Despicable Me 2

The story of Gru and his newfound female family of girls continues with "Despicable Me 2", the hugely popular animated hit from the summer.

The once evil Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) may no longer be despicable, but the hilarious shenanigans can still be enjoyed in this nicely presented film on Blu-ray. The character of Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig) is a fine addition to the continuation, and this time around the situations are a bit more saccharine.

Of course, the real stars of "Despicable Me 2" are the Minions, mischievous as ever (and now there are a subset of Evil Minions, too). In the Blu-ray's slew of special features, the Minions take over the short 5 minute promo segments. They also star in three new mini-movies: "Puppy," "Panic in the Mailroom," and "Training Wheels." Each are introduced by Carell, and I highly recommended them if you can't get enough of the feature film.

The three mini-movies also have their own making-of features. Most of these Minion-starring shorts are done by first time directors. "A Gru-some Transformation" takes a look at how the character of Gru has grown from being an evil tyrant to a lovable father. "The Villainy of el Macho" is a feature that discusses how a new villain was created to take the place of Gru.

"Gru's Girls" is a behind-the-scenes feature with the young actresses who voice Gru's girls, and "Gadgets Galore" looks at the outrageous props the characters use, including the infamous Lipstick Taser. A detailed audio commentary by directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin can also be listened to.

"Despicable Me 2"
Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack
www.UniversalHiDef.com