Despicable Me 3 Family Movie Night

Thanks to Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Illumination Entertainment we enjoyed a fun family movie night watching DESPICABLE ME 3 which is now available on 4k Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD, Digital, Digital 3D and On Demand.  My kids always go BANANAS about a chance to enjoy the zany antic of Gru and his Minions and this newest installment of the Despicable Me franchise didn't disappoint.  Just as Gru is embarking on a career as a good guy his life begins to spin him back to his evil ways in this movie that expands on the elements that have made the past films so popular as well as introduces new high jinks and hilarity that from my family's experience seeing it are sure to make you laugh.

When Gru (Steve Carell, The Office) is fired from the Anti-Villain League for failing to take down Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker, South Park), the latest evil mastermind to threaten humanity, Gru finds himself in the midst of a major identity crisis.  But when a mysterious stranger shows up to inform Gru that he has a long-lost twin brother -- a brother who desperately wishes to follow in his twin's despicable footsteps -- the former super villain rediscovers just how good it feels to be bad.  In addition to Carell and Parker, contributing their vocal talents to the movie are Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids), Miranda Cosgrove (School of Rock), Steve Coogan (Secret Life of Pets), Jenny Slate (Zootopia), Dana Gaier (Despicable Me 1 & 2), and legendary singer and actress Julie Andrews (The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins).



Of course home video releases always have extras in addition to the movie included with them and Despicable Me 3 packs a bunch of them for you to enjoy.  Bonus features on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and digital include:

• All-New Mini Movie — The Secret Life of Kyle
• Minion Moments — Watch the Minions cause more hilarious mayhem with Gru
• Deleted Scene — With intro by Dana Gaier, the voice of Edith
• Character Profiles — The inside scoop on the most popular characters, from the actors who play them
• The Making of Despicable Me 3 — A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie
• Developing Dru — Behind the scenes character development of Dru
• The AVL Files — Through the lens of the Anti-Villain League’s hi-tech database, this ultra secret, interactive surveillance briefing showcases all of the agency’s amazing creations and top agents
• Freedonia Visitors Guide — Welcome to Freedonia! See all that the town has to offer with this interactive map. From its world class cheese, to its beautiful coastline, Freedonia has it all!
• Despicable Me TV — Tune in for some fabulous fun with these Despicable Me 3 infomercials. Includes “Balthazar Bratt Action Figure,” “Bad Boy Bod by Balthazar Bratt” and “Agnes’ Super Cute, Incredibly Amazing Toy Sale.”
• “Doowit” Sing-Along — Sing along with Pharrell Williams as the Minions plot their escape from prison
• “Yellow Light” Music Video — Official music video by Pharrell Williams
• Minion Mugshots — The Minions add to the long list of celebrity mugshots in their very own “rogues gallery.”
• Wanted Posters — Have you seen these Minions wanted for various crimes?

Don't miss out on a great sweepstakes opportunity revolving around the promotion of Despicable Me 3's release being sponsored by Hilton Hotels.  Enter to win a Grand Prize trip to Los Angeles, hotel stay and tickets for four to Universal Studios Hollywood!  To learn more about the contest's details, rules and how to enter please visit www.HiltonHonors.com/DM3

If you are staying at Hilton Hotels in Southern California, Houston, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco or Washington D.C. keep an eye out for some Minion fun.  Select Hilton Hotels will be displaying a special photo op backdrop in lobbies where people can take a selfie with some Minions through December 31, 2017.  These locations will also provide guests with Minion sticker sheets, luggage tags, and holiday bags while supplies last.

Disclaimer: A Geek Daddy received a Despicable Me 3 Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD movie bundle from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment for free.

Thanks CostumeSuperCenter.com for providing my Gru costume for our family movie night.  They always have a great selection of movie themed costumes in sizes for both kids and adults to choose from. Find a number of Minions inspired outfits for your own family movie night party on their website.

Minion MiP Turbo Dave

Any fan of the Despicable Me movies has dreamed about having their own troop of zany yellow creatures to serve them just like Gru does.  Now you can bring home your very own Minion courtesy of WowWee.  Some of my daughters favorite toys including CHiP the Robot Dog, Fingerlings, and MiPosaur have been manufactured by WowWee with the Minion MiP Turbo Dave Balancing Robot recently joining that list.

