MovieChat Forums > Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015) Discussion > This vs Minions

This vs Minions

posted 9 years ago by Unvoiced-Apollo
8 replies | jump to latest

I imagine with both lacking comprehensible verbal language, the movie's humor might be very similar.

Is it? What are the differences? What is it about Shaun the Sheep that made it get better reviews than Minions?

I'm not saying Shaun the Sheep shouldn't get better reviews, just interested in your thoughts on why others see this as better.

If you're happy and you know it, go sit in the corner and think about your life.

[–] Spielburger 9 years ago

Is it? What are the differences? What is it about Shaun the Sheep that made it get better reviews than Minions?

Interesting question. Until I saw the OP, I hadn't released that Minions (a film I enjoyed) got mixed reviews: 54% on Rotten Tomatoes, compared with an astonishing 100% fresh for Shaun the Sheep. [For comparison, both Inside Out and Paddington are on 98% - in the case of the latter, the three dissenting critics are probably even now still locked in stocks while being pelted with marmalade sandwiches.]

There are a number of factors at play, but I think one of the main differences is consistency. Many of the Minions reviews refer to it as "episodic", and I understand where they're coming from. Although the OP refers to the lack of "comprehensible verbal language", that's only actually true of the minions themselves. Unlike in StS, the humans still speak English, and I personally felt the film dragged whenever these human characters were driving the scene.

By contrast, StS is entirely dialogue-free, and that means that the visuals (with the odd sound effect) have to drive the plot. The result is a much more tightly-scripted film.

As a more general point, I think this is something common to stop-motion films as a whole. I may be being unfair to other forms of animation, but the slow and labour-intensive nature of making a film like StS requires everything to be nailed down, meaning a very trim and polished script before filming starts. Aardman are masters at this, with every scene crammed with so much detail and so many sight gags that you cannot spot them all in several sittings, never mind just one.
As an example, I remember when Curse of the Were-Rabbit came out: the critic Mark Kermode argued that it should have been nominated for a "Best Cinematography" Oscar, because there simply wasn't any other film released that year where so much care and attention had been spent on every single frame.
[CotWR is 95% fresh on RT.]

[–] cgrill8 9 years ago

I have to admit, I love the Despicable Me movies, but Minions... was funny... it just didn't have the same... 'weight' or depth as the first two movies. And we sort of saw where the Minions came from... and yet we really didn't... it didn't make much since and it completely contradicts the Universal Ride too boot. The scale of the movie wasn't as large as DM 1 & 2... it was like a ripoff of Johnny English and Austin Powers just with Minions... and it wasn't very funny to me. My kids loved it, but me - not so much. And it did what it was supposed to do... took over $40 of our money for the whole blasted family to the movies to see it... (gee). Now Aardman's work has class, sass, and everything has to be together before even sets are completed... together with many double image filming... (all the characters in the church scene of CotWR were not ALL there together for filming...). Yeah, they parody and poke fun of EVERYTHING which just makes their stuff so much enjoyable. It seems like DreamWorks and Illumination loves competing while making bad sequels. Aardman isn't completely in with sequels... but I'd still love another W&G movie. Aardman is 'almost' a company all to themselves... they still have competition though.

3rd generation American from a long line of Gottscheers... it was Drandul, dude!

[–] csj2332 9 years ago

Actually, Shaun the Sheep (TV series) is a spin-off of Wallace & Gromit, since Shaun first appeared in A Close Shave, so you could say Shaun the Sheep Movie is technically connected to W&G.

[–] IMDB_Vits 9 years ago

SHAUN THE SHEEP: 5/10
MINIONS: 4/10

[–] kittyblue71 8 years ago

I just finished watching Minions and was hugely disappointed in how BAD it was. Shaun the Sheep accomplished so much more (I LOL'd MANY times in Shaun, not once in Minions) WITHOUT any talking!!!! I LOVE Shaun the Sheep!!!!! Minions sucked so bad!!!!

[–] PopSixSquish 8 years ago

I agree with you. This movie was brilliant; I give it an 8. Thought Minions was as "eh" and mediocre as I'd expected--I only found one or two scenes memorable, and still not that great. Maybe a 4 or 5 there.

[–] drunkbear 8 years ago

I enjoyed Shaun more than Minions. I think that, since the sheep were the stars of the cartoon series, they carry the movie better than the Minions, who were supporting characters in Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2.

"You may have come on no bicycle, but that does not say that you know everything."

[–] pinkarray 8 years ago

Both movies were pretty bad but Shaun was worse. The Minions is more of a fun romp with energetic characters but still managed to be slightly above bad. Shaun was just childish.

I hope that there is an Evangelion video game where you can beat Asuka up!