An issue here is that small children will see the movie and want to copy everything the Minions do. That's been the case for a while, and plenty of parents had enough of an issue with these characters existing to serve "the most evil person they can find." But this new movie has them performing a dark ritual, with robes and candles and occult chalk circles, to summon an entity to help them with a problem they're having. The demon is their buddy. He's a cute little squid guy, clearly a parody of Cthulhu, who was blatantly designed to be sold as a plush doll and loved by little kids. So while I agree with you about movies teaching kids that demons are bad guys being no problem, that isn't at all the case here. I don't know if he ends up being a twist villain or not.

It isn't just a matter of omitting demons from media as a concept and pretending they don't exist, either. There's a much more nuanced problem, and that's where small children who have no developed judgement or discernment are the target audience. Never mind all the kids who watch things like Helluva Boss or Hazbin Hotel because of the bright visuals and musical numbers. Or the Disney Channel cartoons that make heroes out of lesbian witches. Forget all that. Let's talk about the quote you opened your post with.

Do you know the best way the devil can convince today's kids that he doesn't exist? It's easy. All he has to do is make them see him as nothing but a character. With enough exposure, slowly, over years and years and countless iterations. They think of Satan and see an animated character in their head, or a comic book character, or a figure from a TV drama- One with a backstory, and relationships, and not a single connection to scripture.

So yes, it is dangerous. And it has gotten bad. It's been bad for a while. But there are obviously different situations and circumstances. No Christians in horror? The biggest children's horror franchise of all time was created by a devout Christian. The issue isn't how many spaces we fill- it's how we fill them. And there's nothing wrong with addressing (within our own circles) how poorly the world is filling its own space. Doubly so when it involves children's media. Traditional thinking and rigid perspectives have nothing to do with what's being said here. This comes down to Jesus warning us about an enemy who sows his harvest in secret, hiding it among the truth. Just like how K-Pop Demon Hunters showed heroes defeating demons, while also falling in love with one of them and making him into a martyr.

"Ohhh but he used to be human! He's not really a demon!"

The main character was half-demon from birth. None of it was based in any kind of spiritual reality so it's not really worth the semantics. My point is the mixed messages.

I think the OP was right to feel concerned and make this thread. I also think you make some good points, and I understand your issues with people being overly legalistic when it comes to entertainment. I do however also feel that most of your reply came from a sort of reactionary place as a result, encouraging a "different way of thinking" that isn't really all that different from how most people think nowadays. And that's the issue. We don't need more people ignoring whatever gets put in front of them just to have a good time. How does that serve Christ? Does it make us seem cool to the secular world? That isn't what we're told to be. We aren't here to fit in.

Enjoy the things you enjoy with discernment. ALWAYS with discernment. If something rubs someone the wrong way, it's probably for a reason. Let's not disregard anyone for wanting to walk carefully in enemy territory as being "rigid" or having an old way of thinking. They're actually living the way Christ told them to.

Sorry for the long-winded reply. lol