Movie review
June 29, 2022 · 87 min · PG
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Minions: The Rise of Gru is a 2022 animated comedy prequel set in 1975 that follows eleven-year-old Gru as he tries to join the supervillain group called the Vicious 6 by pulling off heists and schemes with help from his loyal Minion followers. The story centers on slapstick gags, chaotic teamwork, retro 1970s style, and simple kid-friendly adventure about ambition and mischief. Voice performances feature a mix of actors in villain and supporting roles delivered as straightforward cartoon characters in a light entertainment package.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Minions: The Rise of Gru.
Woke representation / casting
Visible diversity appears in voice casting with Taraji P. Henson as the confident leader of the Vicious 6 villain group and Michelle Yeoh as a martial arts supporting character; these are competent prominent cartoon roles shown without story emphasis on identity, marketing pushes for representation, or signaling.
Woke political dialogue
No political speeches, activist language, institutional critiques, or social messaging of any kind; all dialogue drives slapstick, heists, and character comedy.
Identity-driven story themes
The narrative focuses on a child's villain dreams, Minion loyalty, and chaotic fun with zero arcs, subplots, or messaging around race, gender, sexuality, or social justice.
Western institutional / cultural critique
The 1970s retro parody and supervillain world include no framing of family, masculinity, tradition, Christianity, or Western institutions as flawed or oppressive; humor remains apolitical and silly.
Woke character or canon changes
Original prequel story with no ideological or identity-driven alterations to prior characters, canon, or historical elements.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Some niche online posts and memes from anti-woke viewers framed the film positively as simple family entertainment free of modern messaging, often contrasting it lightly with other releases, but no substantial complaints accused it of pushing woke or identity content.
Creator track record context
Core team draws from Illumination's family animation roster with cached low scores and independent research on directors Brad Ableson and Kyle Balda plus producer Latifa Ouaou showing careers built on comedy craft and commercial projects without activist, political, or identity-driven patterns.
Production
