Title: Ant-Man
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Screenplay by: Joe