Despicable Me 3 Blu-ray Movie Review

Synopsis

Agent Gru and his partner Lucy lose their jobs as secret agents when they fail to capture evil villain Balthazar Bratt during a diamond heist. Gru learns he has a twin brother, Dru, and together, they embark on a mission to reclaim the diamond and bring Bratt to justice. When Dru refuses to return to his evil ways, the Minions take off on their own and Gru must fight for good with only Lucy and the girls for help.

Specifications

Universal
2017, Color, Rated PG, 1 Hr 30 mins
DTS:X / HD Master Audio 7.1, 2.39:1 Aspect Ratio
Starring: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Trey Parker
Directed by Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin, Eric Guillon

Rating

Entertainment:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Violence: No
Sex: No
Language: No

Commentary

This is a good film to set the kids in front of while the adults watch sports in another room. The plot is thin at best and much of the movie feels like watching someone play Candy Crush Saga. As usual, the main entertainment comes from the Minions who steal the show every time they’re on screen.

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One sequence has them singing Italian-style opera in their lovable language. I could watch ninety minutes of that any day. While this is wholesome, family entertainment, parents might want to check that PG rating. There are some instances of crude humor that could be confusing to younger children.

Technical

The image is perfect as far as CGI animation goes but it is not up to the best I’ve seen from other studios. Detailed textures are too rare and most surfaces are simply smooth with little interest for the viewer. The picture tells most of its story through bright color and deep contrast which is abundant.

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A DTS:X encode is included but I watched the disc in a 5.1 configuration. The sound is polite at best with dialog that seemed recessed. While I never had trouble understanding the voices, they lacked depth.

The short films included in the special features vary greatly in sound quality. Some are crushingly loud with their compressed soundtracks. I believe viewers would appreciate a more balanced volume level for the disc’s different elements.

Extras

Bonus material includes short films featuring Kyle the dog and the Minions. You also get character profiles, a deleted scene, and two making-of documentaries that total about 11 minutes.

Chris Eberle

Chris' passion for audio began when he took up playing the bassoon at age 12. During his third year at the New England Conservatory of Music, he won a position with the West Point Band where he served for 26 years as principal bassoonist. He retired from the Army in 2013 and is now writing full time and performing as a freelance musician in Central Florida. As an avid movie lover, Chris was unable to turn away the 50-inch Samsung DLP TV that arrived at his door one day, thus launching him irrevocably into an obsession with home theater. Dissatisfied with the image quality of his new acquisition, Chris trained with the Imaging Science Foundation in 2006 and became a professional display calibrator. His ultimate theater desires were realized when he completed construction of a dedicated cinema/listening room in his home. Chris is extremely fortunate that his need for quality audio and video is shared and supported by his wife of over 25 years. In his spare time he enjoys riding his recumbent trike at least 100 miles per week, trying out new restaurants, going to theme parks and spending as much time as possible watching movies and listening to music. Chris enjoys bringing his observations and discoveries about every kind of home theater product to as many curious and well-informed readers as possible. He is proud to be a part of the Team and hopes to help everyone enjoy their AV experiences to the fullest.