A Bug's Life Blu-ray Review
Score: 80
from 4 reviewers
Review Date:
A Bug's Life Blu-ray boasts a perfect video transfer, exceptional DTS-HD Master Audio, and extensive supplemental features - a must-own Pixar release.
Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 80
The Blu-ray presentation of 'A Bug's Life' offers a flawless 1080p AVC-encoded 2.35:1 transfer with exceptional detail, vivid colors, and deep blacks. Textures and object definitions are impeccable, exhibiting no artifacts, banding, or compression issues, resulting in a stunning and pristine visual experience.
Audio: 79
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track delivers an engaging, immersive experience with excellent clarity, robust bass, and dynamic surround effects that create a realistic soundfield, making 'A Bug's Life' a reference-quality audio presentation, albeit not the absolute best in some reviewers' opinions.
Extra: 81
The Blu-ray extras for 'A Bug's Life' provide a comprehensive look into its production, offering insightful commentary, engaging featurettes on sound design, preproduction, and animation processes, alongside exclusive content like the filmmakers' roundtable. While some features remain in standard definition, the extensive behind-the-scenes material and charming shorts make this a robust supplemental package.
Movie: 86
A Bug's Life stands as a charming and inventive Pixar film with stellar graphics and a compelling storyline that, despite being considered less sophisticated than later works, showcases early technological breakthroughs and superior voice casting. The Blu-ray offers reference-quality picture and sound alongside engaging extras, cementing its high rewatch value.
Video: 80
The Blu-ray release of "A Bug's Life" exhibits an impressive 1080p AVC-encoded 2.35:1 transfer, which is a testament to Pixar's meticulous craftsmanship in digital animation. The level of detail throughout the movie is astonishing, highlighting everything from the text on the flea circus box to the textures of food grains and feathers. Clarity is especially notable in characters like Molt, where even flakes falling from his body are crisply defined. Colors are exceptionally vibrant, with blues being particularly vivid and free from issues like banding or posterization. The wings of the Gypsy Moth and the carapace on Dim display pearlescent effects that add depth and realism. Contrast is well-balanced, ensuring strong whites without blooming, and although the film doesn't heavily utilize dark scenes, shadow detail in moments like the rainstorm or inside the bird remains clear and discernible.
Equally noteworthy are the superlative qualities of color and definition in depicting animated subjects. Colors are deeply saturated with vivid hues and succulent textures that leap off the screen, providing a three-dimensional feel. The rich blacks offer extended dynamic range with deep gradational highlights, especially evident in dark scenes within the insect city and anthill labyrinth. Furthermore, each character's unique physical attributes are sharply defined, contributing to the vibrant visual storytelling. The transfer, directly from its digital source, ensures that there are no technical flaws such as macroblocking, artifacts, or color banding, preserving the pristine quality throughout the film.
In addition to flawless visuals, this Blu-ray release is technically perfect. The encoding quality is above reproach; it avoids issues like aliasing or crush, and achieves an unparalleled level of sharpness without unnecessary edge enhancement. This presentation of "A Bug's Life" stands as a reference-quality benchmark for high-definition animated films, capturing every nuance with immaculate precision and breathtaking clarity.
Audio: 79
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track for Disney's "A Bug's Life" Blu-ray is exquisite, delivering an immersive and dynamic auditory experience. From the onset, this superior sound design leverages lossless audio to its full potential, providing a high-resolution surround mix that enhances every scene. Ambient noises, such as the rustling of grass and the hum of insects, envelop the listener, creating a spatially expansive environment that truly transports you into the world of the ants. The score resonates through all speakers but doesn’t overpower; instead, it complements the overall soundstage beautifully, ensuring every musical cue adds to the viewing experience. Dialogue is consistently clear and directionally accurate, making each character sound as if they are truly within their respective spaces.
Low frequency effects are robust, though not overpowering, contributing to the tactile sensations during significant moments such as the earth-shaking raindrops or the powerful flutters of the grasshoppers' wings. The subwoofer does a commendable job delivering a clean, authoritative bass that frequently fills the room with palpable vibrations. Surround effects are ample and precise, from the buzz of an insect to the chaotic noise of a circus act, all seamlessly bridging the front and rear channels to deliver a coherent and engaging sound field. Instrument placement within the mix provides a discernible depth, offering a rich auditory detail that captures subtle environmental sounds effortlessly.
