Although Minions was a huge financial success upon its original release, the franchise’s sequel Minions 2 pulled off a rare achievement that only a handful of other series can boast. Early in Scream 2, a class full of film students debate whether sequels can ever outdo their predecessors. The usual examples are outlined, including The Godfather Part II, Aliens, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. If the scene were remade today, the Despicable Me and Minions franchise could reasonably be cited as another example of this rare phenomenon. As surprising as it may sound, the Minions movies managed to repeat this feat.

The Despicable Me franchise began in 2010 when Steve Carell’s inept supervillain, Gru, was first introduced to viewers. Gru’s first movie earned an impressive $543 million, but it was 2013’s sequel Despicable Me 2 that made the series a full-blown phenomenon with a $971 million box office haul. This prompted an inevitable spinoff in 2015’s Minions, which focused on Gru’s little yellow henchmen. The complete Despicable Me and Minions story continued to grow in popularity at the box office, with Minions making $1.159 billion and Despicable Me 3 earning $1 billion two years later in 2017.

Minions 2 Was Received Far Better Than The Original Spinoff

Minions 2: The Rise of Gru Outdid Minions

While 2022’s Minions sequel Minions: The Rise of Gru was also a financial success, that’s not what makes the movie so notable. Minions: The Rise of Gru earned better reviews than the original Minions, something that precious few franchises can boast. It’s not uncommon for a fourth or sixth movie in a series to outdo some of its predecessors, especially in horror, where a franchise can last for nine or ten movies. However, it is unusual for a sequel to comfortably outdo the franchise’s original movie and Minions: The Rise of Gru did so by a large margin.

On Rotten Tomatoes, Minions boasts a 56% critical rating, while Minions: The Rise of Gru has a far stronger 70%. Audiences affirmed this change, with Minions gaining a 49% audience rating compared to Minions: The Rise of Gru’s 89% rating seven years later. Although Minions: The Rise of Gru made some mistakes, it comfortably outdid Minions everywhere but the box office. Even then, Minions: The Rise of Gru’s $940.7 million was very respectable compared to the $1 billion Minions earned. The reason for this sudden critical surge is easy to discern but tough for the series to navigate.

Minions 2 Revealed An Awkward Truth About The Despicable Me Franchise

Despicable Me’s Gru Needs Minions And They Need Him

From Despicable Me onwards, it was clear that the minions were central to the success of the Despicable Me movies. However, Minions and Minions: The Rise of Gru proved the minions need Gru, too. After all, the return of the supervillain accounts for the sequel’s jump in popularity. Critics complained that, despite a starry cast including Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, and Michael Keaton, Minions lacked the straightforward storytelling style of earlier outings. Most reviewers said a full movie devoted to the minions was too much of a good thing, giving Minions a perfect way to improve with Minions 2.