Considering all the best kids movies released within the past couple of decades, there’s no denying the staying power of the Despicable Me franchise. The Steve Carrell-led franchise keeps on thriving, thanks in part to the little yellow Minions now firmly ingrained in pop culture. Bad movie reviews be damned, the films continue to generate buzz and big box office receipts, though one little kid’s reaction to a Minion seemingly indicate that the characters aren’t for everyone.
Little kids can be unpredictable, which seems to make them the perfect subjects of viral TikTok moments. I certainly think this mom was surprised when she decided to show her daughter a “Minion” that came to her door and the little girl reacted in a visceral way:
I honestly haven’t enjoyed a Minion video so much since I watched the original Despicable Me with a Netflix subscription. Based on the comments, it seems a lot of viewers were surprised by the child punching what I assume is another child in that Halloween costume.
I do want to know what was going through the child’s mind though, and why they punched the Minion. If I had to guess, they weren’t fooled that it was an actual character at the door, and saw the child’s silhouette clearly through the costume. Obviously, not every kid thinks fictional characters are real. (My daughter made that especially clear to me seconds after we waited an hour in line for her to hug Minnie Mouse at Disney World.)
Honestly, I love the idea of this kid remembering all the ways Minions can cause trouble and punching it in response. After all, their antics cause chaos for Gru and almost all others they interact with, so I can imagine how scary it would be for a kid seeing one in real life. Assuming this child thought she saw a live Minion, I would even be so bold to say she had an under-reaction.
That aside, it’s great to see Despicable Me costumes are still a hit (no pun intended) with the kids over a decade after the first movie. Honestly, we’re now reaching the point where kids who grew up watching the franchise are reaching young adulthood, so I’m half expecting Halloween Horror Nights to roll out an attraction for it in the future. This year’s festivities featured some attractions that focused more on spectacle than scares, like Five Nights At Freddy‘s for example (it’s also very popular with kids). So I think there’s a definite possibility Minions could be added in some shape or form in the future.
Despicable Me aside, though, I’m excited to see all the Halloween costumes people will be wearing for the new year. I’ve already seen KPop Demon Hunters is a popular costume choice, but I have a feeling I’ll see a few Minions as well.