Why The Minions have become a successful franchise?

Those little yellow fellows are back in theatres once more with the recent release of ‘Despicable Me’ spin-off ‘Minions’. Stuart, Kevin and Bob return for more comedy action in this excellent prequel to the popular ‘Despicable Me’ movies created and directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud. They were of course one of the most popular aspects of the original movies in the series so it makes perfect sense that they’ve managed to secure there very own feature vehicle this time around.

So what is it about these fascinating creatures that have captured the imagination of children and adults alike? They often remind me of the three-eyed squeeze toy aliens featured in the ‘Toy Story’ franchise but the difference here is that each Minion has his own personality, something that separates him from the rest. These almost innocent little creatures have become ever so well-liked already integrating themselves comfortably into popular culture.

With their unusual yet simplistic look and bright yellow appearance it comes as no surprise they are the main source of merchandising when it comes to the franchise and particularly for the new ‘Minions’ movie itself. With toys, tshirts, vinyl figures, posters, pillows, stickers, cakes, Monopoly and just about anything you can imagine that can be Minion-ised is sitting somewhere in a child’s bedroom up and down the country. There are also plenty of spin-off games and more to come we’re certain and perhaps even a Minion slot game as Euro Palace goes bananas.

In fact just recently there was even quite a bit of unnecessary hysteria surrounding our yellow-headed friends relating to the Minion toys included with a McDonald’s Happy Meal. Parents had reported that some of the Minions were actually swearing, notably using the dreaded ‘F’ word. Of course this is due to their unique way of speaking which is simply nothing more than general gibberish with some random French words dropped in.

So you may love them or you may hate them but they are no doubt a marketable force to be reckoned with. Their simplicity is what really appeals, especially to younger viewers, who can even sit down and draw them themselves. They have a childlike way of talking and interacting and it’s both audibly and visually appealing for audiences of all ages to enjoy. The fact that there are literally hundreds of them all faintly different from each other is a gift for merchandisers who know all too well that kids aren’t going to be happy with owning just one of them.

Perhaps overexposure will soon be the downfall of the Minion but for now we can continue to laugh at their unexpected antics and enjoy all the spin-offs and goodies that come with loving the yellow pill shaped buffoons.