{"id":2482483,"date":"2026-06-30T20:24:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T20:24:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2482483"},"modified":"2026-06-30T20:24:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T20:24:45","slug":"minions-monsters-scores-series-best-reviews-for-illuminations-animated-franchise-weird-willful-popular-entertainment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/minions-monsters-scores-series-best-reviews-for-illuminations-animated-franchise-weird-willful-popular-entertainment\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Minions & Monsters\u2019 scores series-best reviews for Illumination\u2019s animated franchise: \u2018Weird, willful popular entertainment\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Minions are back… in time. The latest animated installment in Illumination’s extended Despicable Me<\/em> cinematic universe plops those rambunctious yellow troublemakers down in Hollywood circa the 1920s when silent pictures are giving way to sound. Eager to get into the biz themselves, the Minions launch production on a creature feature that promptly unleashes the & Monsters<\/em> part of the title.<\/p>\n

Minions & Monsters<\/em> is the third entry in the Minions<\/em> series and the seventh installment in the combined franchise that stared with 2010’s Despicable Me<\/em> featuring Steve Carell as the not-so-dastardly villain Gru. The new movie boasts a star-powered vocal ensemble that includes Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges, Zoey Deutch, and Star Wars<\/em> master George Lucas as himself.<\/p>\n

More from Gold Derby<\/strong><\/p>\n

And as an extended homage to classic Hollywood, the film is a clear bid to bring some Oscar attention to a series that awards voters have largely ignored. To date, only Despicable Me 2<\/em> has been invited to the Big Show, with nominations for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.<\/p>\n

Perhaps unsurprisingly, critics are largely pleased by the movie’s nods in the direction of Hollywood history. Minions & Monsters<\/em> debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a 93% Fresh rating<\/a> and holds a generally positive 67 approval score over on Metacritic<\/a>. Those represent the best scores for the franchise since the original movie.<\/p>\n

Despicable Me\/Minions<\/em> critical reaction (by year of release)<\/h2>\n
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Film<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

RT Score<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Metacritic Score<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Despicable Me<\/em> (2010)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

80%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

72<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Despicable Me 2<\/em> (2013)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

75%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

62<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Minions<\/em> (2015)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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55%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

56<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Despicable Me 3<\/em> (2017)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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58%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

49<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Minions: The Rise of Gru<\/em> (2022)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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70%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

56<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Despicable Me 4<\/em> (2024)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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56%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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52<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Minions & Monsters<\/em> (2026)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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93%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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67<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Read a sampling of the critical reaction below.<\/p>\n

The good<\/h3>\n

Someone is ready for their close-up: Variety<\/em>‘s Guy Lodge<\/a> calls Minions & Monsters<\/em> a “creative high” for the franchise, celebrating its parallels to films like Sunset Boulevard<\/em>, Singin’ in the Rain<\/em>, and The Artist<\/em>. “The result… is a clear peak for the series,” he writes. “A Minions<\/em> movie with an actual idea at its core beyond general cheerful chaos, and proof that the pill-shaped devils are served better as stars than as sidekicks.<\/p>\n

“The film is such a weird, willful popular entertainment for much of its (blessedly snappy) running time that it holds your goodwill,” Lodge adds. “It\u2019s almost bellissima but it\u2019s fully, madly moviosa, and that\u2019s more than the seventh entry in any animated franchise has a right to be.”<\/p>\n

The Wrap’s Drew Taylor<\/a> is also a fan, observing: “The entire thing feels alive in a way that the Despicable Me<\/em> franchise, as a whole, hasn\u2019t in a while. What makes the series fun is that it is usually made up of gangbusters comedic moments that more or less add up to a cohesive and entertaining whole. Even when they don\u2019t entirely hang together, there\u2019s something to admire about a franchise that is so intensely gag-focused.<\/p>\n

“What makes Minions & Monsters<\/em> so refreshing is that you aren\u2019t exactly sure where it\u2019s headed next and what it\u2019s going to tackle,” Taylor continues. “Even when it feels like something you might have seen before, the heart of Minions & Monsters<\/em> shines through and there are enough curveballs to keep you entertained.”<\/p>\n

And RogerEbert.com’s Clint Worthington<\/a> calls the third romp “delightful” in his 3.5-star review. “In an age where it feels like no one remembers or cares about the history of the medium they enjoy… it\u2019s heartening to feel like Minions & Monsters <\/em>might just expose kids to the cinematic forebears that made their beloved Minions possible. And, in so doing, made the snappiest, most cohesive, and entertaining entry in this series to date.<\/p>\n

“These little guys are simply the purest and latest distillation of the very impulses that have made cinema one of mankind\u2019s most enduring art forms,” Worthington concludes. “Characters in motion, working hard to entertain, distract, and provide a communal experience for those who enjoy them.”<\/p>\n

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