Ranking Every Illumination Movie
#13: "Hop" (2011)
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Illumination's sophomore feature tells the tired tale of a teen who shirks his father's business for a music career in Hollywood. Dad's business just happens to have him being the Easter Bunny. "Hop" was a predictable hit with families when it came out in time for egg season. Many still feel that if the holiday deserves a classic movie, this isn't it. The story is obviously bottom-of-the-basket, with crude and punny humor to match. Russell Brand, then a hot commodity in adult comedies, was just too much as a bouncy cartoon in a live-action environment. "Hop" may still have its following each Easter, but it failed to get off the ground. Illumination has not bounced back to live-action/animation crossover since.
#12: "The Lorax" (2012)
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Illumination had the honor of bringing one of Dr. Seuss' most beloved classics to the big screen. Unfortunately, many felt that this padded adaptation of "The Lorax" spoke more for the dollar. Its elaborate marketing campaign was steeped in controversy, reflecting the corporate interests that Dr. Seuss condemned. The film itself took that further with a generic story and overwrought cartoon comedy. Moviegoers were still sold on the charming energy and voice acting, especially by the perfectly cast Danny DeVito. Despite this, Illumination's "The Lorax" is considered much less memorable in its grandstanding than its source material. Never mind that it's such an overtly commercial betrayal.
#11: "The Grinch" (2018)
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Illumination faced much less backlash for their second attempt at Dr. Seuss. Christmas is already so commercialized that a Jim Carrey cult classic may as well have some competition. That said, 2018's "The Grinch" lacked originality as both a family feature and a take on classic family literature. The formula can still be counted on for visually stimulating fun and holiday warmth. Although celebrated British actor Benedict Cumberbatch was odd casting for the title role, he perfectly captured the Grinch's mean attitude and uplifting redemption. The rest of the movie may not grow your heart three sizes. But Illumination's "The Grinch" has already taken its place with other adaptations as a holiday viewing tradition.
#10: "Despicable Me 3" (2017)
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By the third movie in Illumination's biggest brand, Gru is officially a family man and good guy. But he finds another crisis of conscience when he has to join forces with his long-lost twin to defeat a deranged supervillain. Despite such a convoluted plot, "Despicable Me 3" doesn't bring much to the franchise beyond more bombastic, formulaic gags. For the fans, though, it still has some heart on top of energetic humor and over-the-top action. The movie also deserves credit for casting the notoriously picky Trey Parker as the effective villain. Just as long as young viewers aren’t compelled to follow his other voice work. "Despicable Me" remains quality family entertainment the third time around, but it’s decidedly less super.
#9: "The Secret Life of Pets 2" (2019)
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Who needs despicable Minions for mascots when Illumination has lovable pets to cuddle up with? The sequel to "The Secret Life of Pets" finds Max and Duke getting in touch with their wild side during an upstate getaway. Meanwhile, their friends back in the city get into even wilder adventures in the concrete jungle. It is essentially more of the same hairy hijinks from the first movie along with adorable animation and heartwarming characterization. Although "The Secret Life of Pets 2" surprisingly made less money than its predecessor, it proved the franchise's value with young fans. For older audiences, however, the old formula of talking animals could use some new tricks.
#8: "Minions" (2015)
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As the mascots of Illumination Entertainment, Felonious Gru's Minions are among the most beloved animated characters of their era. For many viewers, however, they're better in small doses. Adults didn't have much to anticipate in a spin-off about the Minions' journey to find a supervillain boss. There isn't much story there, despite the movie's excess. It's basically Pierre Coffin talking gibberish for an hour-and-a-half. And it's exactly what the fans love. "Minions" is full of action-packed animation and adorable sight gags. These loyal little guys' bounce into the spotlight brought audiences more into the "Despicable Me" universe. It also brought a lot of money to Universal Pictures. Whatever you think of Minions as a pop culture phenomenon, the movie "Minions" is phenomenal fun.