Minion MiP Turbo Dave brings one of the wacky minions characters from the Despicable Me movies to life in your own home.  The toy incorporates a number of high tech features that provide for fun interactive experiences allowing your new loyal henchman to carry out all sorts of mischievous schemes for you.  Accelerometers & gyroscopes allow your Turbo Dave to balance itself up right and whip around a room really fast while also allowing the robot to sense when it is being picked up.  Capacitive sensor technology allows a Minion MiP to respond to being touched.  Its sound detection system allows the robot to react to noises in its environment. Plus GestureSense allows your WowWee robot to respond to gesture-based interactions like swipes, claps, touch and more.  So you can have lots of fun playing with Minion MiP Turbo Dave without the need of a remote control device!

Expanding upon the controllability of Minion MiP Turbo Dave there is also a free downloadable app for Android and Apple mobile devices and phones that allows the robot to be controlled via Bluetooth.  There are a variety of games, like Fart Battle, you can play with Turbo Dave accessible through the app.  The Minion MiP also has more than 140 sound effects taken from the Despicable Me and Minions movie soundtracks which are a hoot to hear!  Additionally the app has a coding option within it that provides a STEM learning aspect to the toy by helping teaching kids, or adults, how to program the robot themselves.

There is a whole lot to discover about Minion MiP Turbo Dave and exploring all its abilities and options is exciting.  Being able to interact and control Turbo Dave both through an app as well as by gestures, sound and touch really enhances the fun of its interactive capabilities. This toy has been very entertaining and everyone in our family has enjoyed playing around with it!  It is recommended for ages 8+ and requires 4 AAA sized alkaline batteries that are not included with the toy.  The batteries are the one negative aspect of the Minion MiP as it would have been nice to have a plug in rechargeable battery for all the use the toy gets from our family.  Of course on the flip side of that critique is we've also like the product enough to be using it a lot.

To get some inspiration for the antics and adventures we wanted to engage in with our new WowWee toy, we watched MINIONS on Movies Anywhere before playing with it.  Movies Anywhere simplifies your digital video collection by providing access in one place to movies from multiple studios purchased or redeemed through a variety of retailers.  Redeem digital copy codes found in eligible Blu-ray and DVD disc packages from participating studios or purchase a digital download of a movie directly from the Movies Anywhere app or website.   Stream a movie to your television for a family movie night or download a film to watch by yourself on a mobile device.  Watch your movie collection whenever and wherever you want with Movies Anywhere.

Bello!!! Who is in the mood to watch MINIONS now?  A Geek Daddy has a digital download code for MINIONS courtesy of Movies Anywhere to give away.  For a chance to win simply complete the entries within the rafflecopter form below before 11:59 pm ET on Sunday, December 17, 2017.  One lucky winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries.  Must be a United States resident over 18 years old to participate.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A special shout out to Costume SuperCenter who provided the costumes that allowed us to get into character for this post.  Costume Super Center has a great selection of costumes for both kids and adults to choose from.  Looking for a Santa suit for a Christmas party, a Jedi robe to go see Star Wars Episode VII in, or some Minions inspired outfits to add some fun to a family movie night party?  A Geek Daddy gives CostumeSuperCenter.com a thumbs up for affordable prices, quality products, and dependable delivery of your purchases right to your front door in a timely manner.  Costume Super Center can provide extra fun to any occasion!

MAD MOVES

My kids loved the movie Despicable 3 that came out last summer and one of their favorite parts was the Dance Fight scenes.  So they were excited to get a chance to try an advance sample of a new game called MAD MOVES which lets them have their own dance fight battles.  MAD MOVES currently has a Kickstarter campaign going to fund helping get the game off the ground.  I'd encourage you to enchufla, moonwalk, or sashay your way over to madmoves.dance and make a Kickstarter pledge to get yourself  the first edition of this game because my kids had themselves a good time playing the sample one sent our way.

MAD MOVES revolves around a spinner and decks of cards which provide instructions that have players performing hilarious dances.  A player may have to mimic a T-rex dinosaur performing ballet, surfing while doing the limbo or tap dancing as a robot.  You'll get some great exercise and generate a lot of laughs showing off your Mad Moves!

