Screenwriters Brian Lynch and Pierre Coffin (also the director) begin Minions & Monsters with a frightening phrase: “tribes of Minions exist across the globe”. As spoken by Olivia (Allison Janney), the film’s narrator, it is a quick handwave explanation for how and why Minions & Monsters focuses on a different gaggle of the little yellow guys than all their previous cinematic endeavors. Effective though the device is, it also raises the horrifying prospect of countless Minions wreaking havoc around the globe. In reality, though, they inspire dreadful thoughts that “tribes” of these creatures are causing endless chaos everywhere. God help us, especially the humble banana vendors.

The central Minion of this tale, James (voiced by Pierre Coffin, as are all the pill-shaped beings), is an artist, stuck in a community perfectly happy to drift from bad guy to bad guy. An outcast, he only has Henry and Ed to call his chums.

Nevertheless, the muses won’t be denied. Eventually, the critters wind up in 1920s Hollywood, where silent cinema reigns supreme. First, filmmaker Max (Christoph Waltz) turns the Minions into motion picture legends. Classically, it isn’t enough for James. He really wants to direct. Before long, he hits on a grand vision: a monster movie. Where will he get the gigantic beastie for this feature? Why a magic spell book, of course. This supernatural Backstage sets the Minions on the path to discover “hot new talent” like Goomi (Trey Parker). Thought the advent of sound shook up 20s Hollywood? Wait until you see what Minions & Monsters unleashes on this realm.

Like many Illumination projects before it, the film suffers from a disjointed screenplay. It barrels through key plot developments with an attention span so fragmented viewers will worry the movie forgot its morning dose of Vyvanse. And if anachronisms bother you? Yikes. Prepare to be annoyed as the film glosses over the rise of sound and ends with a 50s sci-fi-inspired grand finale, after mostly echoing films from a far earlier era, like The Great Train Robbery and Safety Last!

Speaking as someone who’s long found the Minions and their constant screaming to be inferior to Mel Blanc’s Looney Tunes yells, there isn’t much here to change my mind. Their very broad slapstick lacks the visual ingenuity of Hundreds of Beavers. It is perhaps a bit hyperbolic to claim that if you’ve seen one Minions film, you’ve seen them all. Still, one couldn’t blame anyone for feeling a bit that way, given their extremely limited design. Even as they touch on topics like the joy of the theatrical experience or vintage movie cameras, Minions & Me just aren’t on the same wavelength. At most, I only intermittently chuckled at their shenanigans.

And yet, one feels compelled to argue that Minions & Monsters is a vastly superior creation to the previous two spin-offs. For starters, it radiates precision and genuine love for its 1920s setting. Previous adventures, while also period pieces, barely engaged with their 60s- and 70s-America settings. Similarly, the film is shot through with authentic appreciation for cinema’s earliest days. How many mainstream 2026 films feature footage from 1895’s The Waterer Watered? Hell, how about all the 2020s? These specific nods to silent masterpieces are infinitely more specific and fun than just having the sentient corn pops croon recognizable Billboard chart-toppers.

Meanwhile, Lynch and Coffin’s screenplay, while scattered, at least delivers more consistently absurd fun compared to other Illumination outings. Two years ago, Despicable Me 4 hopped around various generic subplots involving karate classes and caricatured villains. Minions & Monsters, meanwhile, cuts away from its main action for a kookier narrative thread involving robot Dort (Jesse Eisenberg) swooning for suffragette Debbie (Zoey Deutsch). The comedic victor here is obvious.

Illumination’s drastically improved animation prowess also helps this production. It looks incredibly crisp on the big screen, with the textures on new characters like Goomi appearing appropriately pleasing and squishable. This feat lends extra polish to comedic moments, juxtaposing dramatic blocking straight out of a King Vidor title with those goofy banana-lovers. Gags visually homaging 20s entertainment like monochromatic sequences and sped-up chases further accentuate its distinctive imagery.

Finally, Minions & Monsters did force even me to acknowledge Coffin’s considerable skill in injecting subtle personality flourishes into his voicework. While all Minions ostensibly have the same high-pitched, scream-prone vocals, Coffin gives each their own distinctive flavor. Sixteen years behind the mic and he still delivers.

Minions & Monsters hasn’t suddenly catapulted the Despicable Me sequels/spin-offs to extraordinary artistry. It still exhibits most of the common flaws that plague Illumination’s output. Nonetheless, it has never been easier to imagine my sporadic chuckles translating into gigantic belly laughs for those with a greater love for Minion mayhem.

Minions & Monsters stampedes into theatres July 1.

Minions & Monsters Trailer: