“Minions: The Rise of Gru” is a kinetic, kaleidoscopic and fun animated feature movie about the bad guy and how he got that way.

The movie tells the story of a pre-teen Gru, voiced with gleeful malice by Steve Carell in a returning role.

On Career Day in school, when the teacher asks Gru what he wants to be when he grows up, he tells the class, “I want to be a super villain.”

You had to be there. And you should be there to see, “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” one of the best animated films of the year.

Gru has many of the best lines in the film. And Carell is the most distinctive voice among the voice talents in the computer generated imagery film.

Pierre Coffin voices the minions, who are Gru’s pill-shaped, yellow-color sidekicks. There’s Kevin, Stuart, Bob and Otto. The minions speak in gibberish.

“The Rise of Gru” has a distinctively 1970s’ vibe in soundtrack songs, fashion, characters and storyline. It’s all white bell-bottoms, head bands, mustaches and Afro hairstyles.

Belle Bottom, leader of the Vicious 6 gang, is a sort of Foxy Brown (Pam Grier) from the 1974 movie “Foxy Brown.” Belle is voiced by Taraji P. Henson.

The voice talent includes Michelle Yeoh (Master Chow, an acupuncturist and Kung Fu fighter) and RZA (a motorcyclist), Russell Brand (Dr. Nefario, who runs a record store, Criminal Records) and Julie Andrews (Marlena Gru, Gru’s mother).

Members of the Vicious 6 include Jean-Claude Van Damme (Jean-Clawed, who has mechanical lobster claw as a right arm, Lucy Lawless (Nun-chuck, a nun who wields nunchucks), Dolph Lundgren (Svengeance, a roller skater), Danny Trejo (Stronghold, who has big metal hands) and Alan Arkin (Wild Knuckles).

“The Rise of Gru” is a spin-off of “Minions” (2015) and the fifth in the “Despicable Me” franchise. “Despicable Me” (2010) was followed by “Despicable Me 2” (2013), “Despicable Me 3” (2017) and the spin-off “Minions.”

Former Lehigh Valley resident Chris Renaud co-directed “Despicable Me” and “Despicable Me 2” with Pierre Coffin. Renard voiced some of the Minions.

Renaud, born in 1966 in Baltimore, Md., moved at age 15 with his family to Bethlehem, Pa., when his father, who worked for Bethlehem Steel Corp., was transferred to corporate headquarters.

Renaud is a Parkland High School, Class of 1985, graduate, who attended The Baum School of Art, Allentown, where he received a $1,000 scholarship.

Renaud’s animated short film, “No Time for Nuts,” received a 2007 Oscar nomination.

Renaud directed “Dr Seuss’ The Lorax” (2012), “The Secret Life of Pets” (2016) and “The Secret Life of Pets 2” (2019).

Renaud is a producer of “Minions: The Rise of Gru.“ Renaud is directing “Despicable Me 4,” scheduled for release in 2024.

“The Rise of Gru” is directed by Kyle Balda (director, “Despicable Me 3”) and co-directed by Brad Ableson (feature film co-directorial debut) and Jonathan del Val (co-director, “The Secret Life of Pets 1,” 2019).

The screenplay is by Matthew Fogel (story, “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part,” 2019) from a story by Brian Lynch (“Minions”).

The character animation is terrific. Each character is distinctive. The scene detail is impressive, especially depictions of San Francisco, including steep streets, cable cars, Chinatown and Golden Gate Bridge.

The dialogue and slapstick is frequently funny. Although the Minions are nearly ever-present, true to the title, Gru is the star of the show.

The movie can probably be enjoyed by the entire family. Adults will like the send-ups of 1970s’ American pop culture. Youths will have fun with Gru and, of course, the Minions.

There’s enough going on in the film that “Minions: The Rise of Gru” is worth repeat viewings. It’s pretty “Gru”-vy.

“Minions: The Rise of Gru,”

MPAA rated PG (Parental Guidance Suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.) for some action-violence and rude humor. Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy; Run time: 1 hour, 27 minutes. Distributed by Universal Pictures.

Credit Readers Anonymous:

The “Minions: The Rise of Gru” soundtrack includes contemporary artists covering soul, funk and pop music hits of the 1970s, and “Turn Up the Sunshine,” a new song by Diana Ross.

At The Movies:

“Minions: The Rise of Gru” was seen in the Dolby at AMC, AMC Center Valley 16. I didn’t see Gentleminions, youths dressed up similar to Gru, at the movie screening. Dressing up for the movie is one of the latest TikTok trends.

“Minions: The Rise of Gru” set a July 4 weekend domestic box office opening record of $140.6 million.

The movie was to have been released July 3, 2020, but was delayed because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Theatrical Domestic Movie Box Office,

July 8 - 10: “Thor: Love and Thunder” opened with $143 million in 4,375 theaters, as “Minions: The Rise of Gru” dropped from one-week at No. 1 to No. 2 with $45.5 million in 4,427 theaters; $210 million, two weeks.

“Thor: Love and Thunder,” the second Marvel Cinematic Universe release in 2022, is the biggest opening in the “Thor” franchise. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the first MCU release in 2022, had the biggest opening or 2022 at $187 million.

3. “Top Gun: Maverick” dropped one place with $15.4 million, in 3,513 theaters, $597.4 million, seven weeks. 4. “Elvis” dropped one place, $11 million, in 3,714 theaters; $91.1 million, three weeks. 5. “Jurassic World Dominion” dropped one place, $8.4 million, in 3,251 theaters, $350.3 million, five weeks. 6. “The Black Phone” dropped one place, $7.6 million, in 2,559 theaters; $62.3 million, three weeks. 7. “Lightyear” dropped one place, $2.9 million, in 2,090 theaters, $112.3 million, four weeks. 8. “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” moved up three places, $340,000, in 48 theaters; $963,416, three weeks. 9. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” stayed in place, $262,000, in 140 theaters, $411 million, 10 weeks. 10. “Mr. Malcolm’s List” dropped three places, $245,416, in 1,057 theaters; $1.6 million, two weeks.

Box office information from Box Office Mojo as of July 10 is subject to change.

Theatrical domestic box office,

July 1 - 3: “Minions: The Rise of Gru” opened for the July 4 holiday weekend with $108.5 million, in 4,391 theaters, and was expected to have grossed $127.9 million by the July 4 Monday holiday, which would set a Fourth of July weekend record, surpassing “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” which took in $115.9 million in 2011.

“Top Gun: Maverick” stayed in place at No. 2 with $25.8 million, in 3,843 theaters, $564.3 million, six weeks.

“Elvis” dropped two places to No. 3 from its one-week No.1 perch, with $18.4 million, in 3,932 theaters; $66.7 million, two weeks.

4. “Jurassic World Dominion” dropped one place, with $16.3 million, in 3,801 theaters, $332.5 million, four weeks. 5. “The Black Phone” dropped one place, $12.2 million, in 3,156 theaters; $47.4 million, two weeks. 6. “Lightyear” dropped one place, $6.4 million, in 3,800 theaters, $105.2 million, three weeks. 7. “Mr. Malcolm’s List,” opening, $810,742, in 1,384 theaters. 8. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” stayed in place, $551,714, in 607 theaters, $67 million, 15 weeks. 9. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” dropped three places, $412,752 million in 590 theaters, $410.5 million, nine weeks. 10. ”Jug Jugg Jeeyo” dropped three places, $308,000, in 318 theaters, $1 million, two weeks.

Box office information from Box Office Mojo as of July 8 is subject to change.

Unreel,

July 15:

“Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank,”

Rated PG: Mark Koetsier, Rob Minkoff and Chris Bailey direct the voice talents of Michael Cera, Ricky Gervais, Mel Brooks, George Takei, Michelle Yeoh and Samuel L. Jackson in the animated film Action Comedy. Hank, a dog, wants to become a samurai.

“Where the Crawdads Sing,”

Rated PG-13: Olivia Newman directs Daisy Edgar Jones, Harris Dickinson and Taylor John Smith in the Mystery Thriller. A southern United States woman is a murder suspect.

“Mrs Harris Goes to Paris,”

MPAA Rated PG: Anthony Fabian directs Lesley Manville, Jason Isaacs and Anna Chancellor in the Comedy Drama. A cleaning woman in 1950s London wants a couture Dior dress.

This column is dedicated to James Caan (March 26, 1940 - July 6, 2022). He was 82. Among Caan’s 137 actor credits on Internet Movie Database: “Brian’s Song” (1971, TV movie), “Cinderella Liberty’ (1973), “Rollerball” (1975), “Thief” (1981), “Misery” (1990), “Bottle Rocket” (1996), “Elf” (2003) and, of course, “The Godfather” (1972) as Sonny Corleone, for which he received a supporting actor Oscar nomination. “Ba dah beep, bah dah bop.”

Three Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes