It's been 14 years since the first Despicable Me movie came out, and in the trailer for Despicable Me 4, the Minions are still as noisy, busy, funny, and cute as ever. While the overall plot has gotten a bit boring—something that happens to long-running series—the Minions still draw a crowd. Despite ratings dropping over time, plenty of people (myself included) are still eager to watch it. As expected, Despicable Me 4 has topped the North American box office.
Over these 14 years, the Minions have evolved from memes to become a massive cultural phenomenon, with fans consisting mostly of adults. But why do adults in particular love Despicable Me? I think most of them are drawn in by the Minions themselves. But then again, why do we, as adults, enjoy such noisy and childish characters? What makes them more than just characters for entertaining the kids? And why would child-free adults like me be interested?
Of course, one of the reasons is that the Minions are incredibly cute. Their look reminds us of butter, cheese, jelly, M&M's, and bananas—all harmless, adorable, and sweet things. They are about the height of a child, and their language is reminiscent of toddlers' babblings. We might not always understand what they’re saying, but their expressions, tone, and body language make their intentions clear, tapping into the most basic form of communication. They're noisy and mischievous, sometimes clever and sometimes silly, like a group of harmless, trouble-making kids.
There are many cute characters out there, but not all of them make adults laugh out loud. I think the Minions also have a hidden adult quality, a kind of rebellious spirit that is deeply embedded in the hearts of adults. They inherently long for freedom, like a life without restrictions and orders, but they have to look for a job, a master, a goal, and somehow become servants. For an adult, this is a common existential dilemma.
Despite being born free, humans are constantly bound by societal constraints. How do we deal with this clash between ideals and reality? Perhaps comedy films can be the answer, which have been dissolving the seriousness and cruelty of reality with humor and jokes since Chaplin's Modern Times.
We may indeed be slaves to work, but we will still quietly resist, just like the Minions. Sometimes they work diligently, but they will always turn work into a farce. They approach serious matters with a playful attitude, and live seemingly chaotic lives on the verge of losing control, but they never cause serious consequences.
This kind of farce without serious consequences makes people feel relaxed and happy. I think this is also why I always feel free in chaos - life should be unrestrained, nor should everything be perfectly orderly. Chaos is part of our nature, and when we follow this nature, we naturally feel happy and free.
In short, the Minions represent the part of us that hasn't fully grown up. This part combines the best and worst of our nature—pure joy and sorrow, easily distracted but also intensely focused on goals.
Additionally, the Despicable Me series is not just an entertainment for children, but a cultural product meticulously crafted by the world's top animation studios. From a filmmaking perspective, the story structure and details proves Despicable Me is not a perfunctory and childish work. For example, the series heavily reference classic movie scenes. It doesn't matter if the children don't catch these references; adults who do will smile knowingly at these Easter eggs. From a marketing perspective, every detail of the Minions is meticulously planned. Even if it is not fully shown in the movie, the creators have designed a complete backstory for the Minions, including where they come from, what their language is, what they like, what their special skills and differences are—all of which have detailed answers on their official website.
As one of the world's most successful cultural phenomena, even adults can't resist it. Who doesn't have a Minions meme or gif on their phone? I doubt it.
Adults who like Minions don't mind their childishness because we have a bit of that in us too. The Minions' popularity and the trend of comfort toys for adults share the same logic: these products designed for kids also recreate childhood for adults. Everyone has an inner child, with unmet needs and unhealed wounds, who refuses to grow up. This part of us is suppressed as we mature, but we tend to indulge in it as long as we can, leading to "irrational" and "immature" behaviors like buying plush toys or laughing and crying over a "childish" movie. So, don't criticize Despicable Me 4 for being clichéd. It is exactly those familiar tropes that bring us comfort. In a world full of uncertainty, what could be more appealing to adults than 120 minutes of pure joy and peace?
If the outside world is unpredictable, let's explore our hearts and pasts together.
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