Summary of Key Points
"The Minions and the Big Monster," as a new installment in the Minions franchise, has faced both poor box office performance and negative audience reviews: the domestic opening day gross was only 31.56 million yuan (far lower than the 116 million yuan generated by "Minions: The Big Eye Movie" 11 years ago), and its North American debut box office ranked last among the entire 7 films in the "Despicable Me" series. Audiences criticized the film for its fragmented plot and clichéd humor, with a flood of negative reviews on platforms like Douban. Ironically, professional film critics gave it high marks (a Freshness score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes). This situation reveals multiple issues in IP creation, including an overabundance of Easter eggs that overshadow the main story, the narrative struggle of supporting characters becoming the main focus, and a lack of creative ideas for sequels.
Detailed Analysis
1. Public Disapproval vs. Critics' Praise: Where Does the Disagreement Lie?
Ordinary audiences go to the movies to enjoy a good story, but this film disappointed them—some said the plot seemed disjointed and filled with trivial humor. However, professional critics hailed it as a "love letter to cinema" due to its rich array of film history Easter eggs, such as the appearance of past Universal Studios logos, the Minions' cameo in Lumière's 1895 silent film "The Sprinkler Gardener," and references to other Universal IPs like "Mummy," "Jaws," and "King Kong," as well as Warner Bros.-Disney's Mandalorians. Film enthusiasts enjoyed finding these Easter eggs like playing a treasure hunt, but the general audience found the plot fragmented, resembling watching 100 short videos in succession.
2. Too Many Easter Eggs at the Expense of the Main Story? From "Appealing to All Ages" to "Offending Both Groups"
The production team aimed to appeal to both adult audiences (with the Easter eggs) and younger children (with loud antics), but they ended up offending both:
- Adult Audiences: The excessive number of Easter eggs made the plot too disjointed, leaving them wondering, "Where's the main story?"
- Younger/Average Audiences: The noisy scenes and the visually disturbing monsters (like the eye-covered sludge) were frustrating.
In the words of an audience member: "They tried to please everyone, but in the end, no one was satisfied."
3. Supporting Characters Becoming the Main Stars: Why Do Minions Stop Being Appealing as Characters?
In "Despicable Me," the Minions served as comical supporting characters, adding humor and engaging with the children, much like onions in a dish that enhance the flavor but cannot be the main course. However, when they became the main characters, several problems emerged:
- Lack of Personality: The Minions' personalities were vague; they only spoke in a repetitive "banana language" and engaged in chaotic behavior, lacking a character arc for development.
- Plastic Plot: The plot followed a predictable pattern of "creating trouble → solving it," failing to provide any substantial conflict. After 10 minutes, the audience grew bored.
This is similar to the Penguins in "Madagascar"—the short episodes were hilarious, but the movie version felt empty and lacked depth.
4. The Curse of Sequels: Does Popularity Lead to Lack of Innovation?
All highly successful IPs suffer from the "sequel curse": the first films succeed due to creative breakthroughs (e.g., "Despicable Me's" combination of a villain raising a daughter and the Minions' humor). Once popular, studios focus on making quick money:
- Fear of Breaking Characters: The Minions are stuck in their loud, chaotic image.
- Resistance to Innovation: They reuse old jokes and Easter eggs in new sequels.
- Surface-Level Improvements: While the visuals may be improved, the story's depth is diminished.
This is evident in sequels like "Frozen 2" and "Kung Fu Panda 3," which, despite their success, became mediocre due to repetitive formulas.
5. The IP's Financial Power Remains, but Audience Patience Is Waning?
Despite the negative reviews, the Minions' commercial value remains strong—there are over 850 toy licenses globally, Universal Studios has permanent Minion attractions, and licensed products sold for over $4 billion in 2022. Investors may continue to produce films based on the IP, but audience patience is dwindling. From the decline in reviews for "Minions: The Big Eye Movie" to the widespread criticism of "The Minions and the Big Monster," fans are becoming less willing to support these movies as main attractions.
In Conclusion
The fundamental issue with the Minions IP is that **investors seek quick profits while neglecting the audience's desire for a compelling story.* Supporting characters cannot replace a strong main plot, and endless Easter eggs cannot substitute for a well-developed narrative. If the franchise continues to rely on formulaic approaches, even the most popular IPs will eventually be abandoned by viewers.