Movie Review
Minions: The Rise of Gru is perfect for kids. It’s loaded with silly antics for the young and young at heart. I laughed a lot. However, story-wise, it was just okay. It didn’t really draw me in, but I love these characters and young Gru trying to become a villain was a fantastic element.
Kevin, Stuart and Bob are still the main trio of Minions in this movie and are trying to rescue Gru from his kidnappers. A new minion is introduced, a talk-too-much minion that no one seems to like. He also goes on a separate adventure to rescue the Despicable one.
The new additions to the voice cast are great. Taraji P. Hansen, JCVD, Dolph Lungren, Danny Trejo, Alan Arkin and the incredible Michelle Yeoh enhanced any scene they were in.
Video
Presented in Dolby Vision HDR, and HDR10, Rise of Gru, looks fantastic. The animation is top-notch in both its character design and set pieces. The clarity is so good you can make out minut details.
Contrast and highlights are perfectly balanced making the darker scenes easy to see. The colours are beautifully displayed on my Sony X900H.
Audio
The Dolby Atmos isn’t quite as good as the visual aspect of this movie. While good, I think it could have been used a little better using the sound stage more than just in the action sequences. That being said, this is still a solid audio track using the speakers appropriately.
The dialogue is always clear, even the gibberish the minions speak, and the score resonates throughout the room. The subwoofer is used well, just missing some oomph. Then again, this is a kid’s movie and not the latest action adventure spectacle in need of those thunderous LFE moments.
Extras
Universal Studios Home Entertainment included a plethora of bonus features. There are a bunch here including two hilarious new mini-movies featuring our favourite minions. Also included are “how-to-draw” features and some ideas for your kids to build a minions lair.
- 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 you can create fresh new fashion for YOUR Minions!
- BELL BOTTOMS AND BANDANA
- FRINGE VEST AND CHUNKY NECKLACE
Crave Factor – 8
Conclusions and Final Thoughts
With near-reference material visuals, Minions: The Rise of Gru is a worthy addition to your collection. Even though the audio doesn’t quite hit the highest level of expectations it will fill your theatre room and create the ambiance needed for the film. Extra features are plentiful and will take some time to watch.
If you’re a fan of the Despicable Me movies you’ll want to make sure you pick this one up.