Minions & Monsters Just Pulled Off the Franchise’s Best Critical Debut Yet
The Despicable Me universe has built its empire on chaos, bananas, and a level of brand loyalty most studios would kill for, and that reputation is precisely what made expectations sky high heading into the newest spinoff. ‘Minions & Monsters’ is a 2026 animated comedy directed by Pierre Coffin, marking the third installment in the Minions prequel series and the seventh film overall in the Despicable Me franchise. The film swaps Gru’s basement lair for a wildly different backdrop, betting that audiences will follow these yellow troublemakers anywhere.
Set decades before the Minions ever met their favorite supervillain, the story drops James and Henry into the glitz of 1920s Hollywood. After getting fired from early silent film work for being unable to read a script, the pair decide to make their own monster movie, accidentally summoning real creatures using a stolen spell book and pulling their fellow Minions into the chaos. The film had already generated buzz after premiering overseas before its wide release.
Now the numbers are in, and they are turning heads across social media. As shared by the X account Film Updates, ‘Minions & Monsters’ debuted with a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 40 reviews ahead of its July 1 theatrical release, a remarkably strong showing for a franchise that has occasionally drawn mixed reactions from critics over the years.
Reviews backing up that score have been glowing. Variety’s Guy Lodge called the film ‘smarter, wilder and funnier before the monsters enter the equation,’ praising it as a mostly delightful seventh entry that pulls off more than fans had any right to expect. The trade outlet went so far as to label it a high point for the entire series, a notable distinction for a movie this far into a franchise’s run.
Other critics echoed that warmth, framing the picture as an affectionate homage to the golden age of moviemaking rather than another retread of familiar gags. The setting itself, a love letter to Old Hollywood’s silent film era, gave reviewers fresh material to dig into beyond the usual banana jokes and slapstick the series is known for.
That critical momentum arrives at a pivotal commercial moment. ‘Minions & Monsters’ lands in theaters just ahead of the July 4th holiday weekend, positioning it as a centerpiece release for Illumination’s massive animated slate. Industry trackers expect the film to lead the holiday box office, with projections placing its five day opening anywhere between 60 and 90 million dollars domestically.
Whether the film can match the box office heights of recent entries remains to be seen, but the critical reception alone has fans buzzing online. With ‘Minions & Monsters’ already drawing comparisons to the franchise’s best work, do you think this prequel will end up the fan favorite of the whole series, or are you holding out for Gru to make his triumphant return?
