MINIONS
Not-so-family-friendly comedy best left to discerning adults.
Should You Watch It?
MINIONS has humorous moments and plenty of energetic slapstick, but the laughs come at a cost. The movie glorifies crime, villains, and violence, while its main characters continue seeking the next evil master to serve. There is little substance behind the comedy and no meaningful change of heart.
A few moments point in a better direction. Bob shows kindness to Scarlett, and Kevin steps up as a selfless leader. But those moments do not change the film’s overall message or its characters’ final condition.
Because the content rating is −2, this is not a family movie. If you are an adult willing to weigh the film’s ideas and violence for yourself, wait to watch it at home rather than making it family movie night.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESWhen the minions lose their master, Kevin sets out with Bob and Stewart to find an evil villain to serve. Their journey leads them to Villain-Con in Orlando, Florida, the world’s biggest convention of villains.
There they meet Scarlett Overkill, the world’s best supervillain. She recruits the minions, and they join Scarlett and her inventor husband in a plot to take over the world.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means MINIONS has real entertainment value but falls short in substance. Its humorous moments and frenetic slapstick provide energy, and the minions’ comic behavior can produce laughs.
The problem is that the comedy distracts from a plotless storyline. The violence is presented in an appealing, fun way, while the main characters repeatedly behave badly. The result is an energetic comedy that does not offer enough moral or thematic depth to overcome its concerns.
The Worldview
MINIONS presents a fairly strong pagan worldview. It treats crime as fun and evil as admirable, something to pursue rather than reject. Villains are celebrities and objects of admiration, while the title characters continually search for the worst and most evil villain to serve.
The film includes a few glimpses of better behavior. Bob is selfless toward Scarlett at one point, and Kevin becomes a selfless leader. But the movie offers no lasting change of heart. The minions remain despicable and continue looking for more crime to commit and another villain to follow.
That stands against the biblical call to recognize evil for what it is: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Fairly strong pagan worldview, with a miscellaneous immorality and violence throughout showing crime as fun and evil as admirable and something to be followed, there is no change of heart from their despicable ways, they continue to find more crime to commit, plus some homosexual elements includes two cases of cross dressing, and a homosexual stylist designs the Queen’s dress, one character becomes selfless at one point; no foul language; strong comic and slapstick violence includes many violent deaths occur that are very harsh, violence is portrayed in a fun way, an execution is ordered, all of the villains chase the minions trying any way possible to kill them, one character has a torture chamber; characters shot from behind wear thongs; alcohol use; no smoking or drugs; and, strong miscellaneous immorality includes the title characters are always trying to find the worst and most evil villain to serve, a family robs stores together on the way to Villain-con, villains are seen as celebrities and something to aim toward, a hat is used to hypnotize guards into submission, the queen after being dethroned disrespects England and is found drinking in a bar.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
What happens when people treat villains and evil as admirable? How does Scripture tell us to respond to evil?
Isaiah 5:20 · Romans 12:9Bob shows kindness, and Kevin acts as a selfless leader. Why do isolated good actions matter, and why do they need to become a lasting way of life?
Philippians 2:3–4 · James 2:14–17The minions keep looking for another villain to serve. What kinds of influences shape the people we choose to follow?
1 Corinthians 15:33 · Psalm 1:1–2How can humor make harmful behavior seem acceptable? What helps us test what we watch?
Ephesians 5:11 · Philippians 4:8The Final Word
MINIONS may provide some laughs, but it glorifies crime, villains, and violence without giving its characters a lasting change of heart. For families, this is not a good choice; discerning adults should wait to watch it at home. Our answer is WAIT FOR HOME — ADULTS ONLY. For other options, see.
