Minions & Monsters, the latest film in Illumination’s Minions and Despicable Me franchise, is set earlier than previous entries, taking place before Minions and Minions: The Rise of Gru. The movie follows a new tribe of Minions as they search for their next despicable boss, building on the familiar premise of their quest for employment. According to multiple reviews, the story places the characters in late 1920s Los Angeles during the silent-film era, offering a distinct historical backdrop compared with earlier installments. One outlet notes the film returns to territory similar to the 2015 Minions movie, again featuring Minions traveling and encountering escalating chaos as they try to secure work. The plot includes a scene involving a train off the rails and the Minions arriving at the Bright Brothers’ studio lot. Reviews describe the Minions as continuing their established traits—cute, defenseless, and largely incompetent—speaking “Minionese” gibberish. Overall reception varies by source, but the articles agree on the franchise’s timeline placement, the 1920s Hollywood setting, and the continued focus on Minion-centered antics.