When Minions Shook Hollywood

In the latest zany escapade, everyone's favorite delightful yellow mischief-makers, the Minions, are back. This time, they're not just part of the show -- they're taking over Hollywood! Despite their often underappreciated role in the 'Despicable Me' series, which by the way, is the highest-grossing animated film franchise in history, they have made their impact felt big time in this latest adventure, becoming the latest talk of Tinseltown.

Pierre Coffin, one of the original creators, hands us a valentine to the silver screen, but not the flash and glamor of today. He dares to take us on a journey back in time to the bygone era of early movie-making; a charming hark back that starts with a montage of the Universal Pictures logos through the decades.

Narrated by an enthusiastic museum tour guide played by Allison Janney, the plot promotes the idea that these cute, incomprehensible little yellow beings had a significant part to play in the history of Hollywood. And who could forget the wickedly funny cameo by the legendary George Lucas?

The movie follows their hilarious quest, fraught with obstacles and daredevil stunts, as we watch the Minions on the search for a new evil boss. Their path winds its way to Hollywood's early days and they somehow land in the middle of a film set helmed by Max, portrayed by Christoph Waltz; a character who embodies every European émigré who carved a career in Hollywood.

One might think that the ensuing chaos on set would cost Max his job, but studio bosses Frank and Elwood, both energetically voiced by Jeff Bridges, know star quality when they see it. The Minions are quickly crowned the darlings of Hollywood, but as we all know, fame can be short-lived. Enter the 'talkies', ending their blooming career in silent films.

The film is teeming with odes to classic film tropes and routines from Charlie Chaplin, Lloyd and Keaton. However, the cinematic homages don't stop there: 'Casablanca', 'Citizen Kane' and many others, get a nod too! Amid all this, it’s hard not to get swept up in the magic of movie-making encapsulated in moments like when our yellow heroes first enter a bustling soundstage puzzle; a spectacle peppered with spectacular epic films being shot simultaneously.

When Minions James and Henry, (breathed into life by Coffin's voice skills), lose their acting jobs, they follow a familiar Hollywood trajectory, trying their hand at directing a monster movie. It's not easy as they first thought, and a petite, far from menacing creature named Goomi, honed by Trey Parker, is their first awkward casting. Happily, Goomi points them to the truly fearsome monsters played by Bobby Moynihan and Phil LaMarr.

There are more twists in the script as our Minions must face these monsters who have nefarious designs on, well, as usual -- the world!

A fun subplot involves an alien robot (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg), whose grand ambitions to control the world get waylaid when he is smitten by a beautiful suffragette, voiced by the charming Zoey Deutch.

The movie does teeter on the brink of pandemonium when a host of monsters, including a massive orange blob covered in countless eyes, join the melee. However, for most of its run time, 'Minions & Monsters' manages to hit the right notes with its sophisticated satirical humor and an abundance of visual gags and secret Easter eggs that would necessitate multiple screenings just to spot and savor them.

As the climactic scene fades and James holds aloft his prestigious golden film award, one can't help but feel that the creators too are eyeing that same dream. And who knows, this time, they might just make it happen!