Minions: The Rise of Gru facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Minions: The Rise of Gru
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Kyle Balda
Produced by	Chris Meledandri Janet Healy Chris Renaud
Screenplay by	Matthew Fogel
Story by	Brian Lynch Matthew Fogel
Starring	Steve Carell Pierre Coffin Taraji P. Henson Michelle Yeoh Russell Brand Lucy Lawless Dolph Lundgren Danny Trejo Jean-Claude Van Damme Julie Andrews Alan Arkin
Music by	Heitor Pereira
Editing by	Claire Dodgson
Studio	Universal Pictures Illumination
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date(s)	June 13, 2022 (2022-06-13) (Annecy) July 1, 2022 (2022-07-01) (United States)
Running time	87 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$80–100 million
Money made	$940 million

Minions: The Rise of Gru is an American animated comedy film made in 2022. It was produced by Illumination and distributed by Universal Pictures. The movie is the sequel to the spin-off prequel Minions (2015) and serves as the fifth entry in the popular Despicable Me animated universe. Directed by Kyle Balda, the movie features the voice talents of Steve Carell as Gru and Pierre Coffin as the Minions.

Set during the groovy 1970s, the story follows an eleven-year-old Gru as he tries to prove his villainous skills. He dreams of joining an elite supervillain team known as the Vicious 6. When his audition goes horribly wrong, Gru ends up on the run with a magical ancient artifact. Alongside his yellow sidekicks—Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and newcomer Otto—Gru learns important lessons about friendship, loyalty, and teamwork.

The movie was a massive global box office success, earning over $940 million worldwide. It became one of the biggest animated hits of 2022. Audiences praised its slapstick comedy, colorful 1970s retro style, energetic soundtrack, and fun martial arts sequences.

Storyline and Full Plot Summary

The Quest for the Zodiac Stone

In the year 1976, an eleven-year-old boy named Gru lives in a quiet suburban neighborhood. Deep down, he has big dreams of becoming the world's greatest supervillain. To help him achieve his ambitious plans, Gru employs the Minions, a cheerful group of small yellow creatures.

Gru gets an exciting opportunity when he receives an interview letter from the Vicious 6. The Vicious 6 is a notorious team of supervillains. Their original leader, Wild Knuckles, was betrayed by his teammates during a heist in Asia to steal the magical Zodiac Stone. Led by their new leader, Belle Bottom, the team holds tryouts to find a replacement member.

Gru travels to their underground headquarters beneath a music record store. However, the villains dismiss Gru because he is only a child. Determined to prove his wicked talent, Gru secretly snatches the Zodiac Stone from right under their noses. He quickly passes the stone to his Minion Otto before making a daring escape.

The Search for the Lost Artifact

When Gru returns to his basement lair, he discovers that Otto made a foolish trade. Otto swapped the priceless ancient artifact for a smooth pet rock at a birthday party. Furious with the mistake, Gru disbands his Minion crew and sets out alone into the night to recover the stone.

Before Gru can find the item, he is captured by Wild Knuckles, who survived the betrayal of his former crew. Knuckles takes Gru to San Francisco and contacts the Minions. He warns them that Gru will face grave trouble unless they bring him the stone within two days.

Kevin, Stuart, and Bob immediately set off toward Northern California to save their young master. Meanwhile, Otto spots a biker riding across the highway wearing the Zodiac Stone around his neck. Otto hops on a tiny tricycle and embarks on a long cross-country pursuit across the desert to retrieve it.

Martial Arts Training and New Alliances

Kevin, Stuart, and Bob arrive in San Francisco but are quickly chased through the streets by Wild Knuckles' tough henchmen. They stumble into an acupuncture clinic run by Master Chow, a former kung fu master. Seeing their plight, Master Chow uses her martial arts skills to defeat the pursuers.

Desperate to rescue Gru, the three Minions beg Master Chow to teach them kung fu. Although they are clumsy students at first, Chow teaches them basic forms, balance, and inner focus. Once they finish their training, the trio rushes toward Knuckles' mansion.

