Minions: The Rise of Gru - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Minions: The Rise of Gru



Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
What started out as a cute family movie for Universal soon turned into a LITERAL cash cow for the studio. I really enjoyed Despicable Me, bust just like Achmed the dead terrorist was for Jeff Dunham, I don’t think anyone could have forseen just HOW big of a runaway hit the minions were going to be for Universal. They became the stars of the show overnight, pulling people towards the sequels even more than Gru ever could, and while the spin-off minion movies haven’t been stellar films, they still are vomiting cash towards the studio like a revolving door. The whole “take my money!” Futurama meme is in full swing here, with yet another mindlessly cute film with our favorite yellow eraser head side kicks quite literally allowing the studio to laugh their way to the bank.

The minions are back, and while they’re the “main” focus of the movie, are also sharing screen time with an 11 and ¾ year old Gru (Steve Carrell again) in another wild adventure. It’s back in the 1970s and 11 year old Gru is trying to his hardest to get into the Vicious 6, the world famous criminal organization who just so happens to have an opening for another villain after they double crossed their boss Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin) looking for the Zodiac Stone. With the help of his minion friends, Gru tries his best to impress the remaining 5 members of the Vicious 6, only to get jeered at and turned away due to his age.

Seeing an opportunity to impress them. Gru steals the stone in an effort to prove his worth to the team, only for things to backfire when Otto loses the stone on their way back to their “headquarters” (e.g., his mother’s basement). Now Gru is being tracked by the Vicious 6 (Vicious 5 now I guess?) as WELL as Wild Knuckles who is attempting to regain his status as leader of the group. Only problems is, Gru doesn’t have the stone and now it’s up to Otto, Kevin, Stuart and Bob to save their boss, get the stone back, and try not to make even MORE of a mess of things than they already have.

Minions: The Rise of Gru is not exactly a deep movie. In fact the story is as paper thing as you can get. The original Despicable Me movies were cute and adorable films about Gru and becoming a “good” villain, while the Minion movies are just silly vehicles for yellow twinkie hijink, and this one is no different. The plot with Gru is simple and straight forward, with most of the 88 minute film (80 minutes and 50 seconds without credits) runtime being nothing but an excuse for Kevin, Bob, Stuart and Otto to do their gibberish voices and do crazy things.

Now, that’s not exactly a bad thing either. The minions themselves are hilarious, and the film works just fine as a mindlessly entertaining film to giggle at their antics. Moral of the story? Go into The Rise of Gru knowing that this is an excuse to watch the minions make a billion dollars for Universal with crazy hijinks, and you’ll end up probably being satisfied with the movie. It’s cute, stupid, and generally just good natured fun.




Rating:

Rated PG for some action/violence and rude humor




4K Video: Video:

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhh, it wasn’t exactly hard to figure out that The Rise of Gru was going to be a killer home theater experience. The 4K UHD is a 5 star stunner, straight from the digital tap with bright and shiny colors, fantastic animation line, and nary a thing that I can say negatively about it. The Blu-ray was a 5 star film as well, but the added advantage of Dolby Vision really makes the film just “pop” all the more. Blacks are silky and inky black, details are spot on perfect, and all I can do is literally rave about the image quality and say “this is amazing”. Simply put, 2160p perfection.








Audio:

As they are prone to do, Universal has given the Blu-ray and the 4K UHD disc the same Atmos track to enjoy, so no matter which version (4K or 1080p Blu-ray) you buy, you’ll be getting the same audio experience. The Atmos track is almost spot on perfect, with a wildly kinetic sound stage that just brims with enthusiasm and explosive sound design. The minions cackle and jabber up in the front of the sound stage, but the roaring of Gru’s bix, or the rumbling of the Vicious 6 during their fisticuffs and explosive battles really fills out the entire sound system. Overheads are filled with discrete sounds of Jean Clawed’s mecha machine when it stomps into Wild Knuckles’ lair, and the bass is more than powerful throughout. My only niggle is I felt that the LFE could have been a BIT more intense. Don’t get me wrong, the mix is very balanced and agile with plenty of low end. But I really wished for a few scenes to be a bit harder hitting than they were.









Extras:

• POST MODERN MINIONS (MINI MOVIE) – Experience one Minion's rise and fall as an artistic genius when he sneaks into a 1970's post-modern art gallery with a fellow Minion and unintentionally creates an explosive new art form that is declared by a snooty art critic as the greatest art he's ever seen. When the critic moves onto the next new artist, our Minion tries everything to get back in the spotlight, which accidentally leads to his next unexpected career.
• MINIONS AND MONSTERS (MINI MOVIE) – Follow a newbie Minion as he joins three more experienced Minions in playing a 1970's fantasy role-playing game. After struggling to gain the skills needed to master the game, the newbie unexpectedly rises to the occasion and saves the day, earning him the magical crown and the appreciation of his buddies.
• EXTENDED SCENE
• OUTTAKES
• CHARACTER PROFILES
-- GRU
-- WILD KNUCKLES
-- BELLE BOTTOM
-- MASTER CHOW
-- THE VICIOUS 6
-- BIKER
• GRU-VY ANIMATION – Join Steve Carell and the directors as they take us through the animation process. From Concept Art, through Storyboards and on to the Final Film, with every Gru-vy step in between explained in fun and fascinating detail.
• THE '70S – FASHION, FOOD & FUNK – A behind the scenes look at the 1970's through the lens of MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU. From fashion to music, cultural phenomenon and back – the cast and filmmakers are bringing the 1970's to a whole new generation.
• MINION MARTIAL ARTS – In this 1970s inspired martial arts movie throwback, we hear from the film's directors about their inspiration, how they created authenticity in animation, the role the many martial artists in the cast played to bring it to life and how you teach a Minion to fight.
• HOW TO DRAW (& ANIMATE) WITH BRAD ABLESON – Co-director Brad Ableson shows us how to draw all of our favorite characters.
-- MINION
-- YOUNG GRU
-- KUNG FU STUART
• LAIR FLAIR: MAKE YOUR OWN MINION HIDEOUT – The Minions aren't the only ones who can build a secret lair — now you can, too! (And yours doesn't have to be built under Gru's bed.)
-- THE LAIR
-- DISCO BUBBLES
-- JET PACK
• SUPER STYLE SHOP – The Minion uniform of overalls and goggles is timeless. Simple yet functional. But sometimes Minions have a casual day out and can abandon their work attire for something more fashionable. Here's how can create fresh new fashion for YOUR Minions!
-- BELL BOTTOMS AND BANDANA
-- FRINGE VEST AND CHUNKY NECKLACE

Final Score: ​

Minions: The Rise of Gru is silly fun, taking full advantage of modern animation technology, and generally being a stupid and silly bit of cotton candy entertainment. Franchise fans and kids will likely have a blast watching their favorite yellow minions laugh it up on screen, and won’t be put off by the fact that this is a shameless attempt at marketing the little guys as a veritable cash register for the studio. Everyone is having fun, and the story is not so convoluted and worn out as the last Despicable Me movie was. The 4K UHD looks incredible, so if you enjoyed the previous movies, I don’t see why this wouldn’t be another fun ride.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Steve Carell, Pierre Coffin, Alan Arkin, Jean Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, Julie Andrews, Russell Brand, Danny Trejo, Lucy Lawless
Directed by: Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson, Jonathan del Val
Written by: Matthew Fogel, Brian Lynch
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 HEVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core) Spanish DD+ 7.1, French DD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Studio: Universal
Rated: PG
Runtime: 88 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: September 6th, 2022

Recommendation: Cute Watch.