“Minions” is a spinoff of the “Despicable Me” movies and given their popularity, this is something we should’ve seen coming a mile away.

So, do those nonsensical yet hilarious creatures have what it takes to hold their own without Steve Carell? Not quite. In this case, it’s much more a little Minion goes a very long way.

The movie introduces us to the idea that the Minions are creatures that have existed since the beginning of time with one purpose: To serve the world’s most villainous boss. After unsuccessful attempts with a T-Rex, Dracula, and Napoleon, they set up their own civilization in Antarctica and stay there.

That is, until three brave Minions named Kevin, Stuart and Bob decide to journey out of the freezing cold and find a new master.
They eventually arrive in New York, causing mischief and chaos and then find themselves heading to Orlando for a big event called Villain-Con, where the world’s most evil villains descend. Getting there, they meet the world’s first female supervillian named Scarlett Overkill (Sandra Bullock).

Overkill takes them in and prepares them for her master plan: To go to England and steal Queen Elizabeth’s crown. Jon Hamm co-stars as her husband.

The tone of this movie is very much like the Minions themselves: Indecipherable, yet colorful at the same time. Sometimes the gags work, both verbal and visual, and other times they get to be a bit too much. It’s that repetition of the Minions and their antics that eventually wore me down.

The original “Despicable Me” was a pleasant surprise that made the Minions famous, and the sequel certainly found a way to take their quirky, bizarre personalities to the next level. That was mainly because they were supporting characters. On their own, their routine becomes tiresome too fast.

Kids will enjoy the movie for the sake of it being the Minions, and adults who are big fans will get a kick out of it as well. This is a cute, safe, predictable movie, but it lacks the heart and the energy of the series it was built on. Maybe “Despicable Me 3,” due out June 2017, will give these characters what they need.

Grade: B-

Rated PG for action and mild humor.

Hall is a syndicated columnist in South Georgia.