Now let’s agree on one thing: in this time and day it is a) a lot of animated movies are actually very deep and mature and can definitely be watched by adults and b) even if they’re not deep or mature, some are just fun to watch anyway and that’s totally okay. Minions Rise of Gru falls into the latter category. And that’s not a bad thing. It’s honestly a fun time that’s often more a collection of running gags featuring the three minions than anything too grand and that’s not a bad thing . While films like Pixar’s Lightyear can get even a bit depressing, Rise of Gru doesn’t bother with that. It does have the distinction of being the movie that essentially ties Minions movies to Despicable Me proper, essentially becoming a prequel for the first movie and focusing at least 40% on Gru while focusing on the minions too.

In fact this movie is about how Gru got the minions in the first place, how they met and how Steve Carrell’s titular character thought he was too good for the little critters until he formed a more serious bond with them. Again, nothing special, but often a fun ride with no scenes feeling too long or unnecessary. The new setting in the 70’s even adds some classic musical numbers that some of you may appreciate, along with an honestly ridiculous foe in the Vicious 6, a group of pun-based villains that Gru wanted to join as a kid.

Along with the Vicious Six another standout addition is definitely Otto, who’s essentially the minion that everyone finds annoying but proves his worth. He apparently talks too much too, which is harder to discern in minion-speak of course, but the expressions he creates out of everyone are priceless. There’s even a lot of fun in Wild Knuckles, a villain past his prime who was Gru’s hero. Their dynamic makes for some fun scenes as well, especially as it proves, like most Despicable Me movies, the villains in this universe are often the most caring and charming characters. There’s a lot of hints of the other Despicable Me movies here too, from the Bank of Evil to how Gru actually met his trusted friend Dr Nefario. Small little things sure, but rewarding if you’ve ever watched these movies.