New in Home Entertainment – December 10, 2013

Despicable Me 2
Rated PG for rude humor and mild action
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
It was surprising when the first Despicable Me scored a $500 million plus world wide gross, but absolutely stunning is the almost billion dollar haul from its sequel.  Back again is Steve Carrell as the voice of the super villain Gru as he works with a secret agency to take down an even worse baddy.  This new installment is not only a cuter film but is a much stronger narrative as well.  The minions are still adorable and their antics are hilarious.  While its not the caliber of films like Frozen and The Croods – it is still entertainment that won’t make the adults watching it want to leave the room.  B+

Fast & Furious 6
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action and mayhem throughout, some sexuality and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
The Fast and Furious gang, including Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and the late Paul Walker are back and this time hired by the government to take down a huge criminal ring.  When it pulled in $786 million at the box office I assumed that big improvements were made to the franchise, which I considered silly and ridiculous.  But I was wrong.  The writing is still horrible, filled with senseless exposition dumbed down for an assumed ADD audience.   The action is nonstop, but the laws of physics are completely thrown aside as are any brains behind them.  What you get it is simply the title: fast and furious action with no thought or intelligent design.  C-