The mix showcases remarkable clarity, excellent dynamics, and an enviable balance between high-energy sequences and quieter moments. It actively engages all surround channels, making scenes like Hopper's gang arrival or the bird attack incredibly vivid and realistic. Disney has produced a gold standard lossless audio mix for "A Bug's Life," proving it’s not just a visual spectacle but an auditory one too. The included French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks offer respectable alternatives, though the DTS-HD MA 5.1 remains the highlight for true audiophiles.
Extras: 81
The extras for "A Bug's Life" Blu-ray offer an extensive, mixed-format look behind the scenes of this classic animated film. Featuring both high-definition and standard-definition content, the supplementary package revisits older materials from the 2003 DVD Collector's Edition while incorporating new, exclusive content. The highlights include informative commentary tracks, engaging filmmaker discussions, and insightful production featurettes that explore the intricacies of animation, sound design, and story evolution. Whereas some content remains less engaging due to its relaxed tone or repetitive nature, the overall package provides a comprehensive dive into the making of "A Bug's Life".
Extras included in this disc:
- Audio Commentary: Insightful track featuring John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, and Lee Unkrich.
- Geri’s Game: Award-winning short film about a man playing chess with himself.
- Filmmakers' Round Table: In-depth discussion with John Lasseter and key team members.
- A Bug’s Life - The First Draft: Early script narration by Dave Foley.
- Grasshopper & the Ants: 1934 Disney Silly Symphony cartoon that inspired the film.
- Production Featurettes: Behind-the-scenes segments covering casting, story reels, and animation details.
- Preproduction Featurettes: Insights into story development, storyboard comparisons, and deleted scenes.
- Sound Design: Detailed look at creating the film's soundscape.
- Design Galleries: Extensive collection of concept art and character designs.
- Outtakes: Original and alternate end-credit outtakes.
This diverse compilation presents invaluable content for animation enthusiasts and industry professionals alike.
Movie: 86
“A Bug’s Life,” while often cited as the weakest entry in Pixar's portfolio, flies far above its competition. Drawing inspiration from diverse sources such as Aesop’s fable “The Ant and the Grasshopper,” Kurosawa's “Seven Samurai,” and John Landis' “Three Amigos!,” John Lasseter’s second directorial effort tells the charming story of Flik, an inventive but bumbling ant who seeks to defend his colony from predatory grasshoppers led by the menacing Hopper. Employing a comedic twist, Flik mistakenly recruits circus performers instead of seasoned warriors, setting the stage for unexpected heroism. The voice acting is superb, with Dave Foley bringing heartfelt dimension to Flik and Kevin Spacey exuding villainous charisma as Hopper.
Despite being overshadowed by later Pixar films in terms of visual and thematic sophistication, “A Bug’s Life” showcases the studio's foundational strengths in narrative and character development. The film deftly balances humor and emotion, supported by an exceptional cast including Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Denis Leary, and Bonnie Hunt. The enthralling bugs-eye-view world is brought to life with intricate detail, maintaining a blend of organic simplicity and burgeoning technological breakthroughs—most notably in crowd animation and the translucency of objects.
Presented on Blu-ray, Disney’s meticulous video transfer enhances the immersive experience, making every raindrop and blade of grass vivid and lifelike. The audio mix is equally stellar, enveloping viewers in an auditory feast. While some may find the mid-film pacing slow, necessitated by narrative groundwork, the climax delivers a robust payoff. “A Bug’s Life” resonates with endearing charm and intelligent storytelling, asserting that even lesser-celebrated Pixar endeavors remain superior to many offerings from rival studios.
Total: 80
The Blu-ray release of "A Bug's Life" exemplifies the pinnacle of modern home entertainment. Unlike many discs, this one harmoniously combines a visually stunning film with high-quality technical features. The video transfer is immaculate, presenting every vibrant detail with precision, while the DTS-HD Master Audio track delivers an immersive auditory experience that rivals theatrical soundscapes.
Moreover, the extensive supplemental features provided are both engaging and insightful, offering a deep dive into the making of this timeless film. These extras are complemented by an array of exclusive content that enriches the viewer's understanding and appreciation of the cinematographic craft.
In conclusion, this Blu-ray release of "A Bug's Life" is a testament to the standards set by Pixar in both storytelling and technical innovation. It is an essential addition to any collection, fully deserving its place among the highest-rated home entertainment releases.
avforums review by Simon CrustRead review here
Video: 90
Brightness is set to give some decent enough blacks, but the film rarely makes use of them, shadow detail is well seen, the rainstorm or inside the bird being the best examples....
