Minions & Monsters Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Minions & Monsters Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Justin Dekker September 15, 2026

Their unique brand of mischief and mayhem returns to the silver screen as James, Henry, Ed, and the rest of the Minions take on Hollywood in Illumination's 'Minions & Monsters' which arrives on Blu-ray disc courtesy of Universal. The film, which traces an earlier chapter in Minion history stars Allison Janney ('The West Wing'), Trey Parker ('South Park'), Christoph Waltz ('Inglorious Bastards'), Jessie Eisenberg ('The Social Network'), and Jeff Bridges ('The Big Lebowski'), among others. One of the top grossing films of 2026, it is presented with a number of on-disc supplemental features ranging from behind-the-scenes segments to the more kid-friendly "How to Draw' spots. An embossed slipcover, and a Digital Code redeemable via Movies Anywhere are also included.

Many years ago, the Minions inadvertently stumble into the filming of a movie and unexpectedly become the darlings of Hollywood's Golden Age. But all too soon their star starts to fade, and they lose the backing of the studio they had called home. Looking to mount a comeback, they decide to write, produce, and direct a film of their own. Needing a monstrous threat for the film, the Minions use one of their former master's spell books to summon just the creature, Goomi (Parker). Meanwhile, the other Minions, led by Dick, decide to assist the robotic Dort in his mission to take over the world. Before long, though, James, Henry, and Ed quickly loose control of the situation and they realize it's not just the fate of their film careers that hangs in the balance.

When last we saw the Minions on the big screen, it was in 2024's Despicable Me 4 with a relatively reformed Gru as part of the Anti-Villain League while trying to lead of life of more traditional domestic bliss and his diminutive helpers were on hand doing things that Minions do. Casting the modern world aside, this film is intent on exploring their past, and the Hollywood of yesteryear offers a unique but familiar backdrop for their adventures, and it makes sense to a great degree. The film industry was still young, there were fewer hard and fast rules, chances and risks were taken, and, absent a wealth of best practices, inventiveness and creativity were riding high. Why not, then position the Minions as unlikely stars of bygone era whose careers were noteworthy, but like others from the time, saw their time in the spotlight cut short by changes in tastes and technology?

One other benefit of the setting, is of course the numerous allusions and homages to to a great many films and stars from Hollywood's past. Those who possess deep cinematic knowledge will have an added layer of enjoyment here spotting them all, which at times, can come quickly one after the other. Harold Lloyd is seen hanging from a clock as he did in Safety Last!. Then we witness the facade of a house fall down on Buster Keaton as he escapes unscathed as he stands in the exact spot where an open attic window provides him a literal window of safety in Steamboat Bill, Jr.. There's a nod to Charlie Chaplin and Kirk Douglas as well, and an entertaining scene where a massive shark attacks a boat holding our heroes and Goomi in an obvious homage to Jaws. There's even a riff on Méliès's A Trip to the Moon for fans of the earliest days of cinema to spot. Due to the framing device of the museum, other references are brought in as well, including The Mummy, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Metropolis. And let's not forget the George Lucas exhibit which consists of the director himself stuck inside a small display case. He doesn't seem to be too pleased about this. There are many more in addition to this brief accounting that should keep film fans laughing, feeling a bit nostalgic, and engaged.

Just as there are many, many Minions who often stray from the task at hand with their own ideas and chaos inducing actions, the film itself has multiple agendas. Viewers experience the first of these with the museum guide (voiced by Allison Janney) framing device, as she walks them through some cinematic history before turning her attention to the Minions. Not only do these moments bookend the film, they also return to the museum on occasion during the main body of the film. Janney also functions as the film's narrator, chiming in from time to time. Led by Dick and in keeping with their tendency to pledge their allegiance to men and monsters intent on taking over the world, after their initial fall from fame, the Minions not bent on regaining their cinematic stardom revert to their old ways. Their most recent object of devotion? Voiced by Jesse Eisenberg, it's Dort, an otherworldly robot sent by "the Supreme High Ruler to judge [our] pathetic planet", and the Minions are naturally selected as his loyal servants. Ever the enthusiastic joiners, they're just the ones to sign-up for a mission to invade the planet and enslave its populace. This being a film aimed at families and younger viewers, the hyperbolic posturing and grandstanding of course has no real chance to result in effective action, and instead Dort finds himself on a very different and more personal mission that will make the desire for interplanetary conquest a thing of the past. It should be pointed out, though, that Dort isn't positioned as being a particularly effective villain from the moment he's introduced, and he's even a bit of a softy, developing an attachment to a grouchy elderly woman who lives across the hall from him, so this gearshift isn't really much of a surprise.

