Minions: The Rise of Gru | 2022 | PG | – 1.3.1

Why is “Minions: The Rise of Gru” rated PG? The MPAA rating has been assigned for “some action/violence and rude humor.” The Kids-In-Mind.com evaluation includes some partial animated nudity, a fall from a flying vehicle that leads to a man’s implied death, scenes of fighting with giant creatures, threats of death, several arguments, and some mild name-calling and exclamations. Read our parents’ guide below for details on sexual content, violence & strong language.

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Animated origin story of a young Gru’s (voiced by Steve Carell) desire to be the best villain ever, and the beginning of his friendship with the Minions. Also with the voices of Pierre Coffin, Alan Arkin, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, Julie Andrews, Russell Brand, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Danny Trejo, Lucy Lawless, RZA, Michael Beattie, Will Arnett and Steve Coogan. Directed by Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson & Jonathan del Val. Many lines of dialogue are spoken in Minion language and most are not translated but people seem to understand them. [Running Time: 1:27]

Minions: The Rise of Gru SEX/NUDITY 1

 – A Minion says “smoochie-smoochie” in one scene.
► A pre-teen boy dances while drying himself after a shower and we see his bare back, buttocks, legs, chest and abdomen. A man wears a tank top that shows part of his bare chest and arms in several scenes. A man and a woman wearing tight-fitting exercise togs stretch and do yoga poses. A Minion’s pants are pulled down and we see its bare buttocks. A man on an acupuncture table is shown with a towel over his back and we see his bare back, arms and legs. A man scratches his clothed buttock. Several statues are seen with bare backs, buttocks and legs and a couple are seen with bare chests, abdomens and legs.

