--- description: The latest Minions movie is an ode to Hollywood and filled with delightful nods to cinema history title: Every Movie Reference in 'Minions & Monsters' image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt23b16d51b8ccf208/6a46e47414b1707e7132e245/2582_FP_1141713U_00443983.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [movies](/tag/movies/) ## movies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Breaking Down Every Movie Reference in _Minions & Monsters_ by [Barry Levitt](/author/barry-levitt/) ## Barry Levitt Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Levitt is a contributor for TIME. Jul 3, 2026 12:00 PM CUT  Courtesy of Illumination and Universal Pictures by [Barry Levitt](/author/barry-levitt/) ## Barry Levitt Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Levitt is a contributor for TIME. Jul 3, 2026 12:00 PM CUT Something you’d expect from _Minions & Monsters_, the latest film featuring [everyone’s favorite yellow creatures](https://time.com/6192953/minions-the-rise-of-gru-review/ "undefined"): it’s funny and pitch-perfect family entertainment. Something you might not expect: it’s an ode to [Classic Hollywood](https://time.com/collections/100-best-movies/ "undefined"). The latest movie from Illumination Studios and the _Despicable Me_ franchise takes place in 1927, and follows the Minions as they stumble upon Hollywood and become major film stars. Yes, really! Their journey to the top of tinseltown is a pure delight, and its rapid pacing and joke-a-minute structure is in the vein of the classic silent comedies that provided the very foundation of cinema. It's also jam packed with delightful nods to film history. Here, we break down every movie reference in _Minions & Monsters_. ## **Starting with the silent film era** From the jump, _Minions & Monsters_ shows it is firmly rooted in film history, as the opening titles are a montage of minions interacting with classic early silent films, including the work of Eadweard Muybridge, George Méliès and the Lumière brothers. The Minions gallop on a horse in [_The Horse in Motion_ (1878)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEqccPhsqgA "undefined") or run alongside a dog in [_Dog Running_ (1887)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFBb9hwTURo "undefined"). They also trick a gardner in [_L’Arroseur Arrosé_ (1895)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2%5FioXKuxoQ "undefined"), and leave a long day of work in [_Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory_ (1895)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvC%5FxrDqB3s "undefined"). That’s not all: the minions are at the train station for [_Train Pulling Into a Station_ (1896)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FAj9fJQRZA "undefined"), and in perhaps the most famous silent movie, [_A Trip to the Moon_ (1902)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNAHcMMOHE8&list=RDZNAHcMMOHE8&start%5Fradio=1 "undefined"), one of the minions becomes the moon, and the shuttle lands right in his eye, just as Méliès intended. ## **E.T., Kirk Douglas, and the rest of a movie museum** After the montage, the references come thick and fast as the film beings in a movie museum. A tour guide (voiced by Allison Janney) takes a group through the exhibits, which include displays of Neo in [_The Matrix_ (1999)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKQi3bBA1y8 "undefined"), Elliot and E.T. from [_E.T. The Extra Terrestrial_ (1982)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYAETtIIClk "undefined"), Kirk Douglas in [_20,000 Leagues Under the Sea_ (1954)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdHWQOhs1x4 "undefined"), and Rick Blaine in [_Casablanca_ (1942)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF7JH%5F54d8c "undefined"). There’s also the robot from Fritz Lang’s [_Metropolis_ (1927)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdtZv3XROnc "undefined"), the titular Mummy from [_The Mummy_ (1932)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i6xNScZRP4 "undefined") and even [_The Creature from the Black Lagoon_ (1953)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svyPswixryM "undefined"). There’s also an inflatable globe, a witty reference to Charlie Chaplin’s [_The Great Dictator_ (1940)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jj-PaqFrBc "undefined"). That’s not all you can find in the museum: it also has statues of Orson Welles, Bruce Lee, and Alfred Hitchcock, the latter surrounded by birds in a nod to [_The Birds_ (1963)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkz9HI75R2c "undefined"). There’s even a living, talking George Lucas, standing in a display case (voiced by Lucas himself).  Courtesy of Illumination and Universal Pictures ## **A journey to the Island** The Minions continue their tradition of searching for a big bad to lead them in _Minions & Monsters_. They row to (and from) a cyclops island, in an homage to [_Ben-Hur_ (1959)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax7wcShvrus "undefined"). The cyclops feels like a reference to [_Clash of the Titans_ (1981)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojw1sau98Jg "undefined"). ## **A familiar sorcerer** During their journey to find a new leader, they come across a familiar looking sorcerer, whose beard, outfit, and even home will be familiar to fans of Disney’s [_Fantasia_ (1940)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4M-54cEduo "undefined"). ## **An epic chase** The Minions make their way to Hollywood, but not before getting inadvertently involved in a high-stakes train heist that pays tribute to both [_The Great Train Robbery_ (1903)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3jrB5ANUUY "undefined") and [_The Story of the Kelly Gang_ (1906)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A6niZmzvoc "undefined"). The train leads them straight to the city, where they run under a building that has a man hanging for his life on a clock, just as Harold Lloyd did in [_Safety Last!