Minions and Monsters

Any cuteness and charm has long since worn off regarding the pill-shaped protagonists of the animated Minions franchise. But there’s still money to be milked, so with Minions and Monsters, you can’t blame its creators for at least trying a fresh angle.

Gone are the connections to Despicable Me, from which Minions spun off 11 years and two films ago, as well as much of the villainous intent of the diminutive yellow title characters.

Instead, regular franchise director Pierre Coffin uses their mischievous innocence and childlike wonder as a lens through which to indulge in a whirlwind satirical fantasy through old Hollywood.

That creates a bit of an identity crisis for a film that showcases an ambitious and affectionate love for movie history that should amuse cinephiles, within the confines of a project aimed at contemporary youngsters with short-attention spans who’ve never heard of Buster Keaton or Citizen Kane.

At any rate, bookend sequences involve a Hollywood tour guide (voiced by Allison Janney) explaining to her puzzled guests why the title characters “changed Hollywood forever. And their story is epic.”

The flashbacks start further back than that, placing the rambunctious minions in vignettes ranging from prehistoric times to ancient Egypt and the Old West.

Eventually, they find their way to silent films, where two of them find success in acting before the advent of sound forces them behind the camera and into the tutelage of a fledgling filmmaker (Christoph Waltz), as their dreams coincide with the rise of monster and science-fiction movies in the years to come.

As expected, this latest sequel features some colorful visuals, amusing references, and plenty of kid-friendly slapstick delivered at a frenetic pace to match the minions’ constantly babbling gibberish.

Positioning them as outsiders seeking acceptance in a strange and often unforgiving world, there’s not much of a coherent overarching plot, but rather a compilation of sketches, which are cumulatively more exhausting than endearing.

There are some silly laughs along the way, as well as a strong voice cast that includes Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges, Trey Parker, and even George Lucas.

Despite the nostalgic settings, Minions and Monsters eventually funnels toward a chaotic finale with distinctly 21st century inspirations. There are marketing goals and merchandising tie-ins to meet, after all.

Rated PG, 90 minutes.