Parents' Guide to Minions & Monsters

Parents need to know that Minions & Monsters—the third Despicable Me prequel focusing on Gru's beloved yellow sidekicks—mixes the usual Minion mayhem with an homage to Old Hollywood, as the chaos-loving crew gets into showbiz in the 1920s. As with the other films in the franchise, it's packed with (mostly) comic peril, slapstick pranks, breakneck chases, and cartoon violence. Giant monsters roar loudly and wreak massive destruction; some can blast fire, and there are ominous clouds/lightning flashes when they're summoned. A very large, very toothy shark attacks main characters, and various villains are shown—and frequently dispatched in non-gory ways (although one is abruptly beheaded by an ax). Minions and others wield weapons such as spears, maces, hammers, swords, dynamite, futuristic cannons, and guns. There's also fighting and bullying, and an adult character threatens a child. Expect occasional insult language ("stupid," "weirdo," etc.) and one use of the phrase "handsome bastard" in an exaggerated film noir scene. A few bare Minion/monster butts are seen, characters date and flirt, and several scenes show celebratory drinking. But, as always for this series, it's ultimately more about the laughs than anything else, and the plot emphasizes the importance of true friendship and the power of storytelling.

To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .