Thanks to Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, we had a chance to review the “Despicable Me 4” Blu-Ray combo pack with our very own copy!
Below is our description and analysis of the product:
Be sure to pick up your copy starting 9/24/2024!
About Despicable Me 4 – As part of the first animated franchise to ever cross $5 billion, DESPICABLE ME 4 will be available on Digital September 10, 2024, and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-rayTM and DVD on September 24, 2024, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. This hilarious addition to the beloved franchise now comes packed with over an hour of bonus content including 2 Minions mini movies, exclusive voice recording sessions with Steve Carell and Will Ferrell, deleted & extended scenes and loads of hilarious extras.
The world’s favorite supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain-League-agent, Gru, returns for a bold new era of minions mayhem in Illumination’s
DESPICABLE ME 4, now with over an hour of exclusive bonus content including 2 mini movies. Gru, Lucy and their girls welcome a new member to the family – Gru Jr. – who is intent on tormenting his dad, as a new nemesis shows up and forces the family to go on the run. This latest blockbuster chapter in the biggest global animated franchise in history is packed with nonstop action, filled with Illumination’s signature subversive humor, and new dynamics with the introduction of a questionably charming team – The Mega Minions!
Directed by Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage, DESPICABLE ME 4 stars Steve Carell (“The Office”, Despicable Me franchise) alongside Kristen Wiig (“Saturday Night Live”, Despicable Me franchise). The cast also includes Will Ferrell (Anchorman, Elf), Sofia Vergara (“Modern Family”, “Griselda”), Joey King (The Kissing Booth, “The Act”), Stephen Colbert (“The Colbert Report”, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”, Monsters vs. Aliens), and Miranda Cosgrove (“iCarly”, Despicable Me franchise).
BONUS FEATURES ON DIGITAL, BLU-RAYTM AND DVD:
• Game Over and Over – After stumbling upon a powered-up game controller inside Gru’s lair, the mischievous Minions discover its ability to control one another, unleashing mayhem as they compete for high scores.
• Benny’s Birthday – Benny finds himself trapped in a time loop of a Minion-style birthday party,encountering uproarious mischief at every turn.
• Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes
o Class of ‘85
o Minions at the Reunion
o Minions at Home
o Big Day Out
o Karate Round 2
o Gru vs. Treehouse
o Defibrillator
o Mega Minions Mega Mix
o Mega Minions in Lockdown
• Despicable Dialogue – Watch Steve Carell, Will Ferrell, and the rest of the cast perform some of their silliest lines in this hilarious montage of recording booth moments!
• Meet the Cast – Get to know the actors behind your favorite characters! Featuring some of your old favorites like Gru, Lucy, and their girls as well as new favorites like the Prescotts and villains Maxime and Valentina.
o Steve Carell: Gru
o Kristen Wiig: Lucy
o Joey King: Poppy Prescott
o Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Madison Polan: Gru’s Girls
o Stephen Colbert & Chloe Fineman: The Prescotts
o Sofia Vergara: Valentina
o Will Ferrell: Maxime
• Making Of – The cast and crew of DESPICABLE ME 4 share a behind the scenes look at the creation of the fourth installment of this iconic franchise! Learn about the story, the new characters, the animation process and more!
• Mega Minion Mayhem – Assemble the Mega Minions! Learn about the development of the five most unique Minions to date.
• Rogues Gallery – Using the AVL’s state-of-the-art facial recognition software, we look back at the most nefarious villains from past DESPICABLE and MINIONS films.
• How to Draw – Join Head of Story, Habib Louati, as he shows us how to draw the Mega Minions – Dave,
Mel, Jerry, Gus and Tim!
o Mega Dave
o Mega Mel
o Mega Jerry
o Mega Gus
o Mega Tim
HNS Review: “Despicable Me 4” is another zany entry in the long standing franchise. Gru is pitted against a new foe, being forced to retreat to a life of solitude. The story puts these characters in a new environment, providing some hilarious new gags and exciting action sequences. The visuals continue to get better with each entry. I was lucky enough to see the film in 3D, helping each sequence pop even more. The new characters are fun and the fresh setting mixes things up. It does suffer from some retreats from the previous movies. While it’s not a unique film, it does enough to keep younger viewers entertained.
About the Product: The case provides a shiny, colorful recreation of the theatrical poster. Gru and his minions are all over the packaging, giving kids what they want before they’re ready to pop the disk in. Those who purchase the product have the option of downloading the digital code or using the disc. This gives them the opportunity to watch the film however they choose.
About the Special Features:
Game Over Game Over – This is a very silly section that is sure to get kids excited. Minion mayhem is in full throttle, where their bombastic energy combined with their new discovery creates many problems. A silly, fun section!
Benny’s Birthday – Another minion centric section, where a birthday party celebration turns chaotic. Kids will also enjoy seeing another mini minion adventure as Benny embarks on another ridiculous series of events.
Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes – Parents won’t be able to get the minion’s laughter out of their heads after this section. Kids however are going to have a blast! Each extra scene features some additional minion scenes that feel independent of the movie. This is a fun excuse to purchase the blu ray for die-hards of the characters. Gru also gets a few standout moments here as well. This is one of the most fun sections of the package!
Despicable Dialogue – I enjoyed seeing the cast members performing the voices of their characters. It’s clear that they all want to embody the characters they’re portraying. Carrell and Ferrel try to embody them with physical expressions behind the camera. Viewers will have a good time seeing how the actors made everything happen.
Meet the Cast – This section covers the main cast of the film. We get to see how veteran cast members continue to develop their characters while newcomers add a fresh voice to the story. Carrell seems to know this character like the back of his hand, while Ferrell seems to be conjuring a fresh, eccentric villain to combat Gru. For a fourth movie in a series, the cast does a nice job at keeping things fun.
Making Of – I always enjoy the sections where we get to peek behind the curtain. Seeing the production of a film is always a treat. Here, we get to see how each department functions in creating the story. Whether it be the writers, actors, direction, or animation department, each does a nice job explaining how they implemented their vision. This section will please those who are interested in the construction of a film.
Mega Minions Mayhem – As much as the minions can blend in with one another, this section gives further insight into the film’s main personalities. Each minion is given some further exploration into what makes them stand out. I found each of them to be fun additions to the film once they were in their enhanced form.
Rogues Gallery – Using facial recognition to do a “best of” tour was interesting. Getting to see this rogues gallery of villains is fun considering the franchise is based around a villain underworld. Not the most exciting section but it’s a nice addition.
How to Draw – Younger viewers will have lots of fun with this section! The easy step by step directions to draw these characters is interactive, letting kids explore their creativity with their favorite characters. Parents will enjoy putting this on to keep their kids occupied for a while. Fun and hands on segment of the bonus features. One of the best sections for sure.
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