Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Minions: The Rise of Gru 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 8, 2022

Rather than the Minions running around speaking their Spanish-gibberish hybrid dialect (that’s what it sounds like to me, anyway), maybe they should just be running around yelling out “cha-ching!” “cha-ching!” “cha-ching!” for 90 minutes, because that is exactly what they have been for Illumination and Universal: a veritable cash register. This franchise has defined the animated franchise blockbuster since its debut in 2010 with Despicable Me. Several films, mini-movies, and countless tie-ins, toys, and commercials later, the franchise is still going strong with Minions: The Rise of Gru, an origins story about Gru' rise to villainy as an 11-year-old in the 1970s. Of course, more zany hijinks and Minion chaos are included, but despite the timeline setting the film offers very little of dramatic interest, instead serving as a vehicle for more of the familiar shenanigans that have made the series a box office success over the years.

Eleven-year-old Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) already fancies himself a villain, what with his minions at his side and all, but he wants to be a super villain. When he receives an invitation to join the Vicious 6 -- the biggest, baddest super villain squad around -- he's over the moon. But he believes he needs to head out on his own rather than allow the minions to join him. At the interview, he's scoffed at for his age, but in some chaos to ensue he manages to get away with a valuable Zodiac Stone. Now, he finds himself pursued by the 6 as well as one of its old members, Knuckles (voiced by Alan Arkin), who will stop at nothing to get it back. Meanwhile, it's up to the minions to save the day.

The Rise of Gru is as silly, mischievous, and mindless as fans expect from the franchise. And that is part of the problem. The film feels like it rehashes much of its content. The Minions are the Minions and the schtick is growing stale; they were cute and new and interesting a dozen years ago but now just seem like little more than familiar art on the digitally animated movie landscape. Neither the dialect nor the antics have evolved all that much. Sure, they are put in some new situations here but the end result is the same predictable outcome. It’s still funny, but it’s also clear that there needs to be some sort of newly injected lifeblood if this series is going to continue in any meaningful way.

The film itself isn’t all that inventive, either. Even as it aims to inject some backstory and a fun 70s setting, there’s not a lot of bright-eyed, must-see content here. Make no mistake, there are some great movements – Gru gassing out a theater full of movie watchers so he and the minions can view Jaws alone and using the minions to help him cheat in the local arcade – but most of what is here amounts to little more than a cohesive yet still loose framework to barrage the screen with gags. The film adds just enough Gru backstory and character build to satisfy fans, which is probably enough for a movie franchise that has always been about, literally, gibberish.

The film does look tremendous, making use of the best in cutting edge technology that sees this as the most advanced picture of the Minions bunch yet still holding true to the original textural and visual essence from more than a decade ago. The voice work is wonderful, too, from returning favorites to newcomers adding their own flair and spice to the Minions universe. This is a very capable film and a perfectly acceptable entry into the franchise; it’s just not the explosive step forward many might have hoped to see in this look back into the origins of a fan-favorite supervillain.

Minions: The Rise of Gru 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Considering that Minions: The Rise of Gru dazzles on Blu-ray, viewers would expect it to delight on the UHD format. And delight it does. The picture is a resounding visual success on the 2160p format, boasting here a rise in fine object crispness, frame clarity, and overall improved visual complexity and stability. The gains to overall definition are not dramatic, but small elements find firmer distinction, such as fabric detail and density and small frays on Gru's scarf. Little environmental details are a little bit more effortlessly visible. At this resolution, every last ounce of improvement delights are drawn from the source for the most visible visual impact today. The more dramatic improvement comes via the Dolby Vision color grading, which offers the usual array of improvements to overall color depth, brilliance, brightness, and nuance. The Dolby Vision grading proves its worth frequently, especially on the incredible barrage of 70s tones throughout the film on clothes and surfaces, but also beyond. Look at the green slime hand in the 21-minute mark; the newfound boldness and brightness allow the effect to stand tall over the SDR Blu-ray version. Of course, minion yellow is more pronounced and intense, yet still grounded in that familiar hue. Black levels enjoy improved density and stability as well. This UHD, like its Blu-ray counterpart, reveals no source of encode faults or failures. It looks great!

Minions: The Rise of Gru 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Minions: The Rise of Gru arrives on UHD with a wonderful Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Music highlights for its full stage immersion and perfect clarity. Musical engagement is evident even in the top end, certainly more in a supportive rather than dominant role, but the sense of perfect stage saturation and precision clarity -- aided by a healthy, but never overbearing, low end -- create a wonderful core listening atmosphere for the soundtrack. Action effects are big with detailed beats, excellent bass, and faultless immersion and movement precision. Ambient effects are alive in various exterior or bustling interiors, such as the basement lair. Dialogue is clear and well prioritized as it emanates from a natural front-center position.

Minions: The Rise of Gru 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This UHD release of Minions: Rise of Gru includes two mini movies, an extended scene, outtakes, and several additional featurettes. A Blu-ray copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

• Mini-Movie: Post-Modern Minions (2160p/Dolby Vision, 3:49): The Minions impress a snooty art critic.
• Mini-Movie: Minions and Monsters (2160p/Dolby Vision, 4:20): A game of Minions & Monsters comes to life.
• Extended Scene (2160p, 1:25): Gru arrives at the interview.
• Outtakes (2160p, 3:02): Humorous moments from the voice recording sessions.
• Character Profiles (2160p, 15:47 total runtime): Exploring several key characters from the film through cast and crew interviews and clips from the film. Included are Gru, Wild Knuckles, Belle Bottom, Master Chow, The Vicious 6, and Biker.
• Gru-vy Animation (2160p, 6:27): Exploring the animation process and what each stage accomplishes towards the finished film.
• The '70s -- Fashion, Food & Funk (2160p, 4:48): Exploring the retro landscape that serves as the film's setting.
• Minion Martial Arts (2160p, 4:12): Looking at the use of martial arts in the film and the influences that pushed the film's direction.
• How to Draw (& Animate) With Brad Ableson (2160p, 11:11 total runtime): The obligatory animated film supplement offers tutorials for Minion, Young Gru, and Kung Fu Stuart.
• Lair Flair: Make Your Own Minion Hideout (2160p, 10:22 total runtime): Making a minion lair from basic craft supplies. Included are The Lair, Disco Bubbles and Jet Pack.
• Super Style Shop (2160p, 6:50 total runtime): Assembling some new costumes for plush toy minions. Included are Bell Bottoms and Bandana and Fringe Vest and Chunky Necklace.

Minions: The Rise of Gru 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Franchise fans and casually viewing young ones will likely have a blast with Minions: The Rise of Gru. However, it's not a particularly good movie; its entire worth is in rehashing familiar antics and building a little bit of backstory along the way. It looks and sounds wonderful, but it's fairly empty beyond the surface. Universal's UHD delivers tip-top video and audio presentations and a nice array of bonus content, including two of the ever-popular mini movies. Recommended.