Audio: 90
Bass itself is well situated to give some reasonably deep resonance, but it's not as deep or resounding as the very best out there....
Extras: 80
Behind the Scenes of A Bug's Life is an entertainment channel ad for the film with the usual praise from everyone involved; Voice Casting looks at the talent involved; Early Tests looks at the evolution...
Movie: 70
Once again Disney have excelled themselves in their presentation of a Blu-ray, the reference picture and sound are backed up with plenty of extras to keep you entertained, and while not as all encompassing...
Total: 80
Blu-ray.com review by Kenneth BrownRead review here
Video: 100
Captured directly from its digital source, the image isn't hindered by a single flaw: textures are crisp and refined, object definition is exceedingly sharp (without the help of any unnecessary edge enhancement),...
Audio: 100
Dialogue is clean, perfectly prioritized, and exceptionally weighty; voices seem to reside within the characters rather than in the center speaker....
Extras: 90
Behind the Scenes Featurettes (HD/SD, 29 minutes): Another batch of separate mini-docs briefly touch on the casting process, the various incarnations of the story, animation testing, the complex stages...
Movie: 90
A Bug's Life works on so many levels that I have a difficult time understanding how it has any serious detractors: not only is its story populated with an endearing band of personable bugs, director John...
Total: 100
Rather than continuing to gush over Disney's Blu-ray release of A Bug's Life like a thesaurus hopped up on cocaine, let me just say this: it isn't often that a disc comes along that boasts a fantastic...
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 100
Colors threaten to pop off the screen (and this is one colorful movie - the ants are blue for crying out loud!), detail is unparalleled (although seeing textures in this clarity makes you realize that...
Audio: 100
Instead of a normal audio track of a comedy release, which would have all the dialogue in the front speakers, this mix judiciously spreads the voices out amongst the different speakers....
Extras: 80
This follows the evolution of a sequence called "Dot's Rescue," going from the story reel, to the final render, and finally ending with a split screen comparison....
Movie: 100
Through your ceaseless innovation (it's easy to forget, amidst all the 'Shreks' and 'Monsters vs. Aliens' these days, that 'Toy Story' was the first completely computer generated animated film) and imagination,...
Total: 100
...
AVSForumRead review here
Video: 100
Each of the members of the circus troupe has distinctive physical qualities that are attributable to them not only in size and shape color as well....
Audio: 96
The mix creates a stable and immersive surround sound experience that achieves excellent balance so that all of the elements inherent in the recording can be realized....
Extras: 80
Production – Contains behind the scenes info, story reels, layouts, animation details, casting, and more (HD) Sound design – 13 minute featurette Release – 2 theatrical trailers, poster/ad campaigns (HD)...
Movie: 90
But when Flik's cavalry turns out to be a ragtag group of flea circus performers, the stage is set for comic confusion...as well as unlikely heroes!...
Total: 92
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Director: John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton
Actors: Kevin Spacey, David Foley, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
PlotIn a bustling and thriving ant colony on the isolated patch of an island, the ants annually gather food to appease a gang of oppressive grasshoppers, led by the menacing Hopper. The ants labor intensively under the misguided belief that this offering ensures their survival, although it leaves little for themselves. An inventive yet clumsy ant named Flik accidentally destroys the food stores meant for the grasshoppers, which incurs Hopper's wrath and results in a threat of retribution if the food is not replenished before his last leaf falls. Flik is an outcast among his fellow ants, not only for his catastrophic faux pas but also due to his unorthodox ideas that often disrupt the colony's traditional ways.
To avert disaster and prove his worth, Flik embarks on a quest to recruit what he believes are "warrior" bugs to defend the colony against the grasshoppers, hoping to change the ants' plight once and for all. However, the bugs he enlists are in fact a ragtag troupe of an inept circus crew, mistaken by Flik for genuine heroes due to a theatrical misunderstanding. The troupe is composed of various struggling performers, keen for any audience, and they naively follow Flik back to the colony, entirely unaware of the true nature of their recruitment. This sets the stage for an uneasy alliance between the misfit saviors and the desperate ants as they prepare to face their formidable adversaries.
Writers: John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Joe Ranft
Release Date: 25 Nov 1998
Runtime: 95 min
Rating: G
Country: United States, Japan
Language: English