Minions: The Rise of Gru is a 2022 American animated comedy film directed by Kyle Balda, and written by Matthew Fogel from a story by Fogel and Brian Lynch. Produced by Universal Pictures and Illumination, it is the second installment in the Minions prequel series and the fifth overall installment in the Despicable Me franchise. It features Steve Carell reprising his role as Gru and Pierre Coffin as the Minions, along with Russell Brand, Will Arnett, Steve Coogan and Julie Andrews. New cast members include Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh and Alan Arkin in his final film role. Following up after the events of Minions (2015), an eleven-year-old Gru plans to become a supervillain with the help of his Minions, which leads to a showdown with a malevolent team, the Vicious 6. After being delayed for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Minions: The Rise of Gru had its world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 13, 2022, and was theatrically released in the United States on July 1 by Universal. The film received mixed reviews from critics, some deemed it an improvement over its predecessor, with praise earned for its score, animation, humor, voice performances (particularly Carell's), and aesthetic, but criticism for its plot. It was also a commercial success, grossing $940 million worldwide and becoming the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2022. A third installment in the Minions series, Minions & Monsters, was released on July 1, 2026.
Plot In 1976, an eleven-year-old Gru dreams of becoming a supervillain, assisted by the Minions, whom he has hired to work for him. Gru is ecstatic when he receives an audition invitation from the Vicious 6, a supervillain team now led by Belle Bottom, who hope to find a new member to replace their founder, the supervillain Wild Knuckles, following their betrayal and attempted murder of Knuckles during a heist to steal the Zodiac Stone—a stone connected to the Chinese zodiac. Gru's interview goes poorly but, much to the outrage of the Vicious 6, he steals the stone and escapes with Minions Kevin, Stuart and Bob, handing it to another Minion, Otto, for safekeeping. At his basement lair, Gru is outraged that Otto has traded the zodiac stone for a pet rock, firing the Minions before going alone to find it. However, Knuckles kidnaps Gru before taking him to San Francisco and informs the Minions that if they do not give him the stone within 48 hours, Gru will be killed. Failing to locate the stone, Kevin, Stuart and Bob leave for San Francisco to rescue Gru, while Otto leaves in pursuit of a biker whom he realizes has the stone as a necklace. When they reach Knuckles' house, they are chased by his goons until Master Chow, a former kung fu teacher who now makes a living at an acupuncture clinic, rescues them by defeating the goons. The Minions learn kung fu, ending their training prematurely, and go to Knuckles' home to rescue Gru. Meanwhile, Otto catches up to and befriends the biker at Death Valley, who gives the stone back and takes him to San Francisco. Gru begins to bond with Knuckles after the latter's goons quit on him, and later saves him from being eaten by crocodiles in his pool. To begin teaching Gru how to be a villain, the two rob the Bank of Evil. In the meantime, the Vicious 6, having realized that Knuckles is alive, destroy his house in an attempt to find him. Failing to do so, they head towards Chinatown, with Kevin, Stuart and Bob in pursuit. Returning to his destroyed house, a distraught Knuckles laments his friends' betrayal and decides to give up villainy, sending Gru away. During a Chinese New Year parade in Chinatown, Otto and Gru find each other with the stone but are cornered by the Vicious 6, who in turn are confronted by Anti-Villain League agents. The Vicious 6 then use the stone to turn themselves into enormous superpowered versions of animals from the Zodiac and prepare to kill Gru by tying him to the hands of a clock tower to rip him apart. Kevin, Stuart and Bob find Gru, but are turned into a rabbit, a rooster and a goat, respectively. However, Knuckles returns and fights the Vicious 6 with the Minions. Encouraged by Chow's teaching, Kevin, Stuart and Bob battle the Vicious 6 while Otto saves Gru, but Knuckles is critically burnt by Belle's dragon flames when trying to take the stone back. After Kevin, Stuart and Bob knock the Vicious 6 out, Gru uses the stone to turn them into rats. Congratulating the three Minions for saving his life, Gru reconciles with and rehires the Minions before returning Stuart, Kevin, and Bob back to normal. The Vicious 6 are arrested, except Knuckles, who is hospitalized and seemingly succumbs to his injuries, while the stone is confiscated by the Anti-Villain League. At Knuckles' funeral, Gru gives a heartfelt eulogy but is overjoyed when he finds that Knuckles faked his death. Later, Gru hires Dr. Nefario in gratitude for an invention of his that helped him steal the stone.
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