Minions: The Rise of Gru
Plot
In the heart of the 1970s, amidst a flurry of feathered hair and flared jeans, Gru (Steve Carell) is growing up in the suburbs. A fanboy of a supervillain supergroup known as the Vicious 6, Gru hatches a plan to become evil enough to join them. Luckily, he gets some mayhem-making back-up from his loyal followers, the Minions. Together, Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto - a new Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to please - deploy their skills as they and Gru build their first lair, experiment with their first weapons, and pull off their first missions. When the Vicious 6 oust their leader, legendary fighter Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin), Gru interviews to become their newest member. It doesn't go well (to say the least), and only gets worse after Gru outsmarts them and suddenly finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil. On the run, Gru will turn to an unlikely source for guidance, Wild Knuckles, and discover that even bad guys need a little help from their friends.
Overall Series Review
Categorical Breakdown
The main antagonists, the Vicious 6, are a highly diverse group, now led by Belle Bottom, a Black woman. This diverse group is shown betraying and ousting the older white male founder, Wild Knuckles. Characters are judged by their merit as villains or mentors. The story centers on a non-racialized quest for a mystical artifact and the Minions' loyalty to a white-coded child, Gru, not on intersectional hierarchy or lectures on privilege.
The film’s backdrop is 1976 suburban America, which is neither praised nor demonized. The source of the ultimate conflict and power is the Chinese Zodiac Stone and the Minions' ultimate aid comes from Master Chow, a Chinese martial arts master. Power and wisdom for the heroes come from adopting a foreign tradition (Kung Fu), but this serves primarily as a fun plot device rather than a criticism of Western culture.
Two major characters, Belle Bottom and Master Chow, are hyper-competent female leaders who excel in combat and leadership. Belle Bottom successfully leads the Vicious 6 after betraying the former male leader. Master Chow is an instantly perfect and highly skilled mentor. Gru's mother, Marlena Gru, maintains her franchise trait of being self-absorbed and neglectful, subverting the traditional maternal role. The story itself focuses on Gru's male ambition without overtly emasculating him.
The narrative focuses on a child's dream of villainy, slapstick comedy, and the platonic bond between Gru and the Minions. There is no presence of alternative sexualities, sexual identity as a major character trait, or gender ideology lecturing directed at children. The structure is normative by omission, concentrating on universal childhood themes.
The core of the Despicable Me franchise glorifies amoral villainy and self-interest, implicitly rejecting objective moral law. The villains include a nun caricature, Nunchuck, which depicts a figure tied to a traditional religious institution as a comedic, evil character. The climax of the film involves the use of the Zodiac Stone, leading to possession by 'demon spirits of the Chinese zodiac,' which positions a pagan/Eastern spiritual element as the central source of mystical power.