_ (1923)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEcTjhUN%5F7U "undefined"). As a result of the chase, they prove themselves in an audition with a fight against vikings, referencing [_The Viking_ (1928)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCwpA7NxK7A "undefined"). ## **Buster Keaton x2** The Minions wind up on the front of the train as they careen from one street to the next, referencing Buster Keaton’s [_The General_ (1927)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D%5FUdtS-8QS0 "undefined"). There’s another Keaton movie reference just moments later, when the minions pass a man whose house falls on him—though he escapes intact, just like Keaton did in his film [_Steamboat Bill, Jr_. (1928)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NapyrF31DI "undefined"). ## **Singin’ in the Rain** The film borrows generously from the classic musical [_Singin’ in the Rain_ (1952)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5%5FEVHeNEIJY "undefined"), from its story beats about the transition from the silent to sound eras, to a scene where they explore a film studio lot, which also has nods to [_Cleopatra_ (1934)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do7ShmMYhDY "undefined") and the first best picture winner [_Wings_ (1927)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFRas2-x%5FOQ "undefined").  Courtesy of Illumination and Universal Pictures ## **Play it Again** Though Orson Welles and _Casablanca_ were referenced in the museum, they get a second dose later in the film. For _Casablanca_, a movie studio executive asks Sam, a piano player, to “play it again,” and he starts playing the theme from _Casablanca_, in a nod to one of the film’s [most famous scenes.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vThuwa5RZU "undefined") And Welles gets a second reference when the opening scene of his film [_Citizen Kane_ (1941)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4mQqVqRB7I "undefined") gets a very funny shot-for-shot remake in _Minions and Monsters_. ## **A cog in the machine** In one chase, the Minions run through a factory, knocking a man who looks like Charlie Chaplin into a machine, in reference to Chaplin’s [_Modern Times_ (1936)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdvEGPt4s0Y "undefined"). In an extra fun beat, dozens of minions jump into the machine, too, clogging it with yellow-y goodness. ## **A party with elephants** The Minions go to an exceptionally elaborate Hollywood party featuring loud music, frantic dancing—and a pair of elephants, referencing the Damien Chazelle movie [_Babylon_ (2022)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5muQK7CuFtY "undefined"), the newest and perhaps the most surprising movie that _Minions and Monsters_ references. ## **Noir gets a spotlight** There’s also a tribute to the Noir genre, and particularly [_The Maltese Falcon_ (1941)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a9YU1SVbSE "undefined"). The woman in the black-and-white movie scene is named Mary (Mary Astor starred in the ‘41 classic), who addresses the man (well, a minion) as Humphrey (aka Humphrey Bogart, who co-starred), and he wears Sam Spade’s familiar trenchcoat. ## **Posters galore** There are lots of film posters throughout Hollywood in _Minions & Monsters_. While some are fake movies, some are clear tributes to movies like [_The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly_ (1966)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCN5JJY%5FwiA "undefined") and [_It Came From Outer Space_ (1953)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85xpN%5FOhwqs "undefined"). ## **Getting hungry?** While on a boat, the minions encounter a shark, referencing [_Jaws_ (1975)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCzncv0ISaE "undefined"), made extra obvious by a music cue channeling John Williams' memorable score.  Courtesy of Illumination and Universal Pictures ## **A robot with meaning** A potential leader for the minions is Dort (Jesse Eisenberg), a friendly and surprisingly strong robot. The name probably sounds familiar, as the humanoid in [_The Day the Earth Stood Still_ (1951)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6iF5sINVns "undefined") is named Gort. ## **A final battle** The film’s climax is chock-full of clever references. We won’t spoil it all, but the ultimate monster is clearly inspired by [_The Blob_ (1958)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-heIT3L9Qg "undefined"). In the chaos, the minions eat some spaghetti just like in [_Lady and the Tramp_ (1955)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yoH3Vv0mRA "undefined"). A pivotal battle features plenty of fighter jets that serve as a nod to [_Star Wars_ (1977)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ734NWnAHA "undefined"). ## **It’s in the music** While the film has a great original score from John Powell, _Minions & Monsters_ also includes several musical references, including a song from [_The Purple Rose of Cairo_ (1985)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFmAxUfx6Oc "undefined"), another film about a love of cinema. There’s the instrumental from “Hooray for Hollywood,” from [_Hollywood Hotel_ (1937)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkPkHv8KnBs "undefined")—and not [_Guys and Dolls_ (1955)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykzP%5F64l-xk "undefined"), like [_The Simpsons_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAsQrOLfYzY "undefined")would have you believe. And there’s the song “The Gold Diggers’ Song (We’re in the Money)” from the musical [_Gold Diggers of 1933_ (1933)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJOjTNuuEVw&list=RDUJOjTNuuEVw&start%5Fradio=1 "undefined"). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/07/02/minions-monsters-movies-hollywood/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/07/02/minions-monsters-movies-hollywood/"},"headline":"Breaking Down Every Movie Reference in Minions & Monsters","datePublished":"2026-07-03T12:00:03.853Z","dateModified":"2026-07-03T12:00:08.299Z","description":"The latest Minions movie is an ode to Hollywood and filled with delightful nods to cinema history","url":"https://time.com/article/2026/07/02/minions-monsters-movies-hollywood/","keywords":["movies","freelance","culturepod"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt23b16d51b8ccf208/6a46e47414b1707e7132e245/2582_FP_1141713U_00443983.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Barry Levitt","jobTitle":"Levitt is a contributor for TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/barry-levitt/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt23b16d51b8ccf208/6a46e47414b1707e7132e245/2582_FP_1141713U_00443983.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"2582_FP_1141713U_00443983.jpg","caption":"","creditText":"Courtesy of Illumination and Universal Pictures","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/07/02/minions-monsters-movies-hollywood/","name":"Breaking Down Every Movie Reference in Minions & Monsters"}}]}] ```