“These are Riley’s memories, and they’re mostly happy, you’ll notice,” says Joy in the first movie of Inside Out. This movie became a huge part of everyone’s lives, mostly because of how personal it felt and how much people could relate to it. Ever since the first movie came out, people started using it to explain their own feelings. Phrases like “my Anger took over today” or “Sadness caused this memory” made their way into daily conversation. But what if this world had a crossover with the world of Minions, one about the emotions behind our actions, and one about tiny creatures with a vision? The two famous animated movies, loved by all children in today’s day and age.
Imagine if Riley’s mind was run by the Minions. I imagine the same control room from the movie, except now everything is painted yellow. The long-term memory would be full of bananas, it would be slippery and smell like yellow paint or smell like sweet banana candy.There would be flying memory orbs, many of them in the wrong place. Bob would be the one controlling Riley’s precious memories, like her first hockey goal, but he would keep it inside some toy of his and guard it with his life.
In this crossover, I would imagine the Minions taking over Riley’s mind with complete chaos, yet strategy. Kevin would lead the team. When Riley moves to a new city and has to start at a new school, I imagine Kevin would be the one pressing the buttons, trying to decide how she should act, like whether she should talk to someone new or just stay quiet. Stuart, I imagine, would be doing his own thing rather than actually paying attention to what Riley’s going through. He would spend time on other side quests like his guitar and bedrotting. That is probably why Riley ends up going quiet or losing her train of thought at the wrong moment. Bob, being the smallest and the most innocent, would get upset the second Riley feels left out or misses her old home, and he is the one who makes her want to hold onto her stuffed animal for comfort. Otto, I imagine, gets so nervous seeing Riley struggle that he starts pressing buttons just to do something, before actually thinking, which usually makes things a little worse.
I think the Minions would handle the control centre very differently. They would have quick reactions, instead of actually processing what is happening around Riley, mostly making things chaotic and most likely rarely being of use.
In the scene where Riley steals money from her parents and gets on a bus to go back to Minnesota, the Minions would take control, and Kevin would be the one to make the final call, deciding this counts as a mission and Riley needs to get through it. Stuart would get bored halfway through planning it and wander off to do something else instead of paying attention. Bob would keep pressing the button that makes Riley grab her stuffed animal before she leaves. Otto would just keep hitting his one button on repeat, making Riley anxious.
Riley’s story remains; what changes is those behind it all. Instead of a balanced response to everything she feels, there are four Minions pressing different buttons while hoping for the best. Riley might have survived moving to a new city, making new friends, and growing up. But surviving four Minions in her head? That would surely be an adventure.