Vlad Bunoan

A scene from ‘Minions & Monsters.’ Universal Pictures

Illumination’s Minions & Monsters, directed by Pierre Coffin.

Article (news)

Fred Hawson

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783211652620MM_Goomi (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>A scene from ‘Minions &amp; Monsters.’ Universal Pictures</div>Once upon a time, there were several tribes of Minions who roamed the Earth looking for the perfect villain whom they can serve. However, because of their inherent naughtiness and clumsiness, the Minions would wind up killing the villains they served.  In one such tribe, there was a Minion named James, who was very much inclined to the art of drawing and telling stories. His best friends were the mischievous Henry and the hearing-impaired Ed. One day in 1927, the Minions saw a bank robber who was escaping by train and chased him. It turned out that this was a film being shot by a director named Max (Christoff Waltz). The producers, the Bright Brothers (Jeff Bridges) loved the Minions and made them superstars, until they could not do talkies. It was then that James had the idea of making his own film called &quot;Minions and Monsters,&quot; even when only Henry and Ed supported him.This flashback story of how Minions got into vintage Hollywood silent films was done via bookend sequences of a guide Olivia (Allison Janney) touring her guests around an exhibit called &quot;Magic of Hollywood.&quot; While I am not a fan of the Minions, their antics and gibberish language, I appreciated all the call outs to the history of cinema in this one. Cinephiles, especially fans of the classic Hollywood films, will enjoy seeing all these delightful Easter eggs, with Minions somehow integrated into them.  The direct tributes started in the opening credits, with scenes from &quot;Horse in Motion&quot; (1887) to &quot;A Trip to the Moon&quot; (1902). The man hanging from a clock was from &quot;Safety Last&quot; (1923). Asking Sam the pianist to &quot;play it again&quot; was from &quot;Casablanca&quot; (1942). The &quot;rosebud&quot; scene was from &quot;Citizen Kane&quot; (1941). Charlie Chaplin going through the gears of a machine was from &quot;Modern Times&quot; (1936). The robot Dort (Jesse Eisenberg) was likely a reference to the alien robot Gort in the film &quot;The Day the Earth Stood Still&quot; (1951). The sorcerer scenes were likely from &quot;Fantasia&quot; (1940). The train scenes may refer to &quot;The Great Train Robbery&quot; (1903) or &quot;The General&quot; (1927). The noir scene likely referred to &quot;The Maltese Falcon&quot; (1941). The shark scene referred to &quot;Jaws&quot; (1974). In Olivia&#x27;s exhibit, we see more recent films like &quot;E.T.&quot; (1982) and &quot;The Matrix&quot; (1999), movie monsters like &quot;The Mummy&quot; (1932) and &quot;The Creature from the Black Lagoon&quot; (1953), and directors like Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, and Francis Ford Coppola (in a speaking cameo). As for the titular &quot;Monsters,&quot; at first there was only one small green spherical creature with the tiny wiggly tentacles above his mouth named Goomi (Trey Parker) whom the Minions conjured out of the spell book. However, he would be joined by his gang of sea monsters Howard (Phil LaMarr) and Phillips (Bibby Moynihan), whose names referred to horror writer H.P. Lovecraft; and their spectacularly destructive orange slimy gelatinous mass with multiple eyes called Irene, that called to mind the classic movie monster &quot;The Blob&quot; (1958). I am still not exactly a fan of the Minions and their foolishness, but I did enjoy this loving tribute to the Golden Age of Hollywood as offered by the Minions creator, director and voice Pierre Coffin.<div> </div>This review was originally published in the author&#x27;s blog, “<a href="https://said-fred.blogspot.com/2026/07/review-of-minions-monsters-movie-making.html">Fred Said</a>.”

‘Minions &amp; Monsters’ is more than another slapstick adventure. Beneath the familiar chaos is a charming celebration of classic Hollywood, filled with Easter eggs that will delight movie lovers.

‘Minions & Monsters’ is more than another slapstick adventure. Beneath the familiar chaos is a charming celebration of classic Hollywood, filled with Easter eggs that will delight movie lovers.

'Minions & Monsters' review: A delightful love letter to classic Hollywood

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

BINI

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Movies & Series

'Minions & Monsters' review: A delightful love letter to classic Hollywood

Fred Hawson

Published July 05, 2026 08:48 AM PHT

Read More:

movie review

Minions

Minions & Monsters

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

Sign Up

I have read and agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.