‘Minions & Monsters’ Rotten Tomatoes Score Revealed — Critics Are Surprised by the New Adventure

‘Minions & Monsters’ is already getting attention from critics, and the early reactions suggest that the latest chapter in the Despicable Me universe could be one of the franchise’s strongest entries in years.

The animated comedy has earned a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes from 41 critic reviews, with many reviewers praising its humor, creative ideas, and love for classic cinema. While not every critic was impressed, the overall response has been mostly positive, with some calling it one of the best films connected to the franchise since the original Despicable Me.

Directed by Pierre Coffin and written by Coffin alongside Brian Lynch, Minions & Monsters takes audiences back to the early days of the Minions. The story is set in 1920, decades before the events of the first Minions movie. This time, the small yellow characters are trying something completely different, creating their own monster movie during the golden age of Hollywood.

The film is the third prequel in the Minions series and the seventh movie overall in the Despicable Me franchise. Pierre Coffin returns as the voice of the Minions, while the cast also includes Trey Parker, Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges, Zoey Deutch, Bobby Moynihan, and Phil LaMarr.

Early reviews show that critics enjoyed the movie’s focus on filmmaking and classic Hollywood. Nell Minow from Movie Mom gave the movie a positive review and highlighted how it expands the Minions’ history while adding new ideas.

Minow wrote that the movie “continues the origin story, adding in the origin story of the movies, plus a robot voiced by Jesse Eisenberg and some love for the fanboys.” She added that these elements create a fun combination that is hard to resist.

Travis Hopson from Punch Drunk Critics also gave the film a fresh rating, saying the movie works best when the Minions explore the world of cinema. He praised the scenes where the characters learn about the movie business during Hollywood’s golden era.

However, not every reviewer was convinced. Mark Kennedy from the Associated Press gave the film a negative review, criticizing its focus on the entertainment industry. Kennedy described it as “a navel-gazing misfire,” arguing that the movie spends too much time celebrating filmmaking instead of telling a stronger story.

Other critics found plenty to enjoy. Peter Sobczynski from Auteurist Class praised the first half of the movie, especially its jokes about movie history. He admitted the film eventually returns to familiar Minions-style comedy but felt the early creativity helped make up for it.

Odie Henderson from the Boston Globe also gave the film a positive review, praising the script by Coffin and Lynch. Henderson noted that the movie’s jokes are built around real knowledge of cinema and appreciated its shorter 90-minute runtime.

Minions & Monsters was first announced in July 2024 following the release of Despicable Me 4. The film is produced by Illumination, with Chris Meledandri and Bill Ryan producing. John Powell composed the music, marking another collaboration with Illumination.

The movie premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 21, 2026, before arriving in theaters in the United States on July 1 through Universal Pictures.

With strong early reviews and a fresh setting in old Hollywood, Minions & Monsters appears to be giving the long-running franchise a new direction while keeping the chaotic comedy fans expect from the Minions.

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