Blu-Ray Review: DESPICABLE ME - A Charming, Hilarious & Triumphant Animation Debut For Universal
A successful animated feature film that doesn't include the names Pixar, Disney or even Dreamworks could well be considered the rarest of things, but Universal seem to have proved a few people wrong with their first solo forray into the medium. But let's be honest- the Pixar benchmark is about as unreachable a goal as any film company could aspire to, let alone someone making their first steps. It is far more appropriate (and kind) to compare Universal's premier animated feature to the still-very-good work of Sony on Monster House (an absolute gem).
And set against that other impressive animated debut, Despicable Me- available now on Blu-ray - shines just as brightly.
Despite professing to be a new take on the villain/hero story, Despicable Me is in fact very conventionally told. The story unfolds pretty typically, and the "twist" isn't exactly completely out of the blue- even the subtle stylistic nuances (the "new" technology looking like the 1960s prototypical image of the near-future) are reminiscent of The Incredibles' aesthetic identity.
But then, something done perfectly doesn't necessarily have to be entirely original now does it. Innovation is one thing, but getting the basics correct is a far more fundamental achievement. And Despicable Me manages all of the basics of successful animation perfectly, from charming story-telling, immediately likeable characters and stunning visuals to an impressive and appropriate soundtrack and enough jokes to tickle the fancies of older audiences as well as youngsters.
The voice-work behind the characters is all excellent- and Steve Carell's character-making decision to mix it up with a heavy accent was inspired given the short-comings of the character in comparison to some other far more compelling screen villains. Carrell's presence brings a lot of heart to the character, and the warmth and familiarity of his voice also does a lot to make his humanist redemption a hell of a lot more believable. Elsewhere Russell Brand does well to hide his voice enough to not be immediately recognisable (his usual persona has a horrible effect on everyone else's focus), and Jason Segel is just about smug and arrogant enough as dorky super-villain Vector. But none of these characters are actually the star.
The minions- those yellow walking pills- are clearly presented as the uber-charming stars of the show, and sadly their inclusion does occasionally feel a little obligatory. It is their charm, and their adorable silliness that will sell Despicable Me well beyond the stage when audiences forget the other characters and even the finer details of the plot, which is probably why it was they who covered all of the pre-release posters. They are the ultimate draw for the kids, and it is impossible even as an older viewer not to break into a smile when they are on screen- as silly as the jokes involving them are- so infectious is their presence, but you can't help but feel like they were included simply for the sake of the few extra laughs, and the few extras rungs up the ladder of cuteness. They are effectively the token cute things, sent in to balance the other more adult observational moments of humour. At the end of the day, Despicable Me is a lot of fun with some genuine laughs, and in a market entirely dominated by Pixar, it is an astounding animated debut for Universal.
Quality
At the end of the day, it's an animation, so clarity wasn't ever going to be an issue- but there is such attention to detail in the film's false textures that the definition really sparkles. Colours aren't really supposed to be natural, because the world of the movie is painted purposefully in an odd pallette to compliment the stylized visual style, but all of the chosen colours are rich and deep, including the blacks. The audio is just as impressive- the voices were of course all recorded in-studio in the best possible conditions so it's as clear as you're ever going to get (even when Carell is playing up the odd Eastern Europeanish accent, or in the Minions pigeon language). But ambient sound is also very good, with the additional sounds added to scenes giving them an appropriate depth without interfering with the perfectly clear dialogue. Great stuff.
Extras
It's great to see that Universal have taken a leaf out of the Pixar Shorts book, and added three mini-movies to the blu-ray, all of which are funny (especially "Banana"), and all of which feel like genuinely special additions to the package, which is surely exactly the feeling an extras compiler should be seeking to achieve.
And it seems that Universal definitely were looking for that feeling, as along with the usual featurettes there are two interactive games, and also real recipes for the cookies that the girls sell to Vector- now that's treating your customers to an extra special little touch.
Aside from the cookies, my favourite of the lot is the Gru-Control feature that is basically just the feature with lots of interruptions by the cast of characters, though I'd have preferred more, since it only adds about a minute to the run-time all-told.
Here's exactly what the disc offers: Feature Audio Commentary with directors Chris Renaud & Pierre Coffin and The Minions GRU-Control Bonus View mode Three Exclusive Mini-Movies starring The Minions (Orientation Day, Home Makeover and Banana) The World of Despicable Me The Voices of Despicable Me Despicable Beats A Global Effort Grus Rocket Builder game Miss Hatties Top-Secret Cookie Recipes Super Silly Fun Land (Feed the Creatures , Tin Can Alley and Freeze the Minions mini-games) D-Box Motion Code BD-Live with Ticker pocket BLU with exclusive to-go content DVD of the movie with selected extras Digital Copy Despicable Me was released on Blu-ray today.