MINIONS (Rated PG)

The “Despicable Me” films were so wildly popular, thanks in large measure to the Minions, that the single-celled yellow organisms, having delighted audiences young and old as the henchmen for the evil Gru, would inevitably get their own film.

Designed as a prequel to the “Despicable Me” franchise, “Minions” is much more than that. It is a delightful origin story that informs as to how these freakish survivors of nature have been on planet Earth since the dawn of time.

One might fault this film, directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda, for the lack of a cohesive, well-structured story, but that is of little concern for the comic relief provided by the Minions. It’s no small matter that Coffin provides the voice for the trio of primary Minions.

The Minions have always sought to serve the most evil master they could find, starting in prehistoric times when they worked for Mr. T Rex, accidentally causing his demise after bumping him into a volcano.

Every villain to whom they pledged unwavering allegiance somehow meets a bad end, whether it’s during a celebration of Dracula’s 357th birthday or being held responsible for the rout of Napoleon and his soldiers at the Battle of Waterloo.

As a result of centuries of misfortune in the service of villains, the Minions were banished to the dreary loneliness and depression of the South Pole, where games of makeshift soccer failed to alleviate their boredom.

Acting like the big brother to his fellow Minions, Kevin takes the lead in suggesting an expedition to find a world where the yellow-skinned creatures can find their true calling once again.

Kevin is joined by one-eyed Stuart, the rebellious teenager type who doesn’t care about the mission but wants to play music and talk to girls. The Bob, the wide-eyed innocent and the smallest Minion, reluctantly signs up for exploratory duty.

The trio of Kevin, Bob and Stuart, often bickering and slapping each other around, reminds one of The Three Stooges for the physical comedy of their slapstick antics. But Bob may be the funniest of the bunch, as he is easily distracted by bright lights, a flickering TV set or a teddy bear left on the ground.

Venturing forth from the South Pole, our intrepid trio of explorers ends up in New York City, circa 1968, where they find their signature denim dungarees hanging out to dry on a clothesline, ripe for stealing.

By watching TV (there’s a funny bit with three contestants on “The Dating Game” having the same names as our Minion trio), Kevin and his buddies learn of Villain Con being held in Orlando, Florida, which is viewed at the time as undeveloped swamp land.

Hitchhiking to Orlando, the Minions are picked up by the appearance of an all-American family driving a station wagon packed with children. But Walter Nelson (Michael Keaton), his wife (Allison Janney) and the kids are accomplished bank robbers also on their way to Villain Con.

Once in Orlando, and still on a quest to find the most evil employer (the Nelson family is just not bad enough), Kevin and his pals are entranced by Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock), billed at Villain Con as the world’s first female super-villain.

Elegantly attired in a bright red dress and sporting a bouffant hairstyle popular in that era, Scarlet puts on a dazzling stage show to find worthy new henchmen. No surprise here to tell you that Kevin, Bob and Stuart have found new employment.

With the help of her foppish, mad scientist husband Herb (Jon Hamm), Scarlet hatches a ludicrous plan to become the Queen of England by having the Minions steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London.

To be sure, it is cockeyed scheme, but it allows for great scenes inside Buckingham Palace with Queen Elizabeth (Jennifer Saunders), who proves feisty when her throne is under siege.

Of course, the Minions screw up Scarlet’s grand plot when Bob manages to retrieve the Sword in the Stone (think Excalibur) and briefly becomes the King of England, much to the consternation of an unhinged Scarlet.

Bob, like all Minions, doesn’t speak English, so his public speech to his subjects is baffling until he utters a single word they understand. That’s part of the fun of the Minions is how they speak in excitable gibberish, only rarely dropping an intelligible English or Spanish word.

“Minions” is rife with agreeable nonsense, where chaos follows the Minions, resulting in havoc at every turn. These lovable creatures provide a great deal of laughs.

The very funny “Minions” should prove enjoyable for all ages. Adults will appreciate many cultural references that youngsters are not likely to recognize.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.