By: MattInRC
The sweet-natured Despicable Me 2 is fun family entertainment on Blu-ray, but nothing more.
In 2010, a year dominated by the creepy Toy Story 3 and the predictable Shrek 3, a little animated film called Despicable Me was missed by the Oscar nominating fools over at AMPAS. It wouldn't be long before their error was revealed: heart-warming and downright hilarious, the comedy about an evil madman and his Minions has seen its popularity almost eclipse that of all the animated Oscar candidates of the same year. Its sequel, the likeable but superficial Despicable Me 2, looks and sounds amazing in its home release.
The Movie - 3.5/5
When we left Gru (voiced by Steve Carrell), he had renounced his evil path to raise three loveable adopted girls, but not before stealing the Moon and then returning it. Now, the former madman is busy with soccer games, grilling up meats during Agnes's birthday party, and fending off eligible neighborhood women. He's also trying to be a respectable businessman, crafting jams and jellies with the help of his Minions and Doctor Nefario (voiced by Russell Brand). This isn't exactly Gru's cup of tea, but luckily fate intervenes, matching him up with the shadowy Anti-Villain League to hunt down the thief of a lab and a monster-creating serum. He's strapped to the newbie agent Lucy Wilde (voiced by Kristen Wiig), who Gru sees as overly obnoxious. As Minions begin to disappear, Gru and Lucy track down the elusive El Macho (voiced by Benjamin Bratt) and learn of his sinister plot to use the serum as a prelude to invasion.
DM Directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud return, ready to deliver plenty of laughs from Writer Ken Daurio's script. Unfortunately, the paper-thin plot is just an excuse to highlight the many hilarious Minion moments; any semblance of a deep story about relationships - which made the original so rewarding - is not here. While DM2 doesn't pretend to be more than what it is, one would have wished for something more, or at least a better plot involving El Macho. This series is now clearly the Minions to own, and that's a shame only if you don't like Gru or the girls. Gru has such the potential for hilarious badness, and the girls, such centers of attention in the original, are certainly worth developing. Their warm hearts give Gru that extra layer of personality that's more of a distraction here than revealing anything new to the audience about him. Crazy man Ken Jeong (Hangover series) also makes an appearance as a Chinese wig maker, but he's never given the chance to strut his stuff, representing a huge missed opportunity. Having said all of this, it's hard to have any problem with a movie filled with little yellow men cross-dressing, farting, and speaking in an nonsensical language. Their comical distractions prop up any issues the story might have.
The Video - 4.5/5
Universal's MPEG-4/AVC transfer is simply beautiful. Animated films from Illumination Entertainment and Universal always look amazing in Hi-Def, and DM2 shines in both color and clarity. Colors are vibrant without being overly saturated while black levels are nicely inked without becoming crushed. Shadows on the houses surrounding Gru's neighborhood provide wonderful depth of scale, while 'lighting' in general is flawless. Clarity and detail are stunningly accurate - look at the stitching on Gru's jacket and Edith's individual strands of hair for evidence. Wallpaper and carpet at Gru's house look authentic and lived-in, while mall storefronts and interior shots look like you could step right into them. Skintones on the humans look cartoony but are so clear and defined that reflections and detail on the eyes can be easily seen. Finally, there's zero evidence of banding, aliasing, or other noise. In short, Despicable Me 2 easily establishes itself among the best animated transfers of 2013.
The Audio - 5/5
Despicable Me 2 is presented in an amazing DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that makes it a reference-quality product. Beginning with the front speakers, we get a nice mix of dialogue, effects, and music, the latter sounding especially good. In addition, phasing and separation is precise. The center channel also contains these tracks, but none of them get in the way of the dialogue. The surround channel is immersive, even when there's only dialogue seemingly at play. Check out the crackling fireplace when Gru is read Agnes's poem - it's these little things which separate good home releases from great ones. From the rears, we are also treated to Heitor Pereira's James Bond-inspired soundtrack. Finally, the LFE doesn't rest for one minute, erupting, exploding, and crashing with every disaster and action sequence. The low-end loves this film, and we're all the better for it. In the end, Despicable Me 2's lossless track is one of the best of 2013.
The Supplements - 4.5/5
DM2 arrives with several nice supplements, all of which are presented in HD:
Deleted Scene (0:46): A single deleted scene called Gruties.
The Minions (3:07): A self-study tongue and cheek discussion about the lovability of the Minions.
Evil Minions (4:18): This featurette focuses on the construction of the Evil Minions.
A Gru-some Transformation (5:27): A nice discussion about how Gru converts from villain to hero, while the introduction of Agent Lucy Wild completes Gru's adopted family.
El Hombre Malo (4:16): A short discussion on the development and voicing of El Macho by Benjamin Bratt.
Gru's Girls (5:35): The girls Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Elsie Fisher return to discuss Gru's daughters, while Carell and the filmmakers analyze the challenges that the girls face in DM2.
Gadgets Galore (4:12): Described by Carell as 'thing-a-ma-bobs', we are introduced to the super gadgets our heroes and villains utilize.
Audio Commentary: Directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin laugh (often a little too much so) while providing insights into the making of the film. We learn about the heavy influence which films like Alien, The Blues Brothers, and Bugs Bunny had on the production. Other topics, such as the origins of the Anti-Villain League, the introduction of Agent Wild, and the growing up of the girls are also addressed. Of course, no commentary would be complete without a discussion of the Minions and the direction which the creative team took to bring them back. There are spoilers throughout the commentary, so be sure to watch the film first.
Mini-Movies (20 minutes): Gru briefly introduces three animated shorts: Puppy (5:04) stars the Minions and a wayward robot, Panic in the Mailroom (4:44) stars the Minions and the dangerous PX-41, and Training Wheels (4:46) starring Agnes and her search for the elusive ice cream truck. We're given the 5:44 Making of the Mini-Movies featurette.
Previews
Our evaluation copy arrived as a Blu-ray/DVD Combo and a Digital Copy of the film. The embossed slipcase is colorful and attractive. Three additional versions were offered, including Walmart's stuffed toys and Target's extra disc and booklet.
The Bottom Line - 4/5
In the end, the likeable Despicable Me 2 lacks the charm of the original, but has the Minions to thank for pulling out what could have been a predictable disaster. Its dull second act revs up the action and laughs in a nicely done conclusion, providing plenty of adult humor along the way. The Blu-ray looks and sounds terrific, with just enough supplements to satisfy the curious. And while the film itself won't play at your heart strings like the original, you and the kids will enjoy the experience. Despicable Me 2 is rated PG and has a runtime of 98 minutes.
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