General Evans Above Archive for Sep 26, 2024

Despicable Me 4 4K review

Sep 26, 2024permalink

Despicable Me 4 is the latest instalment in an animated franchise that has grossed over $5 billion. This time around, former villain Gru and his family have welcomed a new addition to the family, Gru Jr., while also dealing with Gru’s high school nemesis, and a young neighbour who wants to blackmail into helping her become a villain. As always, Gru is assisted by his loyal Minions, but a twist there sees five of them transformed into superheroes. Directed by Chris Renaud, Despicable Me 4 features the voice talents of Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Miranda Cosgrove, Steve Coogan, Sofía Vergara, Stephen Colbert, Renaud, Madison Polan, Dana Gaier, Chloe Fineman, and Will Ferrell. Universal has just released the movie on 4K and I had a chance to take an early look.

Despicable Me 4 coverart

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Simply put, it looks great. Sharp, crystal clear animation with amazing detail. A colour palette that explodes off the screen with a variety of hues. Deep black levels with no evidence of crushing.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English Dolby Atmos soundtrack that folds back to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, as well as French and Spanish Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 tracks. Subtitles are available for English SDH, French and Spanish. The soundscape does a good job of immersing the viewer in the action and, though not overpowering, the subwoofer does add a little extra floor when needed. The score is dynamic and dialogue is clear and well-positioned in the mix. A fun soundtrack.

The Despicable Me 4 4K also comes with a Blu-ray copy and a digital code, though once again Universal has not included a digital code for those of us in Canada. The group of extra features are all on the Blu-ray disc. They include two shorts — Game Over and Over and Benny’s Birthday — as well as deleted, extended, and alternate scenes, a look at the dialogue recording sessions, a meet the cast piece, a look at the Mega Minions, a gallery of the franchise’s villains, and a tutorial on drawing the Mega Minions.

The Despicable Me 4 4K combines dazzling visuals, great sound, and antics that will entertain the whole family.