Minions (U)

FICTIONAL, little yellow underlings they may be but the Minions have pretty much succeeded in their quest for world domination.

Since the first Despicable Me film launched five years, those goggle-wearing henchmen have been seen everywhere from toy shops to clothes stores.

And while they may have stolen the Moon and – in the case of this film – the Crown Jewels, they have also stolen our hearts.

A Minions movie was probably always inevitable because of this but what could have been a shameful moneymaking spin-off is actually a lot of fun.

Set long before their nefarious adventures with Gru, you discover that the banana-loving Minions have been around much longer than man.

From a T-Rex to Napoleon, the film follows them on their quest to find a despicable boss before finally ending up in 1968 where they try to impress the world's first female supervillain, Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock).

This gives the filmmakers a good excuse to throw in a 60s soundtrack and nods to the era as well as the previous films.

Even Queen Elizabeth II (voiced by Jennifer Saunders) appears as a feisty, no-nonsense version of the monarch with the gibberish-speaking Minions out to steal her crown.

While Minions may not have as much heart as Despicable Me, it is well paced and full of fun, humour and hijinks.

Look out for the torture chamber scene which is one of the funniest.

- Minions is out on Monday