THE FILM:

The adorable yellow henchmen from the Despicable Me series got their own prequel film. They're still pretty cute, but I am not sure we needed a feature-length Minions story. Unlike the Steve Carell-led films, which had a lot to like for children and adults, Minions is aimed squarely at kids, who will no doubt get a kick out of the goofy protagonists. Minions is colorful, rambunctious and sometimes annoying, and the voice efforts of Sandra Bullock and Jon Hamm are nothing special. This is a definite dip in quality for the Despicable Me universe, but I suspect kids will eat this up.

Things kick off well enough. The narrator explains that Minions have existed since the beginning of time, and evolved to serve as the henchmen of the most evil master in sight. Those masters include violent cavemen, a Tyrannosaurus, Dracula, and Napoleon, all of whom the Minions managed to accidentally kill. Alone and without a master, the Minions set up a colony in Antarctica. Some years later, depression has set in, and one of the more resourceful Minions, Kevin (Pierre Coffin, who voices all the Minions and also co-directs), grabs pals Stuart and Bob to begin a search for their new master. This takes them to Villain-Con, a gathering of the most evil criminals in the world. There, they impress Scarlett Overkill (Bullock), a super-villain who aims to use the Minions to enact her evil schemes.

This Kyle Balda and Pierre Coffin-directed film is absolutely aimed at younger audiences. The Minions are gibbering yellow pills of bad behavior that should delight kids with their rude and abrasive personalities. The Minions worked in Despicable Me and its sequel because they were served up in small doses. Here, there is nothing to temper the nonstop onslaught of mayhem. Kevin is somewhat intelligent. Stuart acts like a pouting teenager, and Bob is...special. Overkill wants the Minions to steal Queen Elizabeth II's crown so she can rule England. If they fail, they are facing a quick death. Hamm plays Overkill's husband, Herb, an inventor who does not always obey his wife's orders to torture the Minions. They are cute and funny, after all.

I chuckled a couple of times during Minions, but there is nothing memorable or particularly appealing about the story. This $1 billion-plus grossing film will sell a ton of merchandise and no doubt spin off into Universal theme parks. This is a viable brand, even if this movie is not very good. Setting the film in the 1960s is necessary to make the series' timeline make sense, and it does allow for sweet period-appropriate tunes and scenery. There's some level of virtue here, too, at least in kid-sized portions. Be yourself and follow your dreams. And participate in organized crime, or something like that.

THE BLU-RAY:

PICTURE:

This three-disc version of Minions includes both 1.85:1/1080p/MVC-encoded 3D and 1.85:1/1080p/AVC-encoded 2D transfers. Both are gorgeously detailed, with exceptional fine-object clarity and depth. Colors are bold and absolutely pop without ever bleeding. Black levels are inky, and I noticed no digital anomalies. A few scenes are softer and flatter, though that is likely an intended reflection of the period. The 3D presentation has natural depth and spatial delineation. The interiors of Overkill's layer are beautifully animated and fully immersive, and outdoor backgrounds stretch infinitely. There are a few neat 3D gimmick shots, but Minions never outdoes this effect.

SOUND:

The Dolby Atmos mix, which I sampled in 7.1 Dolby TrueHD, is wonderful. The opening Universal logo sees its accompanying soundtrack sung by the Minions, which kicks off this immersive mix. This lively, surround-heavy mix is layered appropriately. There is plenty of ambient noise to surround the viewer, and action-oriented effects are boisterous and frequently pan the sound field. Dialogue is without distortion, and the lively soundtrack is given appropriate heft. Clarity and range are both excellent, and I was impressed that the very busy sound design never felt crowded or compressed. Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital dubs are included, as are English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.

PACKAGING AND EXTRAS:

This three-disc set comes in a hinged Blu-ray case and includes a Blu-ray 3D, regular Blu-ray, DVD copy, and codes to redeem both iTunes and UltraViolet HD digital copies. A lenticular slipcover wraps the case. The extras begin with several Mini-Movies: "CroMinion" (4:25/HD); "Competition" (3:47/HD) and "Binky Nelson Unpacified" (4:34/HD). There's a Deleted Scene (0:29/HD), an Around the World Interactive Map (HD), and "Jingle Bells" Minions Style (1:52/HD). You also get Behind the Goggles: The Illumination Story of the Minions, a cluster of featurettes that includes: "Writers" (3:38/HD), "The Boss' Office" (4:48/HD), "Art Department" (3:32/HD), "Recording Studio" (2:46 and 3:18/HD), "Animation" (3:10/HD), "Lighting and Layout" (2:27/HD), "Directors" (3:12/HD), "Producer" (3:22/HD), "Editorial" (3:24/HD) and "Story" (1:19/HD).

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This $1 billion-grossing film will likely be in the stockings of half of America's kids this year. Minions is a step down from Despicable Me in both narrative and universal humor, and adults will likely find the rambunctious Minions grating. Kids are going to eat this noisy, targeted film up. For them it comes Recommended.

William lives in Burlington, North Carolina, and looks forward to a Friday-afternoon matinee.