For decades, Disney had a monopoly on animated movies. Several companies, such as Warner Bros, have come close to toppling them, but it wasn’t until Dreamworks formed its animation department that Disney had real competition. Shrek, Madagascar, and How to Train Your Dragon gave the media giant a run for their money. In 2007, Illumination was formed, and in 2010, they threw their hat into the ring with their first movie, Despicable Me. Now the company has 13 films, including the recent Super Mario Bros Movie. Today, we will look at how all their feature films stack against each other.
13. Despicable Me (2010)
Every multimedia company needs a mascot. An easily identifiable character that instantly puts the company’s name into consumers’ minds. Despicable Me created not just one character but an entire race when it introduced the world to the Minions. Despicable Me follows Gru, a man whose sole purpose is to be a villain. Along with his now iconic Minions, Gru plans to pull off the ultimate heist and steal the moon. His plan gets derailed when he meets three orphaned girls. The girls view him as a father figure, and Gru finds even he can’t resist their charm. The film was an instant smash for the company, and its adventure and heart make it clear the company can handle Super Mario Bros.
12. The Super Mario Bros Movie (2023)
Mario and Luigi first made their jump to the big screen in 1993 to disastrous results. The ill-fated live-action adventure movie ensured the classic duo wouldn’t receive a film for thirty years. Illumination took a gamble with The Super Mario Bros Movie, and it seems fans agree it paid off. The movie follows a simple plot, seeing two plumbers from Brooklynn enter the world of the Mushroom Kingdom. While there, they must join forces with the residents in order to take out the villainous King of the Koopas, Bowser. The film was clearly a labor of love from fans of the games. From obvious easter eggs to obscure references, this soon-to-be classic movie was tailor-made for fans of the iconic franchise.
11. Sing 2 (2021)
As with most of the successful Illumination movies, Sing received a sequel. Sing 2 is a fun time filled with great music, like its predecessor. Following the previous movie, Buster Moon once again bites off more than he can chew. This time, he lies to get his theatre troupe into an audition for a new show. The biggest lie told is he personally knows reclusive rock star Clay Calloway. The lie works, and Buster must try and convince the rock legend to come out of retirement or lose his new show. The movie is filled with funny moments and toe-catching tunes that fans of any age will surely recognize.
10. Despicable Me 2 (2013)
The first sequel to Despicable Me sees Gru adjusting to life as a father. However, his villain skills are called upon by the AVL (the Anti-Villain League). The AVL needs Gru to capture the perpetrator of the world’s biggest heist. Attempting to protect his reputation as the greatest villain, Gru accepts. The movie sees Gru’s attempts at being a good father while also fighting what he feels are his best attributes, his villainy. By this point, the Minions were already cultural phenomenons, so the movie features much more Minon Mayhem. Like the original, the heart and comedy of this film will likely cross over into the Super Mario Bros Movie as well.
9. Sing (2016)
A jukebox musical featuring the voices of several Hollywood a-listers seems like a heavy task. Thankfully, Sing pulls it off. The movie follows Buster Moon, a koala bear who owns a local theatre. Faced with foreclosure, he assembles a singing competition to raise money. He quickly gets more than he bargained for when the $1,000 prize mistakingly becomes $100,000. This causes would-be talents from all over attempt to earn the prize. This musical comedy features some of the most popular songs from the 1940s through 2016. The movie features the voice talents of Matthew McConaughey, Reece Witherspoon, Taron Egerton, and Seth MacFarlane, among others. This shows the Illumination is no stranger to big-name voices, as evident in the cast for the Super Mario Bros Movie.
8. The Secret Life of Pets (2016)
Secret Life of Pets sets out to show pet owners what their pets do when they aren’t home. As it turns out, that is talking while attempting to stop an evil bunny. While this movie doesn’t have the most original premise, far from it, it is still somewhat entertaining. Max is a terrier used to being the center of his owner’s attention. Things change when they adopt another dog whose personality is the opposite of Max’s. The two must put their Odd Couple-esque relationship on hold to stop the aforementioned evil bunny from assembling an army of abandoned pets set on revenge against humans.
7. Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)
Minions: The Rise of Gru is less a Minions movie and more a Gru origin story. The film really only includes Minions in the title for marketing reasons. The yellow creatures still play a major role, however. The movie follows the Minions as they help twelve-year-old Gru make his dreams a reality. His dreams are to join the Vicious 6, a group of the vilest villains of all time. While attempting to join them, his plan backfires, and he instead becomes a target for the team of baddies.
6. Minions (2015)
It was only a matter of time before the Minions received their own movie. The yellow creatures eventually became the mascots for Illumination, and in 2015 the spotlight was shined on them directly. This movie sees the tribe of Minions throughout history as they look to serve the evilest people imaginable. The main story sees them serve Scarlett Overkill, the first female supervillain. For fans of the titular characters, this movie delivers what it promises. Those opposed to the Minions are better off sitting this one out.
5. The Grinch (2018)
Six years after the moderate success of The Lorax, Illumination produced another animated Dr. Seuss adaptation. This time, they opted for a more recognizable story with The Grinch. Those familiar with the classic book or the Jim Carrey film from 2000 will know the story. The grumpy Grinch lives in solitude on a mountain above Whoville. The festive Whos loudly and proudly celebrate Christmas each year, and the Grinch has finally had enough. Posing as Santa, he plans on stealing Christmas. This adaptation follows most of the same beats as other adaptations, with enough differences to make it worth checking out.
4. The Lorax (2012)
The first of two Dr. Seuss adaptations from Illumination, The Lorax, has developed a cult following in recent years. The source material was a simple storybook, so some apparent liberties were taken in adapting it to the big screen. The movie follows Ted, a young boy who lives in the artificial city of Thneedville. Ted wants to impress Audrey, who longs to see a real tree. Ted’s journey leads him to the Oncler, who tells him the story of the titular Lorax. This movie takes the original story and expands on it in a fun, if not predictable, way.
3. The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019)
From the studio behind the Super Mario Bros. Movie comes The Secret Life of Pets 2. The sequel once again shows what pets do when their owners are gone. Like so many other films following a similar plot, this included talking animals getting into various misadventures. The sequel follows Max having to deal with his owner getting married as well as having a child. The new family and their two dogs leave their New York apartment on a trip to the countryside, where Max deals with his fears. While nothing groundbreaking, the film is still a fun time with some humorous moments. The movie also features Harrison Ford in his first, and as of writing only, animated feature.
2. Despicable Me 3 (2017)
Illumination’s flagship franchise returned for a third movie in 2017. This time around, former supervillain Gru is drawn back into his evil ways when he discovers he has a long-lost twin brother. His brother, Dru, wants to follow in his brother’s villainous footsteps. Leaving his good nature behind, Gru joins his brother to pull off the ultimate heist. While not terrible, Despicable Me 3 is the weakest in the core series for several reasons. The biggest issue is it is ultimately more of the same. The heart of the series is still there, but it is the same moral lesson that was told back in the first and second films.
1. Hop (2011)
When it comes to Holiday movies, Christmas seems to have the market cornered. However, Illumination is the only live-action movie that attempted to give Easter its own film. Hop follows E.B., the rebellious son of the Easter Bunny. E.B. doesn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps and instead heads to California with aspirations to be a rockstar. Things don’t go according to plan and worsen when E.B. is hit by a car. The car’s driver is a slacker named Fred, and the two quickly form a friendship. While not the greatest film from the studio, it is still a fun movie that makes for great viewing around the Easter season.
