"Despicable Me" is a marvelous movie. The sequel isn't as good, but is still very entertaining. One of the things that greatly helped both was the inclusion of the "minions," who are now so embedded in popular culture that I'm not even going to bother to describe them. I watched the latest movie in the series, "Minions," on a transatlantic flight. Please assume that my judgement was slightly impaired by sleep deprivation, and I may not have seen the edges of the movie (movies are often cropped to fit those tiny seat-back screens).

The movie is narrated by Geoffrey Rush, and starts back in pre-history. The Minions have always sought out and served the most despicable masters. Eventually we get to the 1960s, when they have no master - the lack of a leader leaves them listless, and Kevin, Stuart, and Bob set out to remedy the situation. They eventually find their way to Villain-Con, where they fall for Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock) who is recruiting henchmen. Incompetent robberies and bungled heists ensue.

As I guessed long before the movie was released, the minions are the best side-kicks ever, but their lack of speech and inability to die makes them rather less dramatic than you need for a movie - even a children's movie. It's colourful and there are some good set-piece jokes (I particularly liked the reference to the Beatles "Abbey Road" - a joke clearly meant for the parents rather than the children), but the movie doesn't make much of a whole.