Capsule reviews of this week’s video releases, on DVD and Blu-ray, including special features:
• “Ant Man” (PG-13, 115 minutes, Disney): Ant-Man, an obscure Marvel character first introduced in 1962, has the ability to shrink to the size of an ant without altering his normal human strength. Paul Rudd plays Scott Lang, a man who inherits the mantle of Ant-Man from the costumed crusader’s originator, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). The cast also includes Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Michael Pena and Anthony Mackie. Contains sci-fi action violence and some rude language. Extras include deleted scene. Blu-ray adds “Making of an Ant-Sized Heist: A How-To Guide”; “Let’s Go to the Macroverse” featurette; “WHIH NewsFront” collection of content, including a glimpse at the future of Pym Technologies with Darren Cross; anchor Christine Everhart’s interview with soon-to-be-released prisoner Scott Lang on his notorious VistaCorp heist, and more; deleted and extended scenes; gag reel; commentary by director Peyton Reed and Rudd.
• “Minions” (PG, 91 minutes, Universal): The popular small, yellow characters from the “Despicable Me” movies get their own full-length feature. And to the adage “A little bit goes a long way” could be added, “More is not always better.” Contains slapstick violence and mild rude humor. Extras include deleted scene, “Jingle Bells Minion Style.” Blu-ray adds three new original mini-movies: “Cro Minion,” “Competition,” “Binky Nelson Unpacified”; “Around The World Interactive Map” explores the world of the Minions and features a collection of games, trivia, featurettes, storyboards, and more all themed to movie locations; “Behind the Goggles –The Illumination Story of the Minions” with eight “behind the googles” look at the history and evolution of the yellow henchmen.
Also
“Blind: (Norwegian woman loses her sight and begins writing fantasy stories), “Emptying the Skies” (documentary about the poaching of migratory songbirds in southern Europe), “Jellyfish Eyes” (artist Takashi Murakami’s directorial debut), “Knock Knock” (two young women turn a married man’s fantasy into a nightmare), “One & Two” (two siblings discover a supernatural escape from a troubled home), “One Eyed Girl” (troubled psychiatrist seeks salvation from a mysterious church), “Partisan” (11-year-old boy living in a commune resists being trained to be an assassin), “The Transporter Refueled” (another car-heist action story), “The Unauthorized Full House Story” (TV movie based on the ’90s sitcom), “Xmas Without China” (a Chinese immigrant challenges a family to celebrate Christmas without any Chinese products).
Television series
“CPO Sharkey: The Best of Season One” (six episodes of 1970s comedy series starring Don Rickles), “Hannibal: Season Three” (four-disc DVD, three-disc Blu-ray with all 13 episodes).
