Editor’s Note: The following contains Minions: The Rise of Gru spoilers.Gru and the Minions are back at it, unleashing their villainy across theaters everywhere in Minions: The Rise of Gru. In this Minions sequel, Despicable Me prequel, 11-year-old Gru (Steve Carell) is desperate to join the Vicious 6, a notorious supervillain squad that’s just ousted its long-time leader, Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin). And while Gru is very fond of his Minions (Pierre Coffin), the delightfully silly henchmen helping him build his first basement lair, trial and error his first set of weapons, and all around supporting his novice supervillainy efforts, joining the Vicious 6 is something Gru very much thinks he needs to do alone.
It’s not long into this vaudevillian animated action flick that the heist of it all rears it’s exciting head. The Vicious 6, lead by Belle Bottom (Taraji P. Henson), have stolen a precious artifact — the Zodiac Stone. And during their interview with Gru, an interview that goes far less swimmingly than Gru dreamed it ideally would, Gru steals the stone to prove a point. He might be young, but that doesn’t mean he’s not worth this group’s consideration! Little Gru, though, never intends on keeping the stone for very long. He wants to return it quickly, to show the Vicious 6 that he’s a force to be reckoned with but also an absolutely great fit to join their despicable team. Little does he know, though, that none other than Wild Knuckles, Gru’s absolute favorite supervillain of all time, is also hunting the stone. Or that Otto, a new Minion with braces, has swapped the stone out for a pet rock, obviously, on his way back to Gru’s lair. Suddenly Gru finds himself very much without the stone, kidnapped, and held ransom by his idol. Now it’s up to the Minions to get that stone back and save their mini boss before time runs out. Or before the Vicious 6 reach San Francisco first. Gosh, so much going on!
So how does it all turn out? After all sorts of fast-paced antics, storylines weaving in and out faster than a cheese-ray blast, we reach the movie’s climax. When Gru and White Knuckles return valiant from their simple heist to find that the Vicious 6 have completely destroyed White Knuckles’ house, White Knuckles finally gives up. Gru pleads with White Knuckles that the two of them need to form their own crew to rival the Vicious 6, but it’s no use. White Knuckles tells Gru that it’s over. It’s time for Gru to go home. Just as Gru’s lost all hope, wandering the streets of San Francisco by streetcar, Gru spots Otto. Otto’s finally made it across the country to San Francisco, and he’s riding through a Chinatown parade, living his best life and sporting the Zodiac Stone.
Just as everything seems to be coming up Gru — he’s got the stone and rehired his Minions — the Vicious 6 attack! They grab the stone and unleash its powers, harnessing its energies to turn themselves into magical creatures and wreak absolute havoc. They tie Gru to the hands of the clock on the clock tower. As the minutes tick by, Gru inches closer and closer to being torn apart. Now it’s up to White Knuckles and the Minions, who have all at this point also been turned into far less vicious creatures thanks to the stone, to steal back that stone and rescue Gru.
Thankfully, Minions Stuart, Kevin, and Bob have all learned new Kung Fu skills from their impressive teacher, Master Chow (Michelle Yeoh). Harnessing their newfound abilities, the Minions tap into their inner powers and fight back, hard! Otto gets Gru untied from the clock hands before the clock strikes catastrophe. Unfortunately, White Knuckles sacrifices himself to Belle Bottoms’ scorching fire breath so that Gru and the Minions can repossess the Zodiac Stone. With the stone in hand, Gru immediately turns the Vicious 6 into rats, who the good guys (who have since shown up and been truly of no help to anyone) cart away to jail. They also arrest a severely injured White Knuckes, much to Gru’s dismay. Watching his mentor and friend being carted away, Gru mischievously promises the good guys that he’ll be good himself. In a lovely little easter egg, the good guys encourage Gru to shoot for the moon. Boy, will he ever!
Devasted by loss, Gru and his newly rehired Minions host a funeral for White Knuckles. Just as Gru is about to convey his deep appreciation for his newfound mentor, Gru spots White Knuckles in the distance! Gru continues his speech, keeping White Knuckles’ survival and freedom their little secret. After the funeral, the duo and the Minions make their getaway, Gru desperate to know how White Knuckles escaped captivity. Gru has finally found his tribe in White Knuckles and the Minions, and he’s never letting them go. He’s learned, after all, that you can never do anything alone.
Once the story wraps, Gru does double back and offer a much younger Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand), frontman to the now defunct Vicious 6, a job as his lead scientist. After a bit of convincing, Dr. Nefario accepts! They all ride away in yet another easter egg — in the ship we eventually come to recognize as Gru’s ship in the original Despicable Me.
In the end, Minions: The Rise of Gru is all about togetherness. While Gru might be an exceptionally talented villain, even his most genius schemes are bound to fail without the right team supporting his vision. And lucky for Gru, he’s had the right team behind him all along. While the Minions may have their quirks, these faithful little henchmen prove themselves worthy of spots in Gru’s crew. They may not be the Vicious 6, or the terrible twos, but Gru, the Minions, and now Dr. Nefario are a force all their own.
Minions: The Rise of Gru is out in theaters Friday, July 1, 2022. And if that’s not enough Minions for you, Despicable Me 4 is also officially on the horizon.
