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'Despicable Me 3' Blu-ray Review: A fun but overstuffed sequel

December 7, 2017Ben MK



FEATURE: 
When it comes to computer-animated family fare, few films have given Pixar a run for their money like the Despicable Me franchise has. Now Gru, Lucy, Margo, Agnes, Edith and, of course, everyone's favorite sidekicks — the Minions — are back for an all-new, slapstick adventure.

The story this time around finds newly-minted Anti Villain League agent Gru (Steve Carrell) and his partner/love interest, Lucy (Kristen Wiig) going up against Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker), a former 80s sitcom star turned fashion-impaired, wannabe supervillain, whose attempts to steal a valuable jewel called the Dumont Diamond result in Gru and Lucy being booted from the AVL. Out of work and seeking a purpose in life, Gru's next step is decided for him. And when he learns that he has a long-lost, identical twin brother named Dru, Gru, Lucy and the girls hop aboard the next private jet to the fictitious country of Freedonia, where the movie really kicks into high gear.

While in Freedonia, Gru discovers that his father was an infamous supervillain himself, and when Dru requests that his brother teach him how to follow in their dad's footsteps, Gru takes the kill-two-birds-with-one-stone route, teaming up with Dru to steal the Dumont Diamond back from Bratt. Meanwhile, Lucy grapples with her fears of not being a good mother to the girls, while Margo (Miranda Cosgrove) fends off the unwanted advances of a local teenager, and Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Nev Scharrel) set out into the forest to catch themselves a unicorn.

Last but not least, there's the Minions, who spend the film's mid-section hatching an elaborate prison escape plan after getting incarcerated for causing a ruckus at a televised singing competition. Suffice to say, Despicable Me 3's plot is a bit overstuffed. Yet, directors Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin and Eric Guillon and screenwriters Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio still manage not to lose sight of what makes the franchise so appealing, setting these divergent storylines on both a figurative and literal near-collision course just in time for the movie's final act.

AUDIO & VISUALS: 
Not surprisingly, Despicable Me 3 looks fantastic on Blu-ray, with a pixel-perfect 1080p transfer that really makes the film's cartoonish character designs and vibrant animation leap off the screen, whether it's the Minions and their vivid yellow and blue color scheme or the bright pink hues of the bubble gum weapons Bratt is so fond of using. Even better, it's all topped off with a DTS:X sound mix that allows the movie's busy sound design to come through loud and clear, especially the 80s pop songs played by Balthazar Bratt whenever he strikes.

EXTRAS: 
Universal's two-disc Blu-ray combo pack includes an iTunes/UltraViolet digital copy, a DVD and the following Blu-ray extras:

  • Deleted Scene with Intro by Dana Gaier (0:40) - The voice of Edith introduces this deleted scene starring her character.
  • Minion Moments (1:18) - A pair of mini shorts starring the Minions ("Drenched" and "Overkill").
  • Character Profiles (10:23) - The cast talk about their characters ("Steve Carell: Gru & Dru," "Kristen Wiig: Lucy," "Miranda Cosgrove: Margo," "Dana Gaier: Edith" and "Nev Scharrel: Agnes").
  • The Making of Despicable Me 3 (6:50) - A look at Gru's journey from the first Despicable Me to this third film, the directing and editing of the movie, the dynamic between Gru and Dru, and the role of the film's villain, Balthazar Bratt.
  • Developing Dru (4:13) - A look at the character of Gru's identical twin brother and Steve Carell's portrayal of him.
  • The AVL Files (12:38) - Case files for Agents Gru and Lucy and Villains Dru, Balthazar Bratt, El Macho and Vector.
  • Freedonia Visitors Guide (5:38) - An interactive map that allows viewers to explore the various attractions of Freedonia ("The Crooked Forest," "Free Range Pigs," "The Cheez Feztival," "The Tipsy Unikorn" and "The Riviera").
  • Despicable Me TV (3:08) - 3 faux TV commercials ("Balthazar Bratt Action Figure," "Bad Boy Bod by Balthazar Bratt" and "Agnes' Super Cute, Incredibly Amazing Toy Sale").
  • "Doowit" Sing-Along (1:36) - A sing-along video for the first of two Pharrell Williams songs from the film.
  • "Yellow Light" Music Video (3:43) - A video for the second of two Pharrell Williams songs from the film.
  • Minion Mug Shots - 10 mug shots of Minions Carl, Kevin, Mel, Phil, Stuart and Tim.
  • Wanted Posters - 8 wanted posters of Minions Carl, Dave, Kevin, Mel, Phil, Stuart, Tim and Tom.
  • Mini-Movie: The Secret Life of Kyle (4:13) - Agnes, Edith and Margo's pet, Kyle, gets into some misadventures while the girls are away.

Despicable Me 3 is available from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment as of December 5th, 2017. The Blu-ray features English DTS:X, DTS Headphone:X, Spanish DTS-HD High Resolution 7.1, French DTS 5.1 and English Dolby Digital 2.0 Descriptive Audio tracks. The film is presented with English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles. The total runtime is 1 hr. 30 min.






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