Those hilarious and adorable little yellow minions are back and this time they are taking Hollywood by storm in Illumination Entertainment’s animated film Minions & Monsters.
The 2026 addition to the blockbuster Despicable Me franchise opens on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame as guide Olivia (voiced by Allison Janney) gives a tour of the most influential forces in Hollywood and filmmaking. When she stops at an exhibit showcasing two Minions named James and Henry, the tourists have no clue who they are. So, Olivia begins to tell their story.
Throughout history, the Minions have searched to find an evil master to serve. From a giant cyclops to a mummy and an evil wizard, the Minions just keep failing and moving on. Two Minions, James and Henry, are different from the other Minions because instead of being focused on serving an evil master, they love to make up stories. They’re creative and have active imaginations.
When they and their fellow Minions end up in Hollywood during the 1920s, they accidentally get caught up in a train chase during a film shoot. The director and producers think they are a riot and offer them a contract. James, Henry, and their buddy Ed sign on, but the other Minions move on to find an evil master to serve.
James is desperate to be a director and make his own movie, which he’s come up with himself and titled Minions & Monsters. There’s just one problem … where is he going to find monsters?! Remember, the Minions served an evil wizard. Well, it turns out Ed kept the wizard’s spell book. James and Henry use the book to summon a little green demon named Goomi (voiced by Trey Parker) who tells the ambitious filmmakers he knows the perfect monsters for their film.
Not long after James, Henry, and Ed help Goomi free his giant monster pals from their frozen prison, they realize Goomi has tricked them and intends to destroy the world with the help of his monster friends. So, it’s up to James, Henry, and Ed to find a way to stop Goomi and the monsters … if they can.
Colorful, goofy, and loud, Minions & Monsters is a love letter to Hollywood that gets too convoluted for its own good. It’s a zany adventure with plenty of slapstick and lively chases, but the main and secondary plots might be too difficult for young children to keep up with.
The film is fully stocked with industry jokes, from Citizen Kane and Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times to a homage to the space thriller films of the 1950s. (One of the biggest monsters named “Irene” is a giant orange blob with hundreds of eyes and is a little reminiscent of the 1958 film The Blob.)
Minions & Monsters loses its way with the subplot involving the other Minions trying to serve an inept robot named Dort (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg) who wants to claim Earth as his own. This subplot becomes critical later in the film’s climax but might be too much for young children to follow.
Monsters & Minions looks stunning, with vibrant, beautiful animation, and the voice talents do an excellent job. But, as it should be, the Minions are the ones who really shine, even more than the monsters.
Whether the Minions are accidentally unraveling their mummy master from his bandages, trying to poke Irene’s multiple eyes one at a time, or struggling to stop a train from crashing, it’s the Minions – especially James, Henry, and Ed – who are the lovable and wacky heart of the film.
GRADE: B
Rating: PG for rude/macabre humor, language, violence, and action
Runtime: 1 hour 30 minutes
Release Date: July 1, 2026
Directed By: Pierre Coffin
Studios: Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment
