This is the only natural progression that the series could
have taken after
Despicable Me 2. Between the increasing popularity of the
Minions and the focus being brought squarely on them over pretty much anything
else in the films, the next logical step would be a film all about the
gibbering creatures. The idea that they’re going right ahead and dropping the
pretence that people were watching the Despicable Me movies for any another
reason than to see the Minions do funny things is a very good thing in my eyes;
focus only on what you need to, rather than dragging yourself down for no
reason. However, this could also prove to be a rather disastrous idea. Rough
analogy time: Ol’ Dirty Bastard was a fun presence on any Wu-Tang Clan song,
but listening to the entirety of one of his solo albums can cause some people
to overdose; too much of a good and zany thing. Here’s hoping that this isn’t
the case here.
It’s a little too easy to just cut to the chase and see this
as an attempt to cash in on A Quiet Place. Atmospheric horror tied directly to
one of the human senses, with heavy emphasis on parenthood through the
characters; the ties exist, is all I’m saying. But more so than that, this
concept feels like someone looked at The Happening and went “Okay, there has to
be a way to do this story without it being completely stupid.” A mysterious
force is making the human population commit suicide, and the few that remain
have to try and survive without getting exposed to that force. It’s an idea
that honestly is worth trying to make palatable, and the attempt made here
ain’t half bad.