Spin the spinner to see what type of dance moves you have to perform.  Belly Dancing, Break Dancing, Ballet are just a few of the options.  The shade of color for the dance move the spinner falls on also determines the theme of your turn.  Pull from the deck of cards that matches the color the spinner lands on to be assigned a random person, action or animal to incorporate into your dance.  Don't share what is on your card with anyone else. The other players will know what type of dance you are doing from the spinner but will have to guess what your card says.

The first person who guesses what the dancer is mimicking wins that card.  If no one is able to guess what is on a dancer's card then the performer gets thrown a tomato card and his or her category card gets shuffled back in the deck.  The next person gets a turn and around the group the dancing goes as each person does a turn over and over again. When someone gets five tomato cards they are out of the game and everyone else who is left counts the number of category cards they have acquired.  The person with the most cards wins the game!

So here's a turn that occurred while our family played the game.  My son spun the spinner landing on Green Break Dance.  He pulled robot from the green deck of cards. Oh yeah, did I mention you can't talk or make sound effects as clues while doing a dance? That adds an extra level of difficulty into the mix.

Have you ever seen a Break Dancing Robot?  My daughter actually guessed what he was doing so she won a card.

For another turn he landed the spinner on a green twist slot.  He pulled a Grandpa card from the deck.  So he had to do the Twist Dance as a Grandpa.  My daughter didn't guess that one so my son got himself tossed a tomato.

In addition to these charade aspect of the game, players can also land on Dance Battle slots on the spinner.  The player whose turn it is selects an opponent to duel against.  A card is picked from one of the three category decks that matches the color of the slot the spinner landed on.  The first player does a dance move incorporating the category card theme.  The other player matches that move and adds another.  This goes back and forth until someone doesn't replicate all the moves during a turn.  The winning player gets the category card and the loser gets a tomato!

To keep players on their toes, they may also occasionally pull a Freeze Dance card from one of the decks during a regular turn or a dance battle.  If you pick one, then you must strike a pose, scream FREEZE DANCE and the last person among all the players who doesn't mimic you gets tossed a tomato card.  No one wins a category card during this round but a Freeze Dance could knock someone out of the game.

Do you have the moves to win at this game?!  Head over to madmoves.dance to find out!  Based upon my kids delight in playing the game I'm sure you'll have a good time showing off your Mad Moves during a family game night.

DESPICABLE ME 3 MOVIE REVIEW

Universal Pictures treated A GEEK DADDY to a family dinner and outing to the movies where we had the chance to see an advance screening of DESPICABLE ME 3.  My 8 year old son and daughter who have grown up watching the films in this movie franchise were really excited to see a new adventure on the silver screen.  The twins were especially interested to see how the story's plot of introducing Gru to a twin brother he never knew about would play out!  They've never seen The Parent Trap (1961 / 1998) which Despicable Me 3 is parodying so this was mind blowing element of the movie for them. 

Before heading out to see Despicable Me 3, my kids insisted we have a movie marathon watching the previous two Despicable Me films and Minions on home video.  So we entered the theater all revved up to see the newest adventure of Gru and his Minions!

Despicable Me 3 continues the story of Gru, Lucy, their adorable daughters—Margo, Edith and Agnes—and the Minions. After he is fired from the Anti-Villain League for failing to take down the latest bad guy to threaten humanity, Gru finds himself in the midst of a major identity crisis.  But when a mysterious stranger shows up to inform Gru that he has a long-lost twin brother—a brother who desperately wishes to follow in his twin’s despicable footsteps—one former super-villain will rediscover just how good it feels to be bad.



I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish watching this movie.  Despicable Me 3's nostalgic '80s spoofs, physical humor and wise cracking jokes had me chuckling throughout the movie.  The film really does a nice job of complementing the tone and vibe of the previous Despicable Me  movies while also standing out on its own merits.  It also continues the theme of valuing family, expanding the role of Lucy as a mother to the girls and adding Dru into the mix, which this parent watching the movie with his kids appreciated.

Addressing Minion overkill from the last two movies, Despicable Me 3 sees a diminished role for these characters in the script with more of a focus on Gru, Lucy and their daughters.  I liked this because it made the moments featuring the Minions stand out more and I thought they were funnier  because you didn't get worn out by their ongoing antics continuously taking place like in the other films.  Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of the Minions, but sometimes quality is better than quantity.  Also Balthazar Bratt is not just a humorous addition to the movie but also a very worthy adversary.  


