If you go up to someone on the street and ask them if they like Minions the most likely answer would be yes. “Minions: The Rise of Gru” was released earlier this summer but it was an instant hit. Corbin Doughty, a sophomore, believed that “the atmosphere and craft of the movie was truly on a different level,” though he would not disclose whether the level was high or lower compared to the other movies in the franchise.

When “Minions: The Rise of Gru” was released on July 1st, teenagers such as Doughty were more than excited to participate in one of the newest social media trends called “Gentleminions.” This fad was started to create an elegant viewing atmosphere for the movie, whether you were in formal wear or in costume as a minion. The nostalgia of the “Despicable Me” franchise combined with a fun idea to dress up seemed like a perfect way to hangout with friends over the summer.

“I dusted off my purple tuxedo [printed t-shirt] and enjoyed the movie, haughtily chuckling with my companions at the plebeians who did not wear their finest clothing,” said Doughty. 

TikTok was to blame for the start of this trend, popular among young adults. . It is unknown when the “Gentleminions” trend started, but it caught on like wildfire. When teenagers began pouring into theaters with suits and bananas, many theaters were overwhelmed. 

All this popularity was good for business, but when the suited teens started causing trouble it scared away the audience this movie was meant for ᠆ children. 

“Unfortunately, some “gentleminions” are not acting so gentlemanly,” said the Channel 11 News in Denver. “Some theaters have seen light vandalism and upset children…” 

Due to outraged cries of parents, some movie theaters were eventually forced to ban suits in showings of “Minions: The Rise of Gru” and bag check for bananas.

However, some students did not view their actions as harmful. As Clara Carver, a sophomore at Beaverton, commented, “I chose to dress up for the Minion movie because it looked fun; I don’t think there was any harm in it.”

Is it worth the watch?

“Rise of Gru” features one of the first adventures with the Minions and their boss Gru. Gru is interviewed to join the Vicious 6, a prestigious villain group. They reject him for being too young, and he retaliates by stealing the Zodiac Stone. One of his Minions, Otto, loses the stone and they go on a journey to retrieve it. The movie preaches the lessons of loyalty and working together, some of the typical themes that children’s movies address. 

The movie is tailored towards young audiences, with frequent fart and butt jokes such as when one of the Minions was lodged into someone else’s buttcrack. During a Kung Fu training scene, we watched Stuart hurt himself after trying to chop a board, and we couldn’t help but laugh at his pain in the otherwise quiet movie theater. With its witty humor and accurate time period references of the 1970s, it is still enjoyable for older audiences. 

The animation for this movie was very smooth and well done with an aesthetically pleasing color palette of highly saturated and well blended tones. The writers created an accurate depiction of San Francisco including scenes with the Minions rolling down the city’s famous slopes. It really made us want to do the same. It’s hard to pick favorites, but this movie probably had the best setting in the franchise. 

Unfortunately, the plot of the movie was unmemorable and the jokes were repetitive.. It was a struggle recalling any of the important scenes in the movie-even when they fought the Vicious 6 at the end. With its unremarkable soundtrack and somewhat boring plot, it left us wondering when the movie was going to end. 

While it would be a bit inaccurate to say it was a bad movie, it ran long and had more than a few plot holes. Gru looks exactly the same age in “Minions: The Rise of Gru” and “Minions.”However, there is a three year difference between the two, which poses some problems. 

This brings us to consider that to the point of “Minions: The Rise of Gru” seems to be less flushed out then its predecessor.

Another example in incontinuity is posed by Doughty. He says that it is a responsibility of prequels to adhere to the continuity of the original movies, and that “The Rise of Gru committed a severe misstep.” 

“By granting the core three Minions karate powers, it raises a great question,” he said. “Why didn’t the Minions use these to combat any of the foes in the “Despicable Me” trilogy?”

As Doughty stated, “It wasn’t a particularly deep movie, but the simple gags of the Minions were still entertaining and I did not once consider walking out of the theater.” 

We would recommend this movie if you are looking for something to put on in the background or to watch for fun. However, if you like being a gentleminion maybe avoid the bananas and suits as it might cause issues. If you are majorly interested in plot, then this probably isn’t the movie for you. We would give this movie three out of five stars.