollywood movie museum as a trapped living exhibit. Even though it doesn’t take away much from the main story, Lucas’ cameo actually matched the movie’s recurring theme of subverting Hollywood glamour. Making him a living museum piece is on par with the Minions’ chaotic way of transforming prestigious cinema into slapstick comedy throughout the film.

Lucas’ Minions & Monsters cameo also featured some homage to the first Star Wars movie. During his scene, he tried to ask Janney’s tour guide character, Olivia, for his cellphone. However, Olivia declined his request by responding with, “No, you’ll just call for help.” This might be the animated sequel’s way of referencing Princess Leia’s iconic call for help to Obi-Wan Kenobi from the 1977 film.

Overall, the creative team made the right decision to include Lucas’ cameo in Minions & Monsters, especially when the movie’s story is all about the magic behind filmmaking. Since the critics and fans have been describing the new film as a love letter to cinema history, Lucas’ cameo is a great way of acknowledging his groundbreaking contribution to the film industry as a visionary storyteller. His work on the Star Wars franchise inspired many creators and movies as he elevated the sci-fi genre.

Originally reported by Dan Girolamo for ComingSoon.