At the same time, Gru manages to win over Wild Knuckles. After Knuckles' other henchmen abandon him, Gru saves Knuckles from a swimming pool filled with pet crocodiles. The veteran villain decides to mentor Gru in the art of villainy. Together, they pull off a bank robbery at the Bank of Evil.

The Battle in San Francisco's Chinatown

The Vicious 6 track Knuckles to his home and completely demolish it. Finding no one inside, they head directly toward the Chinese New Year parade in Chinatown. Knuckles feels defeated after seeing his home ruined and tells Gru to go home.

During the street festival, Otto reunites with Gru and returns the Zodiac Stone. However, Belle Bottom and the Vicious 6 ambush them. Using the power of the ancient stone, the villains transform themselves into giant magical creatures from the Chinese zodiac. Belle Bottom turns into a fire-breathing dragon.

The villains tie Gru to the hands of a large clock tower. Kevin, Stuart, and Bob arrive to help, but the villains use magic to transform them into a rabbit, a rooster, and a goat. Wild Knuckles returns to defend Gru, and the transformed Minions tap into their inner kung fu skills to fight back. Otto manages to free Gru from the clock tower.

Gru uses the Zodiac Stone to turn the members of the Vicious 6 into harmless little rats. The Anti-Villain League arrives shortly after to arrest the defeated villains and secure the magical relic.

A Villainous Partnership Begins

Following the chaotic battle, Wild Knuckles is taken to a hospital for his injuries. Later, at a memorial service, Gru believes his mentor is gone for good. However, Knuckles appears in secret, having faked his disappearance to avoid capture by authorities.

Reunited and happier than ever, Gru officially rehires the Minions as his permanent evil crew. In the final scene, Gru visits a gadget shop to recruit a brilliant young scientist named Dr. Nefario. Dr. Nefario accepts the job offer, setting up the iconic partnership seen in later movies.

Voice Cast and Characters

Main Characters

• Steve Carell as Gru: An ambitious eleven-year-old aspiring supervillain who wants to show the world what he can do.
• Pierre Coffin as Kevin, Stuart, Bob, Otto, and the Minions: The loyal yellow henchmen who speak a unique language called Minionese.
• Alan Arkin as Wild Knuckles: The experienced founder of the Vicious 6 who becomes Gru's mentor.
• Taraji P. Henson as Belle Bottom: The stylish, disco-loving leader of the Vicious 6 who uses a chain belt as a weapon.
• Michelle Yeoh as Master Chow: A talented acupuncturist and kung fu expert who teaches the Minions martial arts.
• Julie Andrews as Marlena Gru: Gru's indifferent mother who rarely pays attention to her son's activities.
• Russell Brand as Dr. Nefario: A clever gadget maker working at a record store who later becomes Gru's resident scientist.

The Vicious 6 and Supporting Cast

• Jean-Claude Van Damme as Jean-Clawed: A French supervillain member with a giant mechanical lobster claw.
• Lucy Lawless as Nun-chuck: A villain disguised in traditional robes who wields twin nunchaku.
• Dolph Lundgren as Svengeance: A muscular Swedish roller-skating villain who kicks his targets at high speed.
• Danny Trejo as Stronghold: A hulking villain equipped with heavy iron hands.
• Will Arnett as Mr. Perkins: The manager of the Bank of Evil.
• Steve Coogan as Silas Ramsbottom: An agent of the Anti-Villain League.
• RZA as the Biker: A friendly motorcycle rider who helps Otto travel across the country.

Behind the Scenes: Animation and Production

Concept and Franchise Development

The idea of exploring Gru's childhood began during the creation of earlier franchise entries. Character designer Eric Guillon sketched early versions of young Gru back in 2007. After the standalone movie Minions achieved massive box office numbers in 2015, production on a sequel started in August 2017.

The filmmakers wanted to focus on how Gru developed his distinct villain persona. Setting the movie in the 1970s allowed the animation team to explore retro fashion, disco music, vibrant colors, and classic martial arts movie tropes.

The Animation Process

The film's animation was handled by Illumination Mac Guff in Paris, France. Hundreds of digital artists, animators, modelers, and lighting specialists collaborated to create the detailed world.