My kids LOVED the movie!  My daughter really was into Agne's search for a real life unicorn.  My son thought Bratt's bubble gum weapons were AWESOME!  They both appreciated the dynamic that take place between Gru and Dru as well.  My wife thought the movie was "OK" better than Despicable Me 2 and Minions but not as great as the original Despicable Me.  I really liked the movie because it is an all-ages appropriate animated summer movie that families can enjoy together with parents and children alike finding it interesting and funny to watch.

 Despicable Me 3 is rated PG for rude humor (mostly the Minions) and mild action sequences which include "dance fights", jail house antics, and characters risking being impaled on menacing spikes. Plus Lucy beats up quite a few people showing she's not someone to be messed with.  All in all I didn't see anything overly objectionable that should give parents concern about taking a child of any age to see this movie.  It really is a nice movie for a family outing to the movie theater.

Despicable Me 3 gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval because it is a colorful, zany movie that I enjoyed viewing as much as my kids did.  It is a funny fun movie very much worth going to see in my opinion.  Kids and kids-at-heart will really be entertained by it!

Despicable Me 3 opens at theaters across the United States on June 30, 2017.  For more information about the movie, please visit www.despicable.me or check out the film's social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and GruTube.

Despicable Me 3 Giveaway

You'll go BANANAS just like a Minion for this great Despicable Me 3 prize pack! The third installment of Despicable Me is a must-see animated movie for a family outing to the movie theater this summer.  My family are huge fans of this movie franchise and to share our anticipation for the theatrical release of Despicable Me 3 I've partnered with The Hopping Bloggers to put together an awesome prize pack we're giving away! One lucky, randomly selected entrant will win over $100 in Despicable Me swag that includes:

• 3 Movie Collection on Blu-Ray: Minions, Despicable Me, & Despicable Me 2
• Despicable Me 3 Learn to Read Book
• Despicable Me 3 Mega Construx Building Set
• Despicable Me 3 Mystery Plush
• Despicable Me 3 Operation
• Despicable Me 3 Fluffy Funko Pop
• Despicable Me 3 Spy Gru Funko Pop

Synopsis Gru (Steve Carell) and his wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig) must stop former '80s child star Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker) from achieving world domination.

Despicable Me comes to theaters June 30th!

Connect with Despicable Me

Official Site | Facebook | Twitter | #DespicableMe3

Enter to win this Despicable Me 3 Prize Pack using the form below.
GOOD LUCK!

Entry-Form

A DESPICABLE GIVEAWAY

** This post is in partnership with Universal Pictures **

The hilarious antics and misadventures of Gru and his Minions are returning to the big screen on JUNE 30 when DESPICABLE ME 3 opens at movie theaters throughout the United States.  To say me kids are EXCITED to go see this movie is an understatement.  Picture Agnes seeing a big Fluffy unicorn and you get my drift about how much they want to go on a family outing to see Despicable Me 3 this summer.



So what is the plot for this movie?  After he is fired from the Anti-Villain League for failing to take down the latest bad guy to threaten humanity, Gru finds himself in the midst of a major identity crisis.  But when a mysterious stranger shows up to inform Gru that he has a long-lost twin brother—a brother who desperately wishes to follow in his twin’s despicable footsteps—one former super-villain will rediscover just how good it feels to be bad.

To share my family's excitement about this movie, A Geek Daddy is hosting A DESPICABLE GIVEAWAY.  I'll be giving away to one lucky randomly selected winner a $25 Fandango gift card to see Despicable Me 3 at the movie theater plus two Despicable Me Mega Construx Micro packs. Must be over 18 years old and have a U.S. mailing address to be eligible to win (no P.O. Boxes allowed).  Prizes are courtesy of Universal Pictures and Mega Brands. Enter below for a chance to win:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MEGA CONSTRUX MICRO ACTION FIGURES

Get ready for buildable buffoonery movie-sized mischief with Despicable Me action figures in Mega Construx blind bag Micro packs.  There are 12 to collect including Fluffy the unicorn among an assortment of minions for you to create your own shenanigans with.  Recommended for ages 5 and up, collect this new assortment of Mega Construx action figures that feature all-new outfits, gear, themes, and accessories to allow you to build your very own loyal tribe of Minions.  Available now at Toys R Us, Target and Walmart.