These additional elements do provide a bit of extra texture to the film, with the Dort story line being the more interesting of the two, but, be that as it it may, they also serve to slow down the primary action and take attention away from the main plotline of the film, namely that of our trio of heroes and their quest to regain their fame and its monstrous consequences. Nowhere is this made more obvious than when the Dort storyline is first introduced. We first meet the robot just after the film's forty-minute mark. We learn of his professed mission, the minions join him, we meet his roommate and his elderly neighbor before we rejoin the main story line almost ten minutes later. Seeming to understand the need to reinject energy into the picture, a serene moment on a boat is ruined by a familiar toothy adversary almost as soon we rejoin James, Henry, Ed who have now been joined by Goomi. Scarcely two minutes later, we're back to Dort and company, and the sequence essentially takes the viewer on a fifteen minute side quest in the middle of the film. It's an odd choice.

As to the main story line, there is a great deal to enjoy. The mayhem and energy associated with James, Henry, and Ed's mission is where the film shines brightest. There's consistently enough exposition to give meaning an purpose to their sometimes misguided actions, and the increasing number of monsters that join their production allow the impending threat to organically and hilariously grow as we watch and wait for the inevitable tipping point to be reached. The summoned creatures are inspired by interesting mix of classic 1950s monsters blended with cuddlier iterations of those ancient and unknowable entities found in H.P. Lovecraft's works. It's in this space that, had Dort and the museum not been in the mix, or had been managed differently, the film could have spent considerably more time, allowing for greater cartoonish destruction, a more frenetic build-up to the final battle after smaller initial skirmishes, and more satisfaction from their ultimate and inevitable) triumph.

Minions & Monsters Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As with Illumination's other offerings from the franchise, the 1080p presentation is a delight. Colors are wonderfully saturated and are frequently on display, with the all-important yellows looking terrific, and reds and blues get there moments, too. Blacks are pleasingly deep and whites dazzle. The image displays excellent depth and dimensionality, whether we're treated to overhead shots of the cityscape or the countryside, or stuck inside a crowded apartment. Motion is fluid with no banding, judder, or compression artifacts regardless of the manic action on the screen. The high level of fine detail makes age and wear visible on elements of the locomotive, the film equipment, and pavement and brickwork at the studio and around town. Clothing likewise presents with an excellent tactile presence. Overall, the 1080p presentation is exactly what fans of Illumination's work would expect.

Minions & Monsters Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Dolby Atmos audio track that accompanies Minions and Monsters is immersive from the moment the film's opening credits begin, with the viewers placed right in the center of the action. Here, Powel's score, inspired by the music from Hollywood's earliest days. encircles the viewer, with delicate strings, crisp percussion, and drums that deliver appropriate depth, as we find that the Minions were there from cinema's very beginnings. As the action moves to the museum, the score becomes more modern, sweeping, and lush, at times dominating or fading to provide atmospheric texture under Janney's narration. This pristine treatment of the music continues throughout the duration of the film. The power of the bass, though, quickly grows and exerts its room-shaking power and dominance as it lends thundering depth to the sometimes ponderous, sometimes enthusiastic steps of the massive cyclops. Dialogue is kept front and center and is clean and clear at all times, though what viewers may actually understand is more dependent on their ability to decipher the Minions' language. Mayhem impresses, with objects and characters swirling through the stage, and rubble and other objects falling from overhead. Directionality here is spot-on, with everything being easily tracked regardless of which direction it's moving. Relentlessly immersive, it's an entertaining and well-crafted track.

Minions & Monsters Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Minions & Monsters is outfitted with a number of on-disc supplemental features, many of which are aimed at craftier young viewers and their creative adults.

• Minions Take on Hollywood (10.49) - A quick and breezy behind the scenes feature that traces the film from the point of inspiration, to the film's setting, to storyboarding, to animating.

• Casting 'Minions & Monsters' (11.42) - This segment introduces fans to the actors who lend their voices to the characters we seen on-screen.

• Hollywood Sound (4.27) - Composer John Powell discusses his inspiration for the score as we see inside the studio while it is being recorded.

• How to Make Your Own Irene Blob Monster Slime (3.29) - Using common household ingredients, viewers will learn how to make slime Younger fans should work with an adult to avoid disappointment.

• Movie-Making Minions Style (5.58) - Young viewers are instructed in how to make their won flip-book.

• How to Draw (12.24) - Head of Story Nima Azarba teaches viewers how to draw nine of the film's characters including Goomi, Irene, James, Henry and Ed.

Minions & Monsters Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The loveable little mischief-makers continue to perform very well at the box office, so it's only a matter of time before the next installment of their chaotic adventures makes its way to cinemas everywhere. Until that time, fans will have a great deal of fun with this chapter, which in the fashion of the best animated fare, delivers a fun and charming story for the younger viewers, while offering another layer of enjoyment beyond the simple story for more the older crowd. In this instance, this comes in the form of a great many references to some of the best-loved and most influential films, stars, and directors in cinematic history. Though there may not be added layers of the story to discover here, each time I viewed the film in preparation for this review yielded some other nod or reference that I'd missed on previous viewings. Though its pacing is hampered with the Dort story line and the museum framing device, the film generates a great deal of goodwill in the first half and enough monster-related action in the second to keep keep viewers engaged and watching. For fans of the Minions and the Despicable Me franchise from whence they came, Minions & Monsters comes strongly recommended.