Blu-ray Review: MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU

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Sep 05, 2022 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

It’s 1976, and 11-year-old Gru (Steve Carell) may get laughs from his elementary class when he says that he wants to be a supervillain, but the not-quite-despicable young boy is already on his way towards making his dreams come true. Gru has already assembled his team of yellow, denim-wearing minions, who are currently constructing a secret lair in his mother’s basement. Also, Gru has just received an invitation to interview for a vacant position in his favorite supervillain team, the Viscious6. However, when team leader Belle Bottom (Taraji P. Henson) discovers that Gru is just a child, she and the rest of her team—Svengeance (Dolph Lundgren), Jean-Clawed (Jean-Claude Van Damme), Stronghold (Danny Trejo) and Nun-Chuck (Lucy Lawless)—laugh him out of the building. However, Gru doesn’t let that stop him, and in order to prove himself, he steals something valuable from the supervillains. Now they will stop at nothing to get it back—but it will ultimately be up to the bumbling minions to save the day.

Minions: The Rise of Gru follows three separate stories that ultimately come together by the end. First there is the story of Otto, a talkative new minion who constantly annoys his fellow yellow coworkers. When the minion accidentally makes a mistake that both upsets Gru and puts him in danger, Otto sets out on a solo journey, determined to correct things, meeting up with a biker (RZA) along the way. Meanwhile, our favorite minions, Kevin, Stuart and Bob, are on a mission to rescue their Mini-Boss, Gru, but often get sidetracked with their own elaborate, wacky adventures along the way, including receiving some martial arts training from reluctant kung fu master Chow (Michelle Yeoh). And finally, there’s young Gru, who finds himself in the clutches of former Viscious6 member Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin), who is also after the stolen artifact. Gru is both excited and frightened by this development, but hopes that he can learn something from his supervillain idol.

“Wow, my favorite villain is also my kidnapper?
This could be a great opportunity if you don’t kill me.”

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest installment in the Minions/Despicable Me franchise, especially the parts involving Gru. Steve Carell has always been hilarious as Gru, but the adventures of an eleven-year-old Gru are even more fun, especially his infectious evil chuckle. We see the eleven-year-old’s despicable behavior early on as he shamelessly licks a large ice cream cone in front of the glass window of a gym as the tired patrons longingly look on. There just some added fun to this version of the character with his higher-pitched voice and more naïve nature. At the same time, this is still very much the Gru of the future, both in his desire to be evil, and his underlying nice, caring nature. I also really enjoyed the relationship between Gru and Wild Knuckles.

The gibberish Minionese spoken by the yellow guys can be a bit exhausting after a while, but the film does a nice job of cutting between the three storylines so that this doesn’t overstay its welcome. The minions’ adventures often feel more like a series of mini-movies, taking them from one wacky situation to the next—whether that be posing as an airline flight crew, trying to sneak into a secret lair, or learning kung fu. Each segment feels like its own self-contained adventure, while also progressing along the overall story for the film. I’m always impressed with how much these fun little yellow characters are able to convey without using actual words. Kevin, Stuart and Bob are like tiny yellow versions of The Three Stooges, always getting into different situations that result in lots of physical comedy. And its more of the same with Otto on his separate journey. Michelle Yeoh is a great addition to the cast, as the frustrated kung fu master trying to reign in and teach these lovable but bumbling idiots.

Along the way, we also see some familiar faces such as Gru’s mother (Julie Andrews), a younger Nefario (Russell Brand) and how he first met Gru, a younger Anti-Villain League agent Silas Ramsbottom (Steve Coogan), and how the minions first came to live with Gru. The film also has a fun 1970s setting, from the clothing and hairstyles, to the film’s great soundtrack. There is also a wonderful Bond-inspired title sequence. The Viscious6 are also very much of the era, and provide some fun new foes for Gru, from the tough, sassy leader Belle Bottom, to the roller-skating Svengeance, to the lobster-clawed Jean-Clawed, to the sinister sister Nun-Chuck, and the powerful Stronghold, who likes to use his own name as a catch-phrase. There is also this added level of enjoyment in that Belle’s team is voiced by some amazing ’90s action stars.

Minions: The Rise of Gru is one of only a handful of films I’ve actually seen more than once in the theater—I watched it both in 2D and in 3D. I was a bit disappointed to see that Universal isn’t offering a 3D version of this film either on disc or digital for those of us who still have the ability to watch 3D at home. The 3D definitely added a lot to this movie in the theater, especially in the action-packed cold-open and Bond-like title sequences. That said, I still quite enjoyed this film even in 2D. There is so much going on in every scene that I still noticed new, humorous things as I watched for the third time on the Blu-ray release. The characters and story still provide many laughs no matter how many times I rewatch this film.

Universal’s home video release looks and sounds amazing. I was sent the Blu-ray for review, and I can’t imagine how the 4K release could look any better. The HD picture is pristine and clear, with an excellent level of detail and rich, beautiful colors. The film also does a great job of capturing the ’70s setting and aesthetic. The Dolby Atmos audio track provides a nice, immersive experience, which is especially noticeable during the minions’ training montage with Master Chow, and during the action-packed final showdown. The track also showcases the film’s excellent ’70s soundtrack.

