THE #gentleminions phenomenon hit the UK this week, with the release Minions: The Rise of Gru, and saw groups of youths wearing suits hitting the cinemas and causing, reportedly, in some cases a bit of a ruckus. Some cinemas have even banned groups wearing formal attire.

I’ve been trying to get my son out of his leisure-wear and into something smarter for years. I’d be delighted.

I couldn’t agree more. It’s lovely to see the youngsters in suits, even ill-fitted, moth-eaten jackets borrowed from relatives, or to witness some enthusiasm for the tie. That said, obviously leaving a mess and causing a ruckus is not a gentlemanly thing to do.

So it’s not the suits that are the problem, it’s the gangs of teenagers causing trouble?

Exactly. Youth-gangs combined with a TikTok social media craze. One of the issues is that the Rise of Gru is attracting two demographics -– both the parents with younger kids (who are not liking it when their viewing is interrupted by noise and clapping) and the older teens who first saw Despicable Me (2010) when they were small kids are old enough now to be drinking something more potent than Irn Bru.

But why are they wearing suits?

Good question. Some say it’s to show their respect to a movie that deserves it. But actually it turns out the craze came out of the “Tickets to X, please” meme, which revolves around people buying tickets for a film that doesn’t necessarily fit their typical vibe. It’s an ironic gesture, about turning up to a kids’ movie as if you were going out for a night at the theatre, or prom.

And why the cinema ban?

To be fair, not every gentleminion is going out and trashing theatres, and only a few cinemas have actually banned them. One independent cinema in Wadebridge, Cornwall, has banned any unaccompanied children who are wearing suits from watching the film. In a statement posted on Twitter, The Regal wrote: “We are currently not admitting unaccompanied children wearing suits for ‘Minions: The Rise Of Gru’. This is due to the issues we have encountered over the last two days and its associated behaviour.” However, Odeon also said it had “restricted some access”. A spokesperson told the PA news agency: “Due to a small number of incidents in our cinemas over the weekend we have had to restrict access in some circumstances.”

All sounds like a bit of a publicity coup to me

Universal Pictures, naturally, are delighted, and have tweeted: “To everyone showing up to @Minions in suits: we see you and we love you.”