“Oh poop.”
Mooned is a 2023 animated short film produced by Illumination Entertainment in the Despicable Me franchise. It is directed by Jonathan Del Val and sees the return of Jason Segel as the voice of Vector.
Set in the aftermath of the original film, in which Vector is stranded on the newly-unshrunken moon, the short follows his attempts to return to Earth. Mooned premiered in theaters on December 22, 2023, attached to the film Migration.
Mooned contains examples of the following:
- Aspect Ratio Switch: The Previously on… montage starts in a 4:3 aspect ratio reminiscent of a TV screen, but as it progresses, it slowly stretches out to a widescreen aspect ratio, starting the short.
- Batman Can Breathe in Space: As in the first movie, the minions are shown to be fine without space suits while Vector needs an inflatable helmet.
- The Bus Came Back: Not only the first appearance of Vector in thirteen years but the one minion who took Nefario's anti-gravity potion.
- Failure Montage: Vector put his gadgets to use in his many attempts to escape the moon to no avail, suffering many Amusing Injuries along the way.
- Female Gaze: Played for Laughs. We're able to see Vector's rear end in his underwear after taking off his suit to get out of the heavy rockets.
- Here We Go Again!: In the end, Vector finally escapes the moon... only to end up stranded on Mars.
- Holographic Terminal: Vector uses a holographic HOD in his glasses to weigh his options for escape.
- Immediate Sequel: Set just moments after Vector's defeat in the first movie.
- Monumental Damage: Not as extreme as most examples, but Vector's escape attempts do some damage to the lunar landing site, his footprints replacing those of the astronauts, and the landing pad gets destroyed when he uses it for his escape.
- Not Now, Kiddo: Vector ignores the minion's attempts to help, mainly because he can't understand him. When other minions arrive on Gru's ship to rescue him, he calls out for Vector, but Vector is too busy with his own escape attempt to pay attention. In the end, when Vector gets stranded on Mars, he similarly brushes aside a local Martian, who had just met the minions and is taking them back to Earth; Vector only realizes this when it's too late.
- Previously on…: The short opens on a montage of news reports recapping the events of the first film.