#7: "Minions: The Rise of Gru" (2022)
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Seven years after the success of their first spin-off, the Minions returned with a familiar face. Naturally, the beginning of Gru's supervillain career dominated the plot. It's not like there was much of one behind the young evil mastermind's explosive feud with an elite supervillain squad. For better or worse, his frantic henchmen stole the show. Critics felt that "The Rise of Gru" was still a little more consistent in its action and humor than the first "Minions". It certainly had more character development. This may not be saying much for some viewers. But with the movie breaking box office records during the COVID-19 pandemic, fans still think the Minions have a lot to say, even if you can't understand them.
#6: "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" (2023)
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It took Nintendo about 20 years to license its hottest property for another big-screen adaptation. Illumination's "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" was a vast improvement over a disastrous live-action adaptation just for being more faithful to the source. Even then, it's plumber Mario and Princess Peach who team up to rescue Luigi from the villainous Bowser. There are also modern references and obvious jokes that rubbed some the wrong way. But even if the movie is just one big commercial, the playful animation and brand awareness deliver a bigger adventure. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” thrilled fans of all ages as the highest-grossing opening weekend in animation history. The movie still has its issues, but further shows how far video game adaptations have come in 20 years.
#5: "The Secret Life of Pets" (2016)
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When the humans are away, their pets are at play. At the center of the animal misadventures, domestic dog Max has a few bones to pick with rescue mutt Duke, until they get lost in the big city. That sounds suspiciously like "Toy Story". "The Secret Life of Pets" is far from a new breed of talking animal movie. But the slice-of-life approach to the story gave the characters more relatable personality and warmth. Their cuddly animation and all-star voice cast were more than enough to hold kids' attention. Adults, on the other paw, may want a bit more bite with all the barking. But as a huge hit with animal-lovers everywhere, "The Secret Life of Pets" unleashed Illumination's second franchise.
#4: "Sing 2" (2021)
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The second verse of Illumination's musical extravaganza finds the New Moon Theater heading to the big city to put on a big-budget show. Can they handle the pressures of pop stardom? The movie itself may bang the drum for artistic integrity, but critics say it's as pop as family entertainment gets. The sequel is bigger than ever, but falls short on soul. Still, "Sing 2" has enough of the first film's chops to hit the right notes in humor and heart. The star-studded cast's voice acting and singing chops are also in top form, with a rock legend to close the show in a surprise cameo. Pitchy or not, "Sing 2" stays in-tune with the fans.
#3: "Despicable Me 2" (2013)
The whole world knelt before Gru for the highly-anticipated sequel to Illumination's breakout picture. However, the movie finds Gru abandoning his evil ways to become a responsible father. That doesn't last long before the family goes on an adventure to thwart world domination, with help from a secret agent love interest. Despite these conventional sequel tropes, "Despicable Me 2" turns the brand around. There's still a lot of nuance for Gru as family animation's favorite anti-hero. The energetically animated gags and action were also stepped up. After "Hop" and "The Lorax", Illumination's return to its roots with "Despicable Me 2" proved a true return to form. The only bigger summer sensation of 2013 was the soundtrack's lead single, Pharrell Williams' "Happy".
#2: "Sing" (2016)
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Illumination rocked 2016 with a medley of talking animal movies. They hit a particularly high note with the singing animal movie. "Sing" follows a koala's campaign to save his struggling theater by assembling a diverse troupe of vocal virtuosos. As with any rendition of this story, the movie also deals with the personal arcs and anxieties of the troubled talent. This makes for a uniquely character-driven animated comedy. The colorful humor perfectly harmonizes with the star-studded ensemble's emotional range. Never mind their vocal range in veteran music video director Garth Jennings's catchy pop numbers. "Sing" may also cover its share of story beats, but it's sure to leave audiences cheering for an encore.
#1: "Despicable Me" (2010)
Illumination’s debut feature follows the dastardly supervillain Felonious Gru's plot to steal the moon. To do this, he must first steal a shrink ray with help from his babbling minions and three rambunctious orphans. This turns his evil lair into a chaotic full house, blending classic family fun and uniquely edgy slapstick. After all of Gru's thrilling villainy and hilarious foils, these girls set him on a poignant, action-packed path to redemption. This storyline has been singled out for its touching, if flawed representation of adoption. More broadly, "Despicable Me" had all the makings of a breakout for both its own franchise and NBCUniversal's new animation studio. But for many fans, Illumination’s most lovable film remains the one that started it all.
