Immediately trying to prove that its setting is its DNA rather than just window dressing, Minions & Monsters turns back the clock, opening with the Universal Studios logo from the silent film era. From there, we watch as the cute and chaotic yellow creatures appear in the earliest moving images: 1878’s Horse in Motion, 1896’s The Arrival of a Train by the Lumière brothers, and 1902’s A Trip to the Moon by Georges Méliès. As if you haven’t noticed across their seven feature films and hundreds of brand deals, the Minions have been, and will always be, around.

Their signature brand of chaotic endearment has made them the secret saviors of the world. Throughout history, they’ve perpetually searched for the most evil person to serve under, which, one by one, they accidentally kill. They then move on to the next person, shaping the timeline in ways we could never fully imagine. Minions & Monsters does not continue the story of the trio of Kevin, Stuart, and Bob, who’ve been with the franchise throughout its entire existence. Instead, we’re introduced to a different tribe, specifically James and Henry, who still look the same and speak in their gibberish language, which is linguistically nonsensical yet fully coherent on an emotional level.

After killing one too many bosses, these Minions eventually find themselves on the set of a 1920s silent film directed by one of those hoity-toity European directors (voiced by Christoph Waltz). Blazing their way around town, they bump into some of the era's greatest stars, such as Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, and Buster Keaton. In an industry that infamously disregarded workers’ safety, their indestructibility makes them the perfect stuntmen for Bright Brothers Pictures. Jeff Bridges voices both the hotheaded Frank and mellow Elwood in a send-up of the early days of Warner Bros. Pictures.

While most of the Minions are only good at getting their heads bashed and creating a mess, James displays real filmmaking talent. However, right before he can get his big break and make an Oscar-winning film, the sound era arrives, requiring all performers to put away their slapstick routines and limber up their vocal cords. Not exactly the most eloquent bunch, the Minions quickly find themselves out of a job (although they would still be suitable actors for a Fellini film, as I never know what’s being said, even with subtitles). Knowing that special effects can cut through any language barrier, James and Henry decide that they should make a creature feature filled to the brim with monsters they can do battle with. As always, things don’t exactly go as planned, resulting in the pair summoning monsters who would rather destroy the world than star in a film.

Admittedly, this is my first venture into the Despicable Me franchise since I saw the very first film as a kid back in 2010. The immense hyperactivity of this film had the kids in the audience bouncing off the walls after the screening, something a childless person like me isn’t overly ready to experience. But, as a film buff, the prospect of the Minions crashing Old Hollywood piqued my interest, and there were enough cameos, sight gags, and loving tributes to classic moviemaking that consistently had me grinning.

As with any heavy dose of sugar, the crash eventually hits. Once the movies are replaced with monsters in the middle act, things get way too hectic, way too quickly. Knowing that they can only hold the attention of their young audience for about thirty more minutes, directors Pierre Coffin and Patrick Delage (the former also provides the voice for all the Minions) throw everything into the blender. That also includes a side plot about a Dort (Jesse Eisenberg), a humanoid robot who looks eerily similar to the one from The Day the Earth Stood Still, and Debbie (Zooey Duetch), an initially strong-willed suffragette who immediately bends over backward in love. A lot of butts are poked in this section where toilet humor reigns supreme.

It’s that juvenility that often separates Illumination from the greater houses like Pixar and Studio Ghibli. But they know their audience and have no shame in playing down to them. And based on this mildly positive review and the enthusiastic reception the film got from everyone walking out under the age of twelve, I’d say this might be the strongest entry in this unstoppable franchise.

Universal Pictures will release Minions & Monsters in theaters nationwide on July 01st.