The Ultimate Illumination Animated Film Guide: 2020 - 2024
Created | Updated Aug 16, 2024
2010-2014 | 2015-19 | 2020-2024
Illumination is an animation production company founded by Chris Meledandri in 2007 for Universal Studios and best known for their Despicable Me and Minions series. Despite this they faced the challenge of turning their initial success with one film series into a wider success, creating a successful number of animated films featuring different characters rather than remain a one-hit wonder.
Below is a summary of the films made by Illumination in this period, with recurring characters and actors are shown in Bold. Also mentioned is whether the films pass the The Bechdel Test. This can be summarised as whether the film involves two or more named female characters who have a conversation together that does not include or mention any male characters.
11. Sing 2 (2021)
| Director | Garth Jennings |
|---|---|
| Plot | Buster Moon, a theatre-enthusiast koala who has led his singing stars to thriving small town success, now dreams of making it big in Redshore City. After a talent scout Suki tells him he does not have what it takes, he is determined to prove her wrong. With all his most talented singers he auditions for hotel and theatre mogul Jimmy Crystal. After the audition starts badly, Moon and Gunter lie and improvise a science-fiction show, promising that it would star reclusive rock star Clay Callaway. Crystal greenlights the show on condition that Callaway agrees to star and his daughter, Porsha, star in it despite her inability to act. Otherwise Moon will suffer violent consequences. Will each member of his troop overcome their individual demons to be able to succeed in the glitzy glamorous showbusiness world of Redshore City? |
| Length | 110 minutes |
| Setting | Redshore City |
| The Stars |
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| Other Characters |
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| Music | Including:
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| Sequel To | Sing (2016) |
| Spin Offs | Short Films (2017):
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| Bechdel | Pass |
A simple story with predictable plot that nevertheless tales its heart-warming tale with charm. This was the most successful animated film to be released in the pandemic affected year of 2021, though in many countries worldwide it was not released until early 2022. The first scene to feature Ash features her leaving a show after being underpaid, which cheekily reflects how actress Scarlett Johannson took Disney to court following being underpaid for her work on Black Widow (2021). Garth Jennings had previously directed The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005).
12 . Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)
| Director | Kyle Balda |
|---|---|
| Plot | In 1976 young schoolchild Gru dreams of becoming a supervillain and working with his favourite villains of all time, the Vicious 6. After Wild Knuckles, the 6's elderly leader, steals the magical Zodiac Stone amulet he is betrayed by the others and Belle Bottom declares herself the new leader, and holds auditions for a new member. Gru applies, and hoping to impress the gang, steals the Zodiac Stone from under them, entrusting it to Otto, one of his Minions, who promptly gives it away. While the five members of the Vicious 6 try to track Gru down, Wild Knuckles kidnaps Gru and takes him to San Francisco, and will only trade him for the Zodiac Stone. After Gru saves his life Knuckles teaches Gru about becoming a supervillain. Will the Vicious 6 find Gru and the stone, and what is their plan for the stone and how does it relate to the Chinese New Year celebrations being held? |
| Length | 88 minutes |
| Setting | 1976, New York and San Francisco |
| Characters |
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| Vicious 6 | Gang of Supervillains
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| Music |
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| Others in the Series |
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| Spin Offs | Shorts unless stated:
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| Bechdel | Pass |
This film was delayed by two years, originally expected to be released in July 2020 and finally in cinemas in 2022 due to the COVID pandemic. When finally released it unusually caused a brief craze for teenage boys to watch the film while wearing suits in a #Gentleminions meme, which often involved those participating in throwing bananas around the screen and other disruptive behaviour. This led to many cinemas banning children in suits from seeing the film, including children in their school uniform. An unusually high percentage of teenage boys saw this film. It was a huge financial success, with the Despicable Me/Minions the first animated film series to make over $4 billion.
13 . The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
| Directors | Aaron Horvath & Michael Jelenic |
|---|---|
| Plot | Heavily American-sounding plumber Mario and his brother Luigi wish to establish their own plumbing company, and investigate a major leak in New York. During their investigation they find a warp pipe that transports them to two different lands, with Mario landing in Mushroom Kingdom and Luigi finding himself in the Dark Lands ruled by Bowser, king of the Koopas. Bowser has captured the Super Star and plans to invade the Mushroom Kingdom if its ruler, Princess Peach, refuses to marry him. Will Mario and Princess Peach, assisted by Toad, be able to convince Donkey Kong in the Jungle Kingdom to unite with them to fight against Bowser? Can Mario rescue his brother? What on Earth have they done to Mario's voice? |
| Length | 92 minutes |
| Setting | New York, Mushroom Kingdom and |
| Characters |
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| Music | Brian Tyler, working with Mario composer Koji Kondo
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| Bechdel | Fail |
On release the film quickly became the most successful film adaptation of a computer game of all time. Unlike the previous live action adaptation in the 1990s, it includes numerous references to the original game series and includes music cues from the games, background details that reference them as well as power-ups.
14 . Migration (2023)
| Director | |
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| Plot | |
| Length | |
| Setting | |
| Characters |
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| Music | |
| Sequel To | |
| Spin Offs | |
| Bechdel |
15 . Despicable Me 4 (2024)
| Director | Chris Renaud |
|---|---|
| Plot | At a school reunion for those who attended school for villains Lucée Pas Bon, Gru catches his villainous rival Maxime Le Mal, who has turned himself into an indestructible cockroach. Maxime, however, escapes soon after and swears revenge on Gru and his family. They go to a safehouse in the sleepy town of Mayflower, adopting new identities. Maxime plans to kidnap Gru's baby and turn him into a cockroach. Despite attempts to lie low, Gru's new neighbour's daughter Poppy recognises Gru and blackmails him into helping her steal Lucée Pas Bon's school mascot, a honey badger, in order to qualify for the school of villainy. Will this heist succeed or result in Gru exposing his family's new location? And what is happening to the Minions who have been sent to work for the AVL? |
| Length | 95 minutes |
| Setting | 21st Century American town of Mayflower |
| Characters |
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| Cameos | Non-Speaking Only
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| Sequel To |
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| Bechdel | Pass |
Another incredibly successful film in the Despicable Me series, which following the release of this film and including the two Minions prequels became the most animated successful film series. That said, the cameo-filled ending could be seen as an attempt to conclude the saga, although they have announced the intention to make a Minions 3. Once again for age reasons the voice actor playing Agnes has been recast, following Elsie Fisher and Nev Scharrel, with Russell Brand also replaced as Dr Nefario.
