A Bug's Life

BUY IT

General		Extras
Category	Animation	Theatrical Trailer(s)	None
Rating		Other Trailer(s)	None
Year Released	1998	Commentary Tracks	None
Running Time	91:02 minutes	Other Extras	Featurette-Geri's Game (4:46) Outtakes (2:24) Alternate Outtakes (2:24)
RSDL/Flipper	No/No	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Movie
Region	2,4	Director	John Lasseter
Studio Distributor	Warner Home Video	Starring
Case	Amaray
RRP	$34.95	Music	Randy Newman

    Flik (Dave Foley) is a worker ant in a colony that is beset upon by a gang of aggressive grasshoppers on an annual basis, who steal their food. The grasshoppers are lead by Hopper (Kevin Spacey). The Queen's daughter, Princess Atta (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), sends Flik on what she believes will be a futile mission to get help from some warrior insects - Flik mistakenly hires a flea circus troupe of insects as warriors, and when they arrive back at the ant colony, they are greeted as heroes. This paves the way for a confrontation between the ant colony and the grasshoppers.

    There is a lot of fun in this story, and a lot of humour, as well as lots and lots of eye-popping animation. However, like Toy Story before it, A Bug's Life left me marvelling at the technology, and a little disappointed in the overall story that was being told. Having said that, it is certainly a generation superior to Toy Story, both in the quality of the story and in the quality of the animation.

Video

    This transfer is presented at an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. It is 16x9 enhanced. The other side of the disc comprises a digitally recomposed Full Frame presentation of the movie - another unique first.

    This transfer gives new meaning to the words crystal clear and razor sharp. Every frame is immaculately detailed in every way. The most striking aspect of this transfer, and the one that sets it apart from all other film-based movies, is the complete absence of motion blur in the image. Shadow detail is immaculate, and there is absolutely no low level noise in this picture.

    The colours were nicely rendered, though I felt they were marginally subdued for my tastes early on. Towards the end, the movie becomes considerably more colourful and vibrant. As would be expected, there is no colour bleed whatsoever in any scenes.

    No MPEG artefacts were seen. No film-to-video artefacts nor film artefacts were seen, since this transfer was never in anything but a totally digital format.

Audio

    Dialogue was always easy to understand and perfectly clear.

    There were no audio sync problems.

    The score by Randy Newman was acceptable, and quite suited to the film. I will admit that I am not a great fan of Randy Newman's film work, even though I quite like his more conventional work.

    The surround channels were used subtly for music and special effects early on in the picture, but came aggressively into their own during the final battle sequence. I was actually a little disappointed that the surrounds were not utilized more effectively during the early stages of this movie, with the main sound action taking place in the front soundstage.

    The .1 channel was used well during the final battle sequence, but otherwise was only used lightly at times by the musical score.

Menu

Featurette - Geri's Game (4:46) - 1.78:1 16x9 enhanced, Dolby Digital 2.0 surround sound

Outtakes (2:24) - 1.78:1 16x9 enhanced, Dolby Digital 2.0 surround sound

Alternate Outtakes (2:24) - 1.78:1 16x9 enhanced, Dolby Digital 2.0 surround sound

    The video quality is the best that I have ever seen, by quite a long way.

    The audio quality is exceptionally good, but could have done with more surround presence.

    The extras are brief, but excellent.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Michael Demtschyna
28th September 1999
Amended 21st December 1999