Minions: The Rise of Gru VIOLENCE/GORE 3

 – A man opens a stone gate as a waterfall recedes and he enters a cave where he finds an amulet; he slides down a slippery ramp and tumbles landing among many spikes with human skeletons around them (he is unharmed) and when he tries to retrieve the amulet many metal robotic guards attack him and he kicks and crushes them; the man gets out of the cave and is surrounded by many more guards until he grabs onto a rope attached to a flying machine and lifted off a cliff leaving guards to spill over the ledge. A man dangling from a rope attached to a helicopter falls when the rope is cut and we see him plunging toward a body of water below (it is implied that he was killed).
► Several people surround a boy and several Minions, the boy is wrapped up with a chain and one person takes an amulet away from the boy, initiates its power, and four people are transformed into giant creatures (a dragon, a tiger, a bull and a snake); the creatures are shot at by people with guns and the boy is strapped to the hands of a large clock on a clock tower (we see his sleeves begin to tear as the hands stretch his arms) and he is threatened to be torn apart. A dragon blows flames and sets a street on fire, a snake squeezes a Minion in its coil, a giant tiger tries to eat a Minion but it engages a power that sends it up the side of a building and back down hard on the tiger’s head knocking it out; a Minion shoots several chicken’s eggs at a giant snake (we see yolks and goo) and when one egg hatches the snake eats the chick, but it gets out unharmed. A man swings on a rope toward giant creatures and is sprayed with flames blown out by a dragon; he falls to the ground and we see him charred (he’s later taken away in an ambulance).
► A woman yells at three men, throws heavy objects at them, kicks them and lobs a loud sound wave at them. A boy steals an amulet and is chased by several adults; one man with large fists breaks a walkway as the boy crosses it, another on roller skates chases him and slams into a door. A boy breaks into a bank’s vault and steals an amulet; alarms ring and the boy and a man run away.
► Three men attack three Minions and one is kicked into the air while another is thrown against a large window (we see its tongue slobber on the glass). Three men chase a few Minions down a steep street until the Minions lie down and roll away from them. A giant lobster-looking vehicle with giant claws cuts through a building leaving it in splinters. Several people cut a large hole in a roof and drop into the house; a woman inside yells about the damage. Several crocodiles in a swimming pool jump up toward a boy standing on the diving board trying to clean the pool; a man uses the net to show the boy how to keep the crocodiles at bay but ends up in the mouth of one and the boy jumps on the nose of another to help the man out of the pool (they are both fine). Several giant creatures are transformed to rats and taken away in a cage.
► A man hits another man, kicks a second man and pulls the hair off a third man’s chest (we see a bare patch); one man falls back onto the floor and an axe lands between his legs (no contact is seen). A man holds a large butcher knife as a boy walks past him. A boy walks across a narrow walkway and looks over the edge into a dark hole. Three men practice fighting with kicks and throws. A man pretends to have a heart attack and an EMS team uses paddles on him several times; we see him glow during one shock and his skeleton is visible and he staggers and smolders after the third time.
► A man launches himself with a flying device, crashes into a wall, flies into the air, is lassoed around the ankle with a chain and pulled to the ground. A woman on a motorcycle speeds through traffic causing cars to swerve and honk; she is cut off by agents in large cars and when she spins around an agent gets his hand caught in a car door as the rider speeds away.
► A boy is shown tied to a large turntable and he seems dizzy; his eyes are crossed and he is drooling and when he is untied, he stumbles and falls off the edge onto the floor. A boy rides in an elevator, which falls fast crashing to the bottom and knocking him to the floor (he is not harmed). A boy rides a bicycle and swerves through traffic causing cars to honk and stop short. A boy walks outside alone and a man in a van picks him up. A Minion is nearly crushed by a streetcar. Police chase a van across a bridge.
► A woman hits a Minion with a stick during training. A woman throws an acupuncture needle and hits a Minion causing it to stop moving and strike an unnatural pose. A Minion is knocked back through several trees when a woman kicks it. Three Minions are knocked to the ground when a woman lobs a sound wave at them. A woman uses acupuncture needles to cause a man’s arms to move and knock Minions down. A Minion lights a flamethrower and blasts itself with flames (we see it charred later). A Minion hits another Minion in the head with a hammer. A boy walks through wet cement causing a Minion to complain. Two Minions fight and slap each other several times. A woman teaches Minions to fight with martial arts moves. A Minion tries to use its head to break a wooden board during training and is unable to; another Minion then tries but uses the first Minion’s head and pounds it on the board several times. A woman flips across tree branches in a forest and makes a loud sound while instructing Minions to “Find their inner beast.” A Minion is shown trudging on an isolated desert road alone while large birds circle overhead; the Minion is picked up by a man on a motorcycle.
► A boy sets off a gas bomb (we hear a burp sound) that spreads a foul smell and green mist through a movie theater causing people to rush out coughing and gasping. A boy cheats at games in an arcade with the help of the Minions. A boy sprays liquid cheese on people standing in line at an ice cream shop. A boy and several Minions eat ice cream cones while standing at the window of a fitness center (the people inside look at the ice cream longingly). A taped recording explodes when it concludes and fills a car with smoke (a boy and three Minions fall out of the car coughing). A man fires a weapon that shoots out a gooey hand that sticks to a boy’s face.
► A man is handcuffed and told, “You’re going away for a long, long time.” A man and a boy go to a “Bank of Evil.” A man yells at a boy for him to go home and the boy leaves looking very sad. A boy yells at Minions in a couple of scenes and fires them in one scene causing them to be sad. A young boy in a classroom is asked by the teacher what he wants to be and he says, “A super villain.” A boy complains of a man’s strange smell. A character says, “They’re dead.” A man complains about a group of people leaving him for dead. Mourners are shown at a man’s funeral and a boy tearfully makes remarks. A man asks to use the bathroom in a bank and says that the boy with him “Can’t hold it in.”
► A man is shown with a bruised eye. A man is shown with many acupuncture needles in his back. Minions demonstrate a food saver box and when they press on the lid to get the air out it makes a flatulence sound. We hear a flatulent and see it animated with a white puff. A man scratches his clothed buttock. A coffin is dropped and many bananas spill out on the ground.

Minions: The Rise of Gru LANGUAGE 1

 – Name-calling (Vicious 6, weird buddies, tiny tater tots, tubby little punks, punk, demon child, stupid, dummy, old man, sagging villain, mad scientist, dude, mini boss, idiots, Terrible 2s, little man), exclamations (oh for crying out loud, blah blah blah, what a mouth on you, can you dig it, oh no, alright), 1 quasi religious exclamation (e.g. Holy guacamole). | profanity glossary |

Minions: The Rise of Gru SUBSTANCE USE

 – None.

Minions: The Rise of Gru DISCUSSION TOPICS

 – Villains, wanting to be the best, friendship, heroes, teamwork, betrayal, greed.

Minions: The Rise of Gru MESSAGE

 – You can’t do anything alone.