Despicable Me 2: 3 Mini-Movie Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Despicable Me 2: 3 Mini-Movie Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Re-releasing special features.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 5, 2016

Movie- and character-wise, there's little that's bigger out than Despicable Me. Maybe Frozen still reigns, but minions are everywhere, perhaps even more dominant in the marketplace than the Ninja Turtles. With that popularity comes a demand for product, and with nothing really new to show, minion parent studio Universal has seen fit to release three minion-centric mini-movies to Blu-ray. But here's the catch: all three of these movies were included with the Despicable Me 2 Blu-ray release, so even with a few new extras and the included digital versions, there's not much of a reason for families that already own that release to double dip on this standalone disc.

New friends.

The movies are, of course, rather short, but each is a fun little unique experience that are almost less about the minions and more about the random situations they encounter and antics in which they partake. Puppy is sort of like Despicable Me retelling the story of E.T. with a dash of *batteries not included (yes, the Spielberg influence is obvious). It's charming and sweet, the opposite of the more aggressive but nevertheless fun Panic in the Mailroom that offsets its mildly harder and scarier edge with a trio of adorable kittens. Then there's Training Wheels, the most whiz-bang of the bunch, a story that's part Rocky, part Back to the Future II, and another part BMX Bandits. It's about a girl who gets an upgraded bike and uses it to make sure she gets her ice cream. For what essentially amount to micro rather than even mini-movies, production values are as high as they are in the feature films, and the Blu-ray presentation is up to snuff, too.

The following shorts are included (note that there's a "play all" option that runs 13:00 as well as the ability to "play all" with introductions from Steve Carell as Gru):

• Puppy (5:04): One of the minions is desperate to own a dog. He wants to feed it, care for it, walk it, and cuddle with it. Anything will do, even if it's not a puppy. He tries out several creatures, including a ladybug, but none are really doing a good job of standing in for the real thing. Then, one day, a little UFO falls out of the sky. It's more than happy to be treated like a puppy, put on a leash and walked and played with all day long. The minion and the UFO develop a deep bond, but what will happen when the time comes for the UFO to return to its home world far up in the stars and a long way away from its new minion friend?
• "Panic in the Mailroom" (4:44): A couple of minions are working in the mailroom. One is slacking off, preferring his handheld video game to actual work. When a package clogs up a pipe, the worker minion becomes covered in purple ooze, blows his top, and transformers into a purple…something that decides to begin eating all the packages, leaving lazy minion to play his game. But when precious cargo makes its way down the conveyor belt, lazy minion must spring to action to save the day.
• Training Wheels (4:46): Gru's daughter Agnes is learning to ride her bike. She falls off and breaks her bike, falling behind her friends, who are on their way to get ice cream. The minions take it upon themselves to not just fix the bike, but really jazz it up. Meanwhile, they get Agnes in riding shape so she can definitely get her ice cream. But when a robber steals the ice cream truck, Agnes, on her new and vastly improved bike, takes it upon herself to stop him and get her frozen treat at any cost.

Despicable Me 2: 3 Mini-Movie Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Despicable Me 2: 3 Mini-Movie Collection's 1080p transfer is expectedly terrific. The image leaps off the screen from the get-go, with the bright yellow minion color a gorgeous representation of their trademark appearance. Blue overalls, green grass, purple highlights in Mailroom and pink accents in Training never fail to dazzle. All three shorts are ridiculously colorful and splendidly accurate. Detail is excellent, too. Whether the smooth pill-shape minion textures or the somewhat rougher denim overalls, near-field details excel. Little bits of wear on their glasses, odds-and-ends in Mailroom, and background city textures in Training are clear as day and reveal, seemingly, every nuance the digital artists have poured into the movie. Trace aliasing is evident on small elements like minion hair, but the picture is otherwise free of any unwanted artifacts or source flaws. This is a fabulous presentation from Universal.

Despicable Me 2: 3 Mini-Movie Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Despicable Me 2: 3 Mini-Movie Collection features an enjoyably active and high energy yet wonderfully nuanced DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. All three shorts are packed with action and sonic momentum. Discrete effects are plentiful, bass rocks, and surrounds are regularly engaged. Music is energetic and well spaced along the front, supported by that prominent low end and no shortage of surround support that still gives way, slightly, to the dominant fronts. The high impact Pop/Dance beats in Puppy are probably the best example of the track's musical prowess. Training Wheels features a scrumptious assortment of high energy directional effects that zip and zoom all around the stage, usually supported by that terrifically deep and balanced low end. Dialogue is clear and naturally detailed in the front-center, mostly in the form of minion gibberish but a few more intelligible words from Agnes and her friends in Training Wheels. Anyone in need of a brief 5.1 reference presentation couldn't do much better than this, particularly with Training Wheels.

Despicable Me 2: 3 Mini-Movie Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Despicable Me 2: 3 Mini-Movie Collection contains three extras. A voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy is included with purchase.

• Evil Minion Test (1080p, 0:55): Characters from Mailroom giggle, perform a few antics, and fight over a banana for about a minute.
• Gru -- The Doting Dad (1080p, 1:50): Steve Carell shares a brief history of the character he voices, followed by scenes featuring Gru dressed as a fairy princess and dealing with the reality that his daughter has a boyfriend.
• Steve Carell Explains 3D Animation (1080p, 4:21): The actor makes understanding how these movies are made simple and funny.

Despicable Me 2: 3 Mini-Movie Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Despicable Me 2: 3 Mini-Movie Collection is hardly a must-buy for families or collectors who already own Despicable Me 2, but if for whatever reason owning another case (but no slipcover) and getting a couple of new extras and digital versions of these minis sounds like a good bargain, well, maybe it is. Considering the fantastic video and audio presentations, fans of these movies can't go wrong if a purchase strikes their fancy.