Free from the shackles of their mother franchise, the minions have gone solo. Armed with a back story and a loving narration from Geoffrey Rush, Minions is wonderfully able to stand on its own.

Its strength is its humour; every 20 seconds there’s a sight gag, or a bodily noise or a timely punchline. The worry of eventual exhaustion dissipates, as the jokes always land. The stars of the Despicable Me series shine once more.

The humans, the plot, and the pace are all weak. It’s a shame, but it doesn’t wholly distract from the barrage of joy.

The stars of the Despicable Me franchise get their own movie, and they surprisingly and thankfully deliver. An endless roll of jokes ensures this is sublime dumb-but-smart entertainment.

RATING: 3/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Geoffrey Rush, Pierre Coffin, Michael Keaton, Alison Janney and Steve Coogan

DIRECTORS: Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin

WRITER: Brian Lynch

SYNOPSIS: Minions Stuart, Kevin and Bob are recruited by Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock), a supervillain who, alongside her inventor husband Herb (Jon Hamm), hatches a plot to take over the world.