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Okay,
I'll admit it: I'm deathly afraid of bugs. Snakes, rats or
bats, no problem; but bugs, forget about it! But when I first
heard of ANTZ, I was actually quite excited, for I hoped to
see the little buggers get squashed, smooshed and otherwise
terrorized. Alas, my hopes were dashed, because by the end
of ANTZ, I went from bug hater to bug lover, and found myself
rooting and cheering for the little guys to live long and
prosper. Of course, the next time I see a real bug, my reaction
still may be a bit different...
Anyway,
and unfortunately, before the premiere of DreamWorks ANTZ
last fall, the majority of the prerelease press centered around
the "battle of the dueling bug movies," as Disney's similiar-on-the-surface
A Bug's Life was also set to debut a month later. As is often
the case in situations like these, both movies tend to lose
out, with all the supposed feuding distracting from the fine
qualities of either film. Thankfully, though, this didn't
happen with ANTZ, as the film generated strong reviews, word
of mouth and box office success.
And
there is a tremendous lot to like in ANTZ. As is my usual
policy, I refuse to divulge plot, as I hate when people ruin
stories for me I haven't yet seen. But suffice to say that
the story concerns itself with a lone outsider ant name "Z"
(great name!) struggling to emerge victorious against enormous
odds and win the heart of the girl, er, female ant (ant-ette?).
The
film is a lot of fun, and thankfully contains a good deal
of more adult-oriented situations and humor (all in good taste,
of course), though by no means will children not enjoy the
film immensely. Especially impressive was the wonderful "Trash-topia"
sequence that, well, you'll know it when you get to it. The
film also greatly benefits from the appealing and slightly
against-type voice casting of Woody Allen and Sharon Stone
as the leads, and the always-dependable Gene Hackman as the
heavy. All deliver energetic performances, and the creative
renderings the titular creatures with vague facial resemblences
to their real-life counterparts is an inspired choice.
The
film is a real treat both story-wise and visual, and with
ANTZ DreamWorks proved they are not just standing in the animation
shadow of Disney. And I can honestly say it is a true family
that both parents and children can enjoy, which is quite refreshing
these days.
Long
awaited since its previous VHS release in February, has DreamWorks
delivered a disc that is worth the wait? Happily, yes. This
latest in their Signature Series DVD line is a top drawer
disc up with the best of them, and certainly DreamWorks finest
yet.
Video
Presented
in its original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, the disc is
also enhanced for 16x9 televisions. The image is, quite simply,
reference quality. As the source is all digital (though the
disc did go through the standard film-to-digital tape transfer),
there isn't a hint of noise, grain or color bleeding apparent,
which can plague some animated transfers. Black level, contrast
and shadow detail also are exemplary, and the sense of depth
wonderfully three-dimensional. The aspect ratio seems dead-on
at 1.85:1, and resolution is further improved with 16x9 displays.
But regardless of your setup, you'll get a top-notch image.
Audio
The
5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack is, as expected for a recent
production, terrific. The surrounds are used aggressively,
and the bass response, especially in the battle scenes is
deep, full and powerful. Frequency response is very wide,
dialogue very natural sounding and again,the sound field expansive
and enveloping. However, as is a common problem I personally
encounter in many recent sound mixes, the dialogue tends to
be drowned out at times by he thunderous sound effects. However,
not everyone agrees with my assessment, so it may be personal
perception. However, no question, it is a great soundtrack.
Supplements
Not
content with great video and audio, the disc also really shines
in the supplemental department. First up are the wonderful
full-motion menus, which are very clever and amusing and almost
a feature unto themselves. They are designed with easy-access
in mind, and I wish all studios would design such user-friendly
navigation. Strange how such a simple thing as menus can add
greatly to the DVD experience...
Also
on the disc is a full-length screen-specific audio commentary
with directors Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson. Thankfully, unlike
some recent commentaries I've heard, they are alive and engaging,
and seem excited to be doing a commentary track. It is always
nice to have multiple-participant commentaries, and the two
play off each other and offer many interesting antecedents
and production stories.
Also
on the disc are four features on the making of the film. First
up is a general "The Making Of ANTZ" featurette that is probably
the weakest of the three, if entertaining enough. More of
interest, especially for tech minded folks are the Inside
Look specials on the Basics of the ANTZ CGI Animation, ANTZ
Facial System, and ANTZ Character Design. I was bit frightened
at first these may be fluff pieces, but these are nicely fleshed-out
and include detailed analyses of the creative process, storyboard
comparisons and fascinating video and demonstration footage
on the ins and outs of CGI techniques used in the film. They
are really impressive.
Aside
from the commentary and features, there are the usual production
notes, cast & crew biographies (a nice touch for an animated
film) and even disc production credits, which is a positive
addition (and hats off to DreamWorks as well as a couple of
other suppliers for starting to add this information to their
discs). Lastly, there are numerous TV spots and theatrical
trailers to complete the set.
Conclusion
In
the end, a great disc that simply excels in the image, sound
and supplements. However, I am somewhat divided on the price
point issue. On one hand, this is a great disc, and worth
$34.95 in and of itself. However, there is a lack of DVD-ROM
features and there are other discs on the market for lower
price points to offer equal or greater ancillary materials.
Those from the laserdisc days will of course have no such
problems with price, however, many new DVD enthusiasts from
the VHS crowd may wonder about the disparity nowadays between
different releases, price points and features.
But, that caveat aside, this is simply a great disc, and DreamWorks
best yet. If you have never seen it before, certainly give it a
rent, and if your a fan, I think you'll find it worth the wait.
Definitely recommended.
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