Weekend Estimates: Minions - 115.2M; JW - 18.1M; Inside Out - 17.1M; Gallows - 10M; Self/Less - 5.4M; MMXXL - 9.6M; T5 - 13.7M

[Mojoguy]

IO doesn't need a 200 million dollar budget either.

Wrong. The Pixar staff doesn't work for cheap.

 

Illumination's overseas staff is paid with canned soups and oatmeal.

[Mojoguy]

All I remember of the Cloudy 2 trailers were lots of food puns and screaming.

Replace food puns with bananas and screaming with lame jokes and you have Minions.

[Alpha]

[CJohn]

Well, Blanks is dead. RIP. 

[Mojoguy]

Man suicides himself JUST as the movie starts? Minions must be pretty awful.

[Jonwo]

Honestly, I don't think Minions was very good either. After I got out of my showing, I mused to myself that I probably wouldn't remember anything about it in a week.

The difference between me and some others, is that I don't regard it as a crime against humanity. Let the kids have their Minions. I'm past the belief that bad movies make people stupider, because they don't.

And Illumination's budgets are not a bad thing. IMO the films look fine, the environments fit perfectly into the cartoony aesthetic. And honestly, with animated films I would prefer that the budgets reflect the level of ambition, fluff like this doesn't need Disney budgets.

 

Pixar and WDAS do spend a lot on their films but you do see it with the level of detail and also the technology breakthrough unlike say DWA where some films look amazing like HTTYD, KFP and The Croods but other times you are left wondering where the money was spent e.g. Mr Peabody but films like The Lego Movie they've managed to create a strong visual look on a lean budget and also tell a good story.

 

I liked Minions but I do think Illumination needs to be more creative and take more risks with future films. 

[MovieMan89]

Cloudy 2 and Minions have the same budget lol. 

Good god. The sheer profit they are making on this thing...

[Blankments]

So because they keep their budgets at a reasonable amount that makes their production values cheap?  Nice try Blank.  

 

When Clint Eastwood shoots fast and keeps his budgets under control, people praise him for it.  I don't see any reason why Illumination should be criticized for not having a 200 million dollar budget on an animation film.

I'll admit that the cheap budget was a... er, cheap shot. But I think it shows that nearly every animated movie besides The Nut Jobs and Underdogs of the world look better than Minions do. My point about the cheap jokes still stands since nearly every hilarious joke in the Minions is recycled from a different movie. A Minion wearing a thong? SpongeBob Movie in 2004. Minion flirting with inanimate object? Like 40 different cartoons? It's just such a blah attempt at humor for me personally. Whatever floats your guys' boat though.

[Blankments]

Well, Blanks is dead. RIP. 

Based on this year, meltdown Blank is the normal Blank.

 

Lucky for you guys I haven't seen it yet; that'll probably come next week. And I love the hypocrisy of you all complaining about me "melting down" now, but when baumer was doing the same on IO's OW, no one was giving him shit; most people were just going "silly old baumer." News flash: Not everyone needs to root for a movie to do well. Me hating on Minions doesn't devalue you liking it. We've all got different tastes; feel free to melt down when something you don't like is successful. I won't complain.

[Claire of Themyscira]

Lucky for you guys I haven't seen it yet; that'll probably come next week. And I love the hypocrisy of you all complaining about me "melting down" now, but when baumer was doing the same on IO's OW, no one was giving him shit; most people were just going "silly old baumer." News flash: Not everyone needs to root for a movie to do well. Me hating on Minions doesn't devalue you liking it. We've all got different tastes; feel free to melt down when something you don't like is successful. I won't complain.

Don't lump me in with these whack people.

 

I've dragged him before and others. Don't make me drag you.

[CJohn]

Why will you see it if you know you are gonna hate it? See T5 instead, or Trainwreck or Paper Towns. I assume you will watch Ant-Man.

[Blankments]

Why will you see it if you know you are gonna hate it? See T5 instead, or Trainwreck or Paper Towns. I assume you will watch Ant-Man.

Because like baumer liking IO, I'm willing to give it a chance. Who knows, the Minions have made chuckle once or twice in the other DM movies, maybe this one will work for me. Plus, it's making 300M, I kinda feel compelled to see it.

 

I'm seeing Ant-Man on Friday, and Trainwreck is definitely getting watched by me soon. Was going to see Genisys tonight but the movie was 3D. Paper Towns depends on reviews and forum WOM. Besides, I'll catch Minions at the drive-in with something; good chance I'll like one of the two movies.

[AniNate]

Much as I really hated DM2, visually it looked pretty impressive for its budget. The animators ought to get their due credit.

 

I haven't seen Minions, and probably won't, but I can't imagine it looking that bad.

[The Panda]

Much as I really hated DM2, visually it looked pretty impressive for its budget. The animators ought to get their due credit.

I haven't seen Minions, and probably won't, but I can't imagine it looking that bad.

For a small budget its some great animation.