During production in early 2020, the animation studio had to temporarily shut its physical doors due to global health precautions. The entire team transitioned to working remotely from home. Animators completed complex visual effects, character rigs, and lighting using secure digital pipelines across different countries.

To make sure the 1970s setting felt authentic, the directors hired cultural and stunt consultants. Flora Zhao assisted the team with Chinese cultural elements during the Chinatown festival scenes. Wade Eastwood provided guidance on action choreography to make the slapstick stunts feel punchy and energetic.

Musical Soundtrack and Score

Retro 1970s Soundtrack

Music plays an essential role in establishing the film's time period. Record producer Jack Antonoff curated a soundtrack packed with modern covers of classic 1970s funk, pop, and soul hits. The official soundtrack was released on July 1, 2022, by Decca Records.

The lead single for the movie was "Turn Up the Sunshine", performed as a duet by music legend Diana Ross and psychedelic rock project Tame Impala. Other notable songs include:

• "Funkytown" performed by St. Vincent
• "Desafinado" performed by Kali Uchis
• "Fly Like an Eagle" performed by Thundercat
• "Vehicle" performed by Gary Clark Jr.

Orchestral Score

The film's background score was composed by Heitor Pereira, who has scored all previous entries in the Despicable Me franchise. Pereira combined traditional orchestral instruments with 1970s electric guitars, basslines, and traditional Chinese instruments.

The score includes playful vocal performances of popular classic rock tracks like "Bad Moon Rising" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" sung entirely in Minion language by Steve Carell and Pierre Coffin.

Theatrical Release and Pop Culture Impact

Premiere and Distribution

Minions: The Rise of Gru made its public debut at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France on June 13, 2022. It had its Hollywood premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre on June 25, 2022, and opened in theaters across North America on July 1, 2022.

The movie was originally scheduled to open in July 2020. However, theatrical delays pushed the release back by two full years. When it finally arrived in theaters, family audiences and animation fans turned out in record numbers.

The "Gentleminions" Phenomenon

Around the time of the theatrical release, an unexpected internet trend known as "#Gentleminions" emerged on social media platforms like TikTok. Teenagers and young adults organized large groups to visit movie theaters dressed in formal business suits, mimicking the appearance of young Gru.

The trend gained international attention, driving huge box office ticket sales during the movie's opening weekend. Universal Pictures and theater chains acknowledged the trend online, turning the release into a viral cultural event.

Home Media and Streaming

Following its theatrical run, the film was released digitally on August 30, 2022. Physical formats, including 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD, hit store shelves on September 6, 2022.

The physical release contained two animated mini-movies titled Post Modern Minions and Minions and Monsters, along with behind-the-scenes drawing tutorials, character breakdowns, and outtakes. The movie later streamed on digital platforms like Peacock and Netflix.

Reception and Box Office Records

Financial Earnings

Minions: The Rise of Gru was a blockbuster hit worldwide. Produced on a budget between $80 million and $100 million, the film earned:

• Domestic Box Office (United States & Canada): $370 million
• International Box Office: $570 million
• Worldwide Total: $940 million

The movie set a new Fourth of July holiday weekend box office record in the United States, earning over $125 million during its opening four-day span. It finished 2022 as the fifth highest-earning film of the year globally.

Critical Reviews

Film critics gave generally favorable reviews to the movie, praising its fast pacing, humor, and voice work. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 70% of critics gave the film positive feedback.

Critics especially noted that Steve Carell brought warmth and fun energy to his voice performance as young Gru. The visual design of San Francisco and the imaginative kung fu sequences were frequently highlighted as standout parts of the film.

Industry Awards and Honors

The film received various nominations across major entertainment awards. Below is a summary of major accolades earned by the production:

Sequel and Future of the Franchise

Following the massive popularity and financial success of Minions: The Rise of Gru, Universal Pictures and Illumination expanded the story universe further. The next chapter in the prequel franchise, titled Minions & Monsters, debuted in theaters on July 1, 2026. The series remains one of the highest-earning animated franchises in cinema history.

See also

In Spanish: Minions: The Rise of Gru para niños