Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters Blu-ray Movie Review

"I Keeloween!" Huh, "Ween."

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 6, 2012

Happy frickin' Halloweiner.

Ventriloquist extraordinaire and Comedy Central sensation Jeff Dunham is back with an all-new special, this one a themed show in which he and his best friends discuss the joys of fright and the delight of scaring others, all the while engaging in general buffoonery in Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters, Dunham's first Halloween special and second holiday-themed outing (the other being Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special). Dunham and puppets delight with off-the-wall, foul-mouthed, politically incorrect banter about all things Halloween and even a few things not Halloween. The characters appear in full Halloween regalia, soaking in the Holiday or, at least, tolerating it while Dunham guides them on a journey beyond their thick artificial skulls and into the very essences of what makes them tick on Halloween. Most importantly, the show answers the question of what could possibly lead Achmed the Dead Terrorist to dress up like that which he despises most: a free and scantily dressed American woman. This is the Jeff Dunham puppet collection like they've never been seen before, but rest assured a change of appearance in no way means a departure from classic Jeff Dunham style.

That's something we thought we'd never see.

Jeff Dunham performs Minding the Monsters before a live audience in Savannah, Georgia, "a scary place" to host a not-so-scary show. He opens with a solo stand-up routine before inviting four of his closest friends on stage for a little costume party, ventriloquist style. Walter appears first, dressed as "Crankenstein," a natural get-up for the old curmudgeon and an opening for a good number of Jewish jokes, Halloween banter, and thoughts on the classic "Frankenstein" monster (why in the world did the good doctor make his abomination so huge and powerful?). Next is Bubba J, Dunham's resident redneck dressed as a Vampire, complete with a Bloodweiser beer bottle-opening fang, a gun rack on his coffin, and a love bite for his cousin. Peanut then comes on the scene in his very own Nutmobile, dressed as a Batman knockoff who goes by the secret identity name of "Batnut" ("Peabat" or "Peaman" both sound funnier). Last but not least comes Achmed the Dead Terrorist...in drag. He's dressed as the most frightening thing he could possibly imagine: an American woman, and an American woman in pink lingerie at that. After all, he's a suicide bombshell who has lost his man parts long ago, making the transition to the female form all the more natural.

It's certainly a blast to see several of Dunham's best characters all dressed up, but Minding the Monsters ultimately feels a little stale and somewhat routine. There's not really any new dynamics beyond the change of clothes and change of topic -- it feels like window dressing at best -- but the good news is that "stale" Jeff Dunham is still better and funnier than a whole lot of the things on television today, particularly much of the rubbish masquerading as "Comedy" anymore, standup or otherwise. There are still plenty of fabulous, gut-busting exchanges in Minding the Monsters. Walter, sorry, "Crankenstein," is once again the highlight as the old politically incorrect puppet who finds a way to lambast pretty much everything Halloween-themed with which he disagrees or doesn't like. The other routines cannot live up the excellence of Walter's "performance," but at least the show has a few other things going for it, chiefly fantastic set design and some inspired, well-made Halloween-styled intro short films that, even considering Dunham's incredible talent, dominate the show simply because they're a bit more original than Jeff's excellent and very funny but somewhat tired routine.

Yet even as the same characters say pretty much the same sorts of things with only Halloween-inspired anecdotes, jokes, and insights this go-round, the show still impresses considering Dunham's tremendous talent in bringing these "monsters" to such vivid life. It's truly amazing to watch as Dunham not only speaks for the characters -- that requires tremendous talent on its own -- but how he operates the puppets and instills in them both verbal and physical personalities that make them completely defined, nearly passably real entities that truly feel as if they're carrying on a conversation and offering their own personal insights built on a lifetime's worth of individual experiences. Dunham's uncanny ability to match with unflappable precision even the most minor of physical details with the verbal rhythm of the dialogue exchanges is perhaps the most impressive aspect of this or any Dunham show, even beyond the voice throwing. Walter, Achmed, Peanut, Bubba J and the entire gang truly feel like living entities; Dunham's animating is truly astounding and witnessing that sort of talent at work never grows old, even if the routine feels a little stale.

Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters arrives on Blu-ray with a competent high definition transfer framed at 1.78:1. The image offers satisfyingly sharp HD video content. Paramount's presentation is crisp and nicely detailed, evident on close-ups and wide shots of the auditorium alike. Viewers will appreciate the complex detailing and intricate textures visible on the puppets, a real treat that's probably the next best thing to seeing them in person. Close-ups reveal very fine lines and tiny accents that help create a more believable, lifelike puppet. Dunham's face and clothes are adequately presented, enjoying sufficient complexity. Colors are steady and accurate on the puppets and their colorful outfits. The rest of the image takes on a very warm, bronze-like appearance. There's a good bit of noise covering the image, but this is otherwise a solid, enjoyable presentation.

Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters features a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Like the video, this presentation satisfies but doesn't set any new Blu-ray standards. The track offers fair energy and, often, a good sense of crowd immersion, Applause sometimes lingers only across the front, but generally enjoys a more filling, rounded, back-channel supported sensation. Thunder booms, bass rattles, and other sound effects play clearly and often robustly during the short movie-inspired interludes, which also feature rich, satisfying music. Dialogue is clear and focused; the lossless track allows every verbal nuance to come through cleanly and clearly, making sure to capture all the necessary details that ensure the various voices come to life with the precision required to best appreciate the show.

Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters contains an audio commentary and several very good behind-the-scenes features, including a rather fascinating piece on Dunham's use of cutting-edge 3D printing technology. As for the video itself, viewers may choose between "bleeped" and "unbleeped" ("censored" and "uncensored") versions of the program. Note that the disc does not contain seamless menus.

• Audio Commentary: Jeff Dunham, Director Matt McNeal, and Dunham friend and Shrek 2 Director Kelly Asbury offer a halfway serious, halfway tongue-in-cheek commentary track that covers making the phony movie trailers, set design, puppet alterations, and more.
• Creating Crankenstein (HD, 8:40): Jeff Dunham takes viewers through the physical and digital processes of making "Crankenstein" a month out from filming the special.
• Monstrous Mistakes (HD, 5:57): Outtakes from the show in which Dunham loses control of his abilities but makes the best of the situation. The piece also shows him having makeup applied and working through tests of his audio equipment.
• Tour of Terror (HD, 5:31): Dunham takes viewers on a detailed tour of the Minding the Monsters set.
• Minding the Miniatures (HD, 13:04): Jeff Dunham offers viewers a detailed look at making a miniature graveyard, including the process of 3D printing many of the pieces.
• Frightening Photos (HD, 2:21): Dunham at the photo shoot for the home video cover and enjoying a break for ice cream.
• Monster Movie Magic (HD, 26:17): An extended and extensive look at the behind-the-scenes processes necessary for making the show.

Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters is funny, and oftentimes uproariously so, no question about it. It also has an air of staleness to it, a feel of routine, even if the dialogue is different and the characters have come dressed to the nines for a Halloween special. The good news is that even when the show gets a little dull, the intercutting movies are fantastic and Dunham is so good at what he does that there's always value in simply watching the best of his kind at work. This is a very good show even if it's not groundbreaking. Hardcore Dunham fans will love it, casual viewers will enjoy, and newcomers may as well start here; it's as good as any other Jeff Dunham show and the puppet personalities are so rich that no background is required to truly enjoy them. Paramount's Blu-ray release of Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters features good video and audio and a surprisingly robust and very interesting assortment of extras that are alone reason enough to add this release to any Blu-ray collection. Recommended.