Minions 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Minions 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Minions released on Blu-ray in late 2015 (alongside a 3D disc), mere months before the UHD format finally arrived on the marketplace. Universal has been slowly, but not exactly steadily, going back and pushing newer films onto the 4K format, including, a few months ago, the first two Despicable Me movies. Minions features 2160p/HDR video (though no Dolby Vision support, as was the case with the Despicable Me films) and carries over the Blu-ray's Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Read on for more.

Minions 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.

Although both Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2 featured Dolby Vision in addition to HDR10, Minions' 4K release does not include the new color format, sticking with the basic HDR10 color enhancement only. Universal's image, which is an upscale from a 2K digital intermediate, fares very well. Textures are impressively robust, offering a decent little uptick over the Blu-ray. Clothes are particular beneficiaries, whether the Minions' prehistoric garb or Napoleonic era coverings they wear early in the film or more traditional denim-style clothes they sport for the bulk of the film. Their eyewear reveals tangibly complex surface detail and wear. Their pill-like bodies, smooth as they would seem, appear a bit more organic and revealing of finer-point textures here over the Blu-ray. Dense city streets in New York and London look wonderful, and the UHD's added resolution brings out superior textural complexity near and far alike. Even digital water seen off of New York is crystal-clear. The HDR-enahnced colors offer a satisfying push of added vitality and depth. Minion yellow is much more finely colored and nuanced. Clothes offer striking punch. General colors dazzle, and the sheer diversity on display never leaves the audience with a dull moment. Black levels are perfectly deep. This is one of the nicest animated UHDs on the market to date.

Minions 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Minions features a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, the same found on the previous Blu-ray release. The track is superb. It's big, aggressive, and finely detailed throughout the range and throughout the film, never missing a beat and, with the overhead component, delivering a full, satisfying presentation that goes above and beyond. Musical components work in harmony, whether big bass -- evident even as the Minions hum the famed Universal studio logo music -- or finer notes throughout the range. Clarity is first-class, spacing is large and seamless, and the sense of immersion comes aggressively but with impeccable balance. Such holds true for both score and popular music, even older titles like The Turtles' Happy Together. Sound effects are fantastic. There's a nice little sense of depth underwater in the beginning moments of the movie, which includes a modest overhead component. Action effects present with plenty of depth and weight, top-notch detail, and precision placement of both individual location-specific sounds or rapidly moving elements that offer a precision match to the on-screen happenings. The top layer plays a critical support role, in more chaotic moments often engaging as a complimentary piece but also revealing some more diffuse sounds that aren't competing with several others that manage to offer a more tangible top-end presence. An example is the public address announcements heard as the Minions arrive at Villain-Con and, later, as the speaker addresses the gathered audience and the words wonderfully reverberate throughout the stage, which includes the top end. Perfectly clear, positioned, and prioritized dialogue round a fantastically fun and reference-worthy track into finished form.

Minions 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Minions' UHD release contains no new extras, but the UHD disc does bring over the three mini films -- Cro Minion, Competition, and Binky Nelson Unpacified -- with 2160p/HDR video. See below for a list of the supplements included on the bundled Blu-ray. Please click here for full supplement reviews. A UV/iTunes digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Mini Movies
• Deleted Scene
• Around the World Interactive Map
• Behind the Goggles -- The Illumination Story of The Minions
• Jingle Bells Minions Style
• The Secret Life of Pets -- Summer 2016

Minions 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Minions isn't the best animated film out there, but it'll delight the kids. It's not very substitutive and it may grate on adult nerves after a while, but there's no mistaking its inherent charm and simplicity. Universal's UHD release delivers excellent 2160p/HDR-enhanced video that's a modest but welcome step forward from the fantastic Blu-ray. The Atmos track is first-rate. No new extras are included, but it's nice to see the mini-movies get that 4K/HDR treatment. Recommended.