The Despicable Me universe has a new critical darling. Minions & Monsters, the seventh installment in the beloved animated franchise, has officially become the highest-rated film in the series after securing an impressive 89 percent critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes . The film, which debuted in theaters on July 1, has surpassed the previous record held by the original 2010 Despicable Me, which maintained an 80 percent score for over a decade .

The new movie's critical achievement represents a significant leap for a franchise that has seen mixed reviews in recent years. Despicable Me 2 holds a 75 percent rating, while Minions: The Rise of Gru received 70 percent . Other entries, including Despicable Me 3 at 58 percent and the original Minions spin-off at 55 percent, have fared considerably worse with critics .

Rotten Tomatoes' critics consensus praised Minions & Monsters as "the franchise's most roundly enjoyable entry yet," also describing it as "an affectionate and charming sendup of moviemaking magic" . The 90-minute film is directed by Pierre Coffin, a longtime creative force behind the franchise, who co-wrote the screenplay with Brian Lynch . The voice cast features Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg, and Zoey Deutch .

Individual critics have echoed the collective enthusiasm. Clint Worthington awarded the film three and a half stars out of four, while Drew Taylor of TheWrap suggested it could be the best in the franchise since the very first Despicable Me . Early box office projections indicate a strong $80 million five-day domestic debut, with the film screening across 4,000 locations during the Independence Day holiday weekend . The franchise has collectively earned over $5.4 billion globally across its six prior entries .