The Blu-ray and DVD discs come packed on either side of a standard HD keepcase with an embossed carboard slipcover. The release contains an insert with a code to redeem for an HD digital copy of the film (which is Movies Anywhere compatible). The discs and digital release contain over an 70 minutes of bonus material including two new Minion shorts, some outtakes, and some behind-the-scenes featurettes with the directors and star Steve Carell. There are also some more activity-based featurettes geared towards younger viewers, teaching them how to draw the characters, and providing some crafty activities to create lairs, gadgets and outfits for their plush minion pals.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:27:25)

1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish Dolby Digital Plus 7.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

DVD:

480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital (code may not be valid after 9/30/2023):

HD Digital Copy (Movies Anywhere compatible)

Extras:

Post Modern Minions (3:49)
In this new mini movie, minion Claude accidentally becomes an artistic sensation after catching the eye of a snooty art critic who labels him “the greatest artist he has ever seen”, but this fame is short-lasting.
Minions and Monsters (4:20)
In this new mini movie, a young minion joins some others for a Dungeons & Dragons-like fantasy game/quest called Minions & Monsters.
Extended Scene (1:25)
Extended version of the scene where Gru shows up for his interview. After awkwardly attempting to make small talk with the other villains in the waiting room, he then goes through the wrong door, into a storage closet.
Outtakes (3:02)
Fun footage of the cast in the recording booth. Includes Steve Carell (“Gru”), Julie Andrews (“Gru’s Mom”), Michelle Yeoh (“Master Chow”), Russell Brand (“Nefario”), RZA (“Biker”), Steve Coogan (“Silas Ramsbottom”), Dolph Lundgren (“Svengeance”), Jean-Claude Van Damme (“Jean-Clawed”), Danny Trejo (“Stronghold”), Alan Arkin (“Wild Knuckles”), Taraji P. Henson (“Belle Bottom”) & Lucy Lawless (“Nun-Chuck”).
Character Profiles (15:47)
Director Kyle Balda & co-director Brad Ableson discuss the film’s characters and the actors behind the voices. Includes footage of the actors in the recording booth, and an interview with star Steve Carell. Play All, or select from:
- Gru (2:46) – Steve Carell
- Wild Knuckles (2:35) – Alan Arkin
- Belle Bottom (2:11) – Taraji P. Henson
- Master Chow (2:35) – Michelle Yeoh
- the Vicious 6 (3:08) – ’90s action heroes Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lucy Lawless, Danny Trejo & Dolph Lundgren
- Biker (2:32) – RZA
Gru-vy Animation (6:27)
The film’s directors discuss the details of the different stages of the animation process—Concept Art, Storyboards, Layout, Animation, Lighting & Texture, and Final Film—providing examples of each. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director Kyle Balda, co-directors Jonathan del Val & Brad Ableson, and star Steve Carell.
The ‘70S – Fashion, Food & Funk (4:48)
The cast and crew discuss the style, fashion, hairstyles, music and look of the ’70s, the TV shows and films that inspired the look of the movie, and more. Includes interviews with director Kyle Balda, co-directors Jonathan del Val & Brad Ableson and star Steve Carell.
Minion Martial Arts (4:12)
The film’s directors discuss the references and inspiration for the comedic Kung Fu sequences in the film, keeping the martial arts authentic, even with Minions, and more. Includes interviews with director Kyle Balda, and co-directors Brad Ableson & Jonathan del Val.
How to Draw (& Animate) With Brad Ableson (11:11)
Co-director Brad Ableson demonstrates how to draw (and animate) several of the characters from the film. Play All, or select from:
- Minion (4:10)
- Young Gru (3:22)
- Kung Fu Stuart (3:37)
Lair Flair: Make Your Own Minion Hideout (10:22)
Learn how to build your own secret lair and other gadgets for your stuffed minion pals. (I suspect these are far more difficult in reality than the short videos make them out to be.) Play All, or select from:
- The Lair (4:16)
  Construct a secret lair out of carboard boxes and other crafty supplies.
- Disco Bubbles (2:47)
  Take your lair from functional to fun-tional with a disco dance party.
- Jet Pack (3:17)
  Create an escape jet pack for your plush minion.
Super Style Shop (6:50)
Learn how to create some ’70s-inspired outfits for your stuffed minion buddies.
- Bell Bottoms and Bandana (3:50)
- Fringe Vest and Chunky Necklace (2:58)

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Highly Recommended

Minions: The Rise of Gru is a thoroughly-entertaining new installment in the Minions/Despicable Me franchise that takes fans back to the 1970s to see how a younger Gru started his despicable journey. It brings back some familiar characters and introduces some fun new villains. The film gives viewers a nice balance between the minions going off on their wild, crazy adventures, and an adorable 11-year-old Gru just beginning his quest to become a supervillain. The film is highly re-watchable—I have found something new to laugh at and enjoy each time I watch the movie. Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds excellent, and includes a solid selection of bonus material, containing items to appeal to fans of a variety of different ages. This is a must own for any fan of the franchises, and highly recommended for anyone looking for a fun, entertaining animated comedy the whole family can enjoy. The only disappointment for me was that Universal has chosen not to offer a 3D Blu-ray option for those who would like to view this in its original 3D format at home.