7 | / 10 |
Users | 3.9 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
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 AVC
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
Single disc (1 BD)
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.
Marvel's biggest little hero.
Ant-Man looks great on Blu-ray. The 1.85:1 framing helps accentuate the movie's contrasting "large" and "small" visuals (something Reed and Rudd discuss in the commentary) and the Blu-ray captures that sense of large scale scope, evident even on surfaces far smaller than standard theater screens. The 1080p image, sourced from a digital shoot, is very clean and a touch smooth, but details are terrifically captured, particularly all of the little touches on the Ant-Man, Yellowjacket, and Falcon costumes. Nylon is particularly dense and tactile, but the more rubbery-looking supports on muscles and joints look great, too. The Ant-Man helmet, when seen in close-up, reveals terrific detailing in the way of scratches and wear. Colors are vibrant and pleasing. There's a decidedly slick, gray appearance to the film's early shots from 1989, but there's a color diversity and faultless saturation evident throughout. Scott's pink and blue Baskin Robbins uniform leaps off the screen. The red accents on the Ant-Man costume are deep and accurate. Bright city lights stand apart from inky deep blacks. Flesh tones raise no alarms. Light noise appears in a couple of lower-light scenes but is never intrusive. Macroblocking, banding, aliasing, and other issues are nonexistent. This is a stellar effort from Disney.
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. 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 release of Ant-Man sports top-tier technical presentations, supported by an average allotment of extra content. Recommended.
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