Minions: The Rise Of Gru 4K Ultra HD

In "Minions: The Rise Of Gru," long before he becomes the master of evil, Gru is just a 12-year-old boy in 1970s subrbia, plotting o take over the world from his basement. When the infamous supervillain group, the Vicious 6, ousts their leader, Gru attempts to join their ranks but soon finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil. With Gru on the run, the Minions attempt to learn martial arts to help save him, and Gru discovers that even bad guys need a litle help from their friends. (Gary Reber)

Special features include the mini movies "Post Modern Minions" (HD 03:49) and "Minions And Monsters" (HD 04:20); extended scene (HD 01:25); outtakes (HD 03:02); seven featurettes: "Character Profiles" (HD 15:47), "Cru-vy Animation" (HD 06:27), "The '70s––Fashion, Food & Funk" HD 04:48), "Minion Martial Arts" (HD 04:12), "How To Draw (& Animate) With Brad Ableson" (HD 11:11), "Lair Flair: Make Your Own Minion Hideout" (HD 10:22) and "Super Style Shop" (HD 06:50) and a Movies Anywhere digital copy.

The 2.39:1 2160p HEVC/H.265 Ultra HD Dolby Vision/HDR10 picture, reviewed on a Sony Bravia Z9D 4K Ultra HD HDR display, was animated digitally and sourced from a new 4K master Digital Intermediate. The animation is naturally dimensional. The color palette is vividly saturated with strong primaries, with Minion yellows that pop. Flesh tones representations are perfectly rendered, for a varied natural palette. HDR contrast is superb with deep, solid blacks and nicely detailed shadows. White levels are nicely illuminated such as the whites in the Minions eyes. Resolution is wonderfully detailed in the foreground and backgrounds, as well as during close-ups. Clothing and object textures are exquisite. The character rendering is so creative and diversified in a fun way. Dimensionally visual, this is an absolute treat for the eyes and guaranteed to enthrall every viewer no matter what age. This a terrific animated feature that is fun to watch. (Gary Reber)

The Dolby Atmos/Dolby TrueHD 7.1-channel soundtrack at times is nicely dynamic and spatially holosonic®, with an enrergized surround field. Atmospherics and sound effects are superb, with a wide stereo soundstage and extension to the directionalized
surrounds during the more energized scenes. Foley is quite impressive, as there is often a tremendous amount involved throughout. Deep bass in the .1 LFE channel extends to sub-25 Hz frequencies during explosions. The orchestral/choral music score is nicely recorded with a wide and deep soundstage presence that extends to the surrounds. The music features numerous pop tunes, which also are nicely presented. Dialogue sounds natural with a good sense of spatial integration. Amazingly, the director of the original Minions, Pierre Coffin, voices all of the Minions, even when they sing.

The Immersive Sound element is comprised of an extension of the music plus lots of sound effects. Dialogue also is at times extended. This is a very effective and fun height layer that effectively enhances the overall sense of spatial dimensionality.

This is a very fun spherical surround soundtrack, with lots of unique sounds, music, and dynamic character. (Gary Reber)