Ant-Man And The Wasp (Blu-Ray) : Review

Film

Following the events of Ant-Man, and further along, Captain America: Civil War, Scott Lang / Ant-Man (Paul Rudd – Sausage PartyAnt-Man) is now suffering the consequences of the decisions he made, and the support he lent to be a hero. Yet, Lang is also fighting another battle, that of family and father.

Soon, he is approached very persuasively, by Hope van Dyne / Wasp (Evangeline Lilly – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) and her father, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas – Last Vegas) with an mission that will ripple through the world of many, affecting countless lives, as Lang must now not only overcome personal obstacles, but needs to learn to work as a team as the choices of the past catch up to all.

Ant-Man and the Wasp, while possible to watch with one’s only background being the first Ant-Man film, forms part of the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), meaning that there are not only many references in the story, based on its placement in time, but several small, and some large, setups that will forward the MCU major story arch, as a whole. Most certainly, the aforementioned films would stand one in good stead, to watch. As would the recent Avengers: Infinity War.

Rewatch Value

Being part of the MCU automatically adds a great deal of rewatch value to the film, however, the Ant-Man and the Wasp holds its own, and even as a stand-alone film, there is plenty of reason for subsequent viewings. Thoroughly enjoyable, packed with action, and that Marvel goodness we all know.

Read the full SAMDB review of Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Disc

Overall, the disc is of a decent technical quality, with a great main feature, and would do well with any film collection.

Ant-Man And The Wasp is available now, to purchase on disc, in South Africa.

Video

Video is encoded at a high average bitrate. There are no visible artefacts on-screen. Colours are vibrant, with no visible colour bleed. Details in darker or faster scenes are good too.

Viewers with the necessary hardware or software could scale up to a larger or higher resolution screen, should they wish.

Audio

Audio is compressed at a high average bitrate, and presented in a DTS-HD 7.1 mix. Dialogue is clear via the centre channel, with the front, rear and surround channels used to great effect, with distinct audio, to expand the on-screen world, and further draw the viewer into the action.

The soundscape is broad, and mixed in such as way as to constantly surround the viewer, and is used to great effect throughout the film.

Navigation

Navigation is simple, and easy to follow. On initial play, the viewer is asked to choose a disc language, then taken to the main menu, which consists of a motion background of some clips from the main feature, accompanying music, and navigation bar with text links to play the main feature, bonus features, scene selection, and set up.

The play sub-menu allows the viewer to choose between playing the film, or opting to play the film with an introduction by director Peyton Reed before.

The bonus features sub-menu has a text list of each bonus feature, with a further sub-menu for the ‘making of’ featurettes. Here the viewer can select each individually, or via a playlist that will play each of the four in succession. The same goes for the gag reel and outtakes, leading the viewer to a sub-menu,

The scene selection sub-menu has small, colour, still thumbnails, for a total of eighteen chapters.. These are both numbered and labelled, and so should help when trying to navigate to a particular part of the main film. It is worth noting, that navigation is not done via the thumbnails, but via a progress bar to the left of these thumbnails.

The setup sub-menu has further sub-menus for languages and subtitles. The languages sub-menus has a text list of available languages and sound formats, while the subtitles sub-menus has a list of available subtitle languages, or the option to turn them off.

Bonus Features

There are four bonus featurettes that shed light on the process and journey of making the film. These can be played one at at time, in any order, or via a playlist that will play them all.

Making-of Featurettes – There are a few short videos that take the viewer behind the scenes of the film, showing some on-set footage, and garnering input and insight from both cast and crew. While brief, these are sure to be of interest to fans and budding filmmakers alike, even if just for a once off viewing.

Back In The Ant Suit: Scott Lang: A look at the character Scott Lang / Ant-Man, with some behind the scenes footage of Paul Rudd. This is a short, yet insightful look at the character, where he comes from, and how far he has come since the first movie in the Ant-Man series, and some of the characters other outings in the MCU.

A Suit Of her Own: The Wasp: Hope Van Dyne / Wasp, a look at the character, the actress, and the question of whether Ant-Man does indeed need a partner, and if so, what must they overcome to realise this joining and team. Brief, but with some interesting input from cast and crew.

Subatomic Super Heroes: Hank & Jane: The team that started it all, with Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer. While this is about the two as an on-screen duo, the viewer is treated to some of the choices and thoughts of the actors themselves.

Quantum Perspective: The VFX And Production Design Of Ant-Man And The Wasp: The longest of the short featurettes included as bonus material on the disc, and how the various ideas for the stories main plot devices and effects were conceived. Again, with input from both cast and relevant crew, this is something that would be of interest to both fans and filmmakers.

Gag Reel And Outtakes – Some very brief clips with outtakes from Stan Lee and another set from Tim Heidecker. These, unfortunately, are not too funny, and do not feel like true outtakes, but rather more like a long list of improvised lines

Deleted Scenes – There are two deleted scenes included on the disc, which one can play individually, or play both via a playlist. There is also the option of either watching the scenes with or without audio commentary by director Peyton Reed. The scenes should prove of interest to fans and filmmakers alike, and the addition of the directory commentary for these scenes is a great added bonus.

Audio Commentary – An audio commentary by director Peyton Reed, that plays while one watches the main feature. He gives an insight into the story on-screen while talking, plus how these different story pieces fit together over the course of the film, and Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as a whole, and of course the various story arcs between those. This commentary should prove interesting to fans of the film and MCU, and prove insightful to budding filmmakers. A great addition to the disc, and a great listen after watching the film.

Info – While this is not strictly a bonus feature, it is likely necessary for a host of reasons, and is basically a disclaimer for the interviews and opinions therein.

Packaging

Packaging is a standard Blu-Ray case, with a poster on the front, with the film title. The back has a short synopsis, with a listing of the bonus features, and the usual technical information and logos. There are no case inserts, but there is not really a need for anything such as chapters headings, as these are included on the actual disc, and would appear on-screen.

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb