7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.3 |
Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
Starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Bobby CannavaleAdventure | 100% |
Action | 94% |
Comic book | 84% |
Sci-Fi | 82% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 MVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy (as download)
Blu-ray 3D
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The movie marketplace is so flooded with good, great, and even instant classic Marvel Universe Superhero movies (TV spinoffs, too, and don't forget the numerous D.C. Comic film adaptations in competition) that it's a wonder some of them don't get drowned out in the deluge. Add one of the lesser-known Marvel characters to the "cinecomic" soup and the recipe seems set for something of a letdown, the inevitable movie that's bound to slow the train and prove that superheroes in cinema aren't quite so invulnerable as they appear on the screen and aren't made of guaranteed money as every studio executive has been led to believe. Director Peyton Reed's (Bring It On) Ant-Man has all the makings of being that movie. After all, Ant-Man isn't Captain America or Spider-Man or Superman or Batman. That's not to disparage the little guy, that's to say that his popularity isn't quite so astronomically high or infused so deeply into the cultural landscape as many of his peers. But the film proved a success, anyway, to the tune of more than half a billion dollars in worldwide gross, proving that viewers haven't tired of the Superhero genre and that even some of the more out-of-the-way characters can carry a movie to major success so long as that Marvel name, spirit, and filmmaking finesse come standard.
Find the superhero.
Ant-Man's 3D transfer exemplifies the format's capabilities. There's a nice, natural sense of space and volume evident in almost every scene.
Right off the bat, the image impresses with a deep and detailed long-distance exterior shot. The "1989" text hovers effortlessly over, and appears to
do so well above the screen. A cavernous room seen in the next shot stretches on for some ways, and a curved table is not just evidently shapely, but
seems to really bend
back away from the screen on one end and, on the other, grow appreciably closer. The following scene in the prison is excellent; there's a very clear
sense of space between characters, even as they're
packed tightly together in a circle around a fistfight. Sprawling locations are even more impressive at ant size. One of the film's trademark scenes
comes when Ant-Man must flee the raging waters of a common bathtub. The tub seems to stretch on for almost infinity, and the water threatens to
spill out of the screen. Action scenes send plenty of little details spiraling towards the audience and back into the screen's deepest recesses. The image
capably retains the strengths of its 2D-only counterpart. Detailing is exquisite, whether the finely appointed suits
seen in the 1989 pre-title open, facial textures, and Ant-Man, Yellowjacket, and Falcon costume material intricacies. Colors pop and aren't appreciably
darker in 3D. Faces push a
hair pastier but not to any bothersome extent. Light noise remains, but macroblocking, banding, and aliasing also remain all but absent.
Note that screenshots are sourced from the included 2D-only disc and are not absolutely representative of 3D picture quality.
Little Ant-Man boasts a big DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack. As expected of a superhero movie, the track is aggressively brawny but delivers the goods with the utmost in clarity and precision placement around the stage. Music is well defined across a fairly diverse range, from light, almost comedic Heist movie-inspired notes to more traditional, strapping orchestral score. The entire stage floods with notes. The surrounds and subwoofer work in harmony to create a delicate balance to impressively robust music. The surrounds spring to life throughout in other areas, shaping both action scenes and quieter atmospherics alike. Crowd din at an early film prison fight places the listener in the middle of the chaos while lighter city sounds -- cars maneuvering from side-to-side, for example -- prove naturally immersive. Action scenes are expectedly potent and detailed, enhanced by film's unique juxtaposing scopes. Rushing bathtub water sounds like a tidal wave coming through the speakers, for example, and a vicious fight in a briefcase suddenly sounds tiny when the perspective shifts to a normal view. Various examples of gunfire, both traditional and nontraditional, fill the stage with impressive detail and maneuverability. Dialogue delivery is satisfyingly clear, articulate, and well prioritized. This is a first-class listen from Disney, unsurprising given past studio performance and the film's very nature.
Ant-Man contains a fairly standard allotment of bonus features, all found on the included 2D-only disc. No unique 3D extras are included. A
Disney digital copy voucher is included with purchase.
Ant-Man could have been something of a flop, but credit the diverse, yet interconnected, source material with a staying power that's as impressive as any other film franchise, perhaps even more so considering the shorter period of time in which these films have been topping the charts. While Ant-Man doesn't approach the pinnacle of Superhero movie excellence, it's a fun and energetic little (literally) movie with more than enough action and special effects to satisfy undemanding audiences. Even considering that it's dramatically hollow and repurposes its basic plot from other Superhero films, Ant-Man does a fine job of bringing one of the lesser-known superheroes to the big screen, and there's a sequel scheduled for release in 2018. Disney's Blu-ray 3D release of Ant-Man is excellent. The 3D effect works very well, particularly as it pertains to depth and volume. Sound is dynamic 7.1 lossless and supplements are average. 3D owners should find this version to be worth the added cost.
2015
2015
Digital Bonus Content
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2018
Cinematic Universe Edition
2015
Cinematic Universe Edition
2019
Cinematic Universe Edition
2016
2013
Cinematic Universe Edition
2019
2019
2017
Cinematic Universe Edition
2011
Cinematic Universe Edition
2014
Theatrical & Extended Cut
2016
Cinematic Universe Edition
2018
2005
2019
2013
2008
Cinematic Universe Edition
2017
Cinematic Universe Edition
2012
The Richard Donner Cut
1980-2006
2011