In the early days of Hollywood, a couple of unusually clumsy minions got the film industry off to a rousing start – but also ended up battling a deceitful monster.

A prequel to the first two Minions that delivers a love letter to the history of cinema. No wonder that critics liked it better, but a sober look at this giddy adventure does reveal a greater ambition, complete with a couple of spirited sequences where the filmmakers pack as many references to silent classics as humanly possible.

Loses steam in the second half, but there’s a lot to like, including Jesse Eisenberg as a robot who falls in love.

2026-U.S. Animated. 90 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Pierre Coffin. Screenplay: Pierre Coffin, Brian Lynch. Voices of Pierre Coffin (Minions), Trey Parker (Goomi), Jesse Eisenberg (Dort), Christoph Waltz, Jeff Bridges, Allison Janney… George Lucas.