To date,the Minions have been featured in six movies,including two dedicated to their foolish antics (Minions andMinions:The Rise of Gru). Their is nearly $7 billion,and this doesn’t even include what is likely to be another strong performance from. They’ve inspired plush toys,mobile games,theme park rides and marketing partnerships with.
Minions are the face of the Despicable Me franchise. What makes these little sidekicks so loveable?Supplied
Much of their success has arguably come down to their universal appeal. They speak a made-up language that combines gibberish,French,English,Italian and Spanish (at least) and thrive on prank. This,and their unbreakable childlike wonder,has translated to both international and intergenerational popularity.
The Minions have captured our attention – and our money – for well over a decade. In honour of this,here are five of the most memorable Minion moments from across the Minionverse.
Minions locked up
The Minions are put behind bars inDespicable Me 3(2017),exchanging their signature denim overalls for black-and-white stripes.
The adorable creatures quickly dominate the prison yard,sending their much larger cellmates into hiding and sparking prison riots.
Replete with banana prison tattoos,snapping dance scenes reminiscent ofWest Side Story,and a dumb-luck escape plan,these moments ooze both irony and pop-cultural reference. Being bad has never looked so cute.
Minion Idol
The allure of pizza sees the Minions accidentally crash a singing competition (a laAustralian Idol) inDespicable Me 3. Although initially hesitant,they eventually build up to a passionate “Minionese” rendition ofThe Major-General’s Song fromThe Pirates of Penzance. There are Minion pyramids,Minion Can-Can dancers and pink toilet paper streamers (because the Minions can’t resist a toilet joke). It epitomes the clueless confidence that makes Minions impossible not to love.
Boss troubles
Minions (2015) offers a glimpse into their history,answering questions like where they came from and what their purpose is. Apparently,it’s simply to serve the “most despicable master”,including a T. Rex,a Pharoah,a vampire and even Napoleon.
What these scenes ultimately remind us of,however,is that Minions don’t exactly bring their masters luck. Instead,they unintentionally cause each of their deaths,usually due to their utter lack of brain cells. Though they may not be the most skilled employees,their loyalty and desire for belonging are characteristics everyone can respect.
All-4-Minions
They can sing,dance and they’re loveable. In other words,the Minions were practically made to form a boy band.
Four of the little guys channel All-4-One at the end ofDespicable Me 2(2013),singing a rendition ofI Swear at Gru and Lucy’s wedding. In their version,“I swear” becomes “underwear” – unsurprising given the Minions’ ongoing fascination with butts.
Although their sparkly all-white outfits and bedazzled berets are more Backstreet Boys than anything,they nail All-4-One’s pained lover vibe.
Shopping spree
One of the Minions’ first side-missions is to find a new unicorn toy (or “papoy” in Minionese) for young Agnes inDespicable Me (2010). Tim,Mark and Phil,three of the most notable Minions in the franchise,disguise themselves as a human family to blend in at the shopping mall.
However,they still stand out like little yellow thumbs (one of them only has one eye,after all). They wreak havoc on the store by launching a Coca-Cola bottle like a rocket and passionately singing Barry Manilow’sCopacabana on a karaoke machine. Clearly,Minions haven’t grasped the concept of “undercover”.
Their brains may not be high-functioning,but their hearts certainly are. Although they fail to buy a unicorn toy,they gift Agnes a makeshift one,made with a toilet brush and ice cream cone. It’s a sweet moment that epitomises the franchise’s overall message:something may be created to be bad,but there’s always space for good.
Despicable Me 4 is in cinemas now.
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