I remember watching Despicable Me with my wife back before we had kids and enjoying the movie, but not thinking much of it after that. By the time the sequel came out, our daughter had basically taken control of the television and it was nearly guaranteed that we watched the DreamWorks film on a regular basis. So, when Minions came out earlier this summer, we wanted to get her to the theaters to see it. Luckily, my dad was up for the task and took her a few weeks ago. But, they weren’t the only ones who wanted to catch it on the big screen, so when my wife and I saw that one of the local drive-ins was doing a Minions/Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation double bill, we jumped at the chance (my M:I 5 can be read here if you’re interested).

I’ve got to admit, though, I had no idea what this movie was about thanks to the commercials. I knew from covering movies for a living that it was some kind of prequel to DM, but that was about it aside from some odd scenes of a trio of Minions running around what looked like a British palace.

So, here’s the deal: the Minions evolved to serve the most despicable thing around. They did alright for a while, but after a series of dead masters, they found themselves holed up in some frozen mountains yearning for leadership. Three of their number — Kevin, Stuart and Bob — set out to find a new overlord and eventually come to find Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock) who wants the British crown for herself. From there you get accidental betrayal, Minions in a palace and an epic fight at the end.

Minions did an excellent job of continuing on the fun and tone of the DM movies — which both feature a good deal of heart along with the out-there, sci-fi-tinged antics that come from classic movies and cartoons. I love how they were able to take those elements and portray them through a historical context that ties back into the main films by the end. In other words, this is one of the better prequels around because it didn’t get too caught up in the specific gags and events that made the first two movies popular, but instead carried on the tone and heart to its logical conclusion.

All that being said, I now hope that SPOILER Gru & The Minions becomes an animated series that I can watch with my kids on Netflix or something because that dynamic right there — mad scientist boy with nearly unlimited help — is perfect for ongoing antics.