PIC of the Week - Ant-Man and The Wasp

PIC of the Week – Ant-Man and The Wasp

Article series by Ray Schillaci

Okay, just because it’s Marvel doesn’t mean it’s a slam-dunk for POTW. But, this sequel to the very successful oddball of Marvel heroes proves once again it’s not how big you are. Ant-Man and The Wasp is not the cinematic extravaganza the last Avengers movie was nor was it as big as Black Panther, but it proved to be a wild ride and lots of fun with a lot more laughs than either one of those films.

Not only is Ant-Man and The Wasp more family friendly, but it proves to be a more accessible commodity in the Marvel canon for those who are not Marvel fans. The only drawback to that could be a few references to other Marvel movies and a tag on in the end involving Avengers: Infinity War. That one I had to explain to my wife, who lost interest the moment I started talking about Thanos. “What’s a Thanos?” I did not pursue it any further. What the heck, my wife loved the new sequel along with my 82 year-old father!

The movie does not just succeed due to Paul Rudd’s charm or the chemistry between him and Evangeline Lilly, who is absolutely as much fun as watching Gal Gadot. The whole ensemble is a kick, especially Michael Peña, who is funny as hell, along with all of the inventive effects.

This time around, Scott Lang/Ant-Man is trying to maintain his super hero status while attempting to be a good father. At the same time, Hope/The Wasp and her father Dr. Hank Pym have Ant-Man join forces with them on a new mission that could uncover secrets of their past. Michael Douglas is back as Pym, crotchety as ever, and this time joined by the ever graceful Michelle Pfeiffer as Pym’s wife (the original Wasp). And, how do they up the ante on casting? Why make the villain the ever dastardly Walton Goggins from Justified and the hilarious Vice-Principals.

Marvel Studios has gone all out on this 4K version of the film. It’s sharper and crisper than the blu and the colors really pop out. Audio is bombastic (that’s in a good way). The Dolby Atmos sound is one of the best for this film. Dialogue is crisp and effects feel like you’re right inside the action. It’s not just the action and dialogue, it’s the entire sound design that is a pure joy to our ears. This is a perfect example why 4K can be a great investment. The 4K comes with a blu-ray and a digital copy as well. The extras appear on the blu as most do.

Extras include:

¥ Director Peyton Reed intro and commentary
¥ Featurette – Back in the Ant-Suit: Scott Lang
¥ Featurette – A Suit of Her Own: The Wasp
¥ Featurette – Subatomic Super Heroes: Hank and Janet
¥ Featurette – Quantum Perspective: The VFX and Production Design of “Ant-Man and The Wasp
¥ Short gag reel and outtakes (about 3 mins long)
¥ Deleted scenes with optional commentary by Peyton Reed
¥ Digital exclusives
¥ It Takes Two (very brief promo)
¥ 10 Years of Marvel Studios: The Art of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
¥ Leader of the Colony – brief featurette focusing on Peyton Reed
¥ Online Close-Up Magic University – TBD when it appears on digital service