For more information about the movie, please visit www.despicable.me. Also check out the Despicable Me social media content on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and GruTube searching with #DespicableMe3. Find out more about Mega Construx toys by visiting www.megaconstrux.com or following the brand on Twitter or Instagram.

DISCLAIMER & GIVEAWAY RULES A Geek Daddy has not been financially compensated for this post and  hosting the giveaway but did receive the same prize being awarded for personal use. The prize is provided by Universal Pictures. Must be a US resident over the age of 18 to participate. Must submit eligible entries through the rafflecopter format for a chance to win. Winner when notified by email has 48 hours to reply by providing a valid mailing address within the United States to accept the prize. Universal Pictures will be responsible for shipping the prize to the randomly selected winner.  By participating in this promotion you waive any liability of any kind against the publisher of this blog as we are facilitating this free opportunity as a benefit to our readers.

Meet Gru's Twin Brother in DESPICABLE ME 3

Illumination, the studio behind Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2 and Minions, continues the adventures of Gru, Lucy, their adorable daughters—Margo, Edith and Agnes—and the Minions in Despicable Me 3 which arrives at movie theaters in the USA on June 30, 2017.  Joining in the action of the newest movie is Dru, the twin brother of Gru, who we are introduced to in this new trailer for Despicable Me 3:



Joining Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig in Despicable Me 3 is Emmy, Tony and Grammy Award winner Trey Parker, co-creator of Comedy Central’s global phenomenon South Park and the Broadway smash The Book of Mormon.  Parker voices the role of villain Balthazar Bratt, a former child star who’s grown up to become obsessed with the character he played in the ‘80s, and proves to be Gru’s most formidable nemesis to date.

The question now is what piece to the puzzle does Dru play in the motion picture's plot? While you are waiting for Despicable Me 3 to arrive at theaters to find out the answer to that question have some fun using new Twitter Emojis that appear when using #DespicableMe3 and #Minions that allow you to include images of characters from the movie in your tweets.  You can also follow the movie's official Twitter feed, @DespicableMe, for news and updates about the film.  While you are on Twitter make sure to follow @Geekdad248 to stay in touch with everything A GEEK DADDY is blogging about.

Who else is looking forward to the return of the minions this summer?!

Despicable 3 villain has been unveiled -- Balthazar Bratt

If you were a star in the 1980's then it was guaranteed there was a lunch box with your picture on it.  Metal lunch boxes for children featuring popular characters from cartoons, movies, and television shows were a sign of the times.  I have fond memories of the tin Empire Strikes Back lunch box that I took to school during my elementary school years.  Illumination Entertainment, the animation film production company behind Despicable Me, Minions, and Secret Life of Pets, recently sent A Geek Daddy one of these retro style lunch boxes featuring Balthazar Bratt to tease the upcoming release of Despicable Me 3 which will be arriving at theaters across the United States next summer on June 30, 2017.

Who is Balthazar Bratt?  He's a former child actor who was an international sensation during the 1980's for his role in the top-rated TV show Evil Bratt (1985 - 1987).  Bratt received numerous accolades from the role including back-to-back Kids' Pick Awards for Heart-Throb-biest Leading Actor and a top spot on the Forbes 12-Under-12 List.  At the height of his popularity though, disaster struck! Balthazar hit puberty in the middle of the show's third season and overnight he was no longer the cute, fresh-faced kid who had charmed TV audiences as his voice cracked while delivering lines and acne began covering his face.  His show was cancelled before the final episode of the season could even air and Balthazar Bratt never resurfaced publicly.

It appears from the hint sent by Illumination Entertainment in the form of the mysterious Evil Bratt lunch box that arrived at my house along with a profile page printed out from the online information source Despikipedia that Balthazar is planning a comeback with a vengeance as Gru's adversary in Despicable Me 3.  What dastardly plans does Balthazar Bratt have in store for the world?  Will the Minions save the day? You'll have to find out by going to see the movie when it comes out!

For more information about Balthazar Bratt, visit www.despikipedia.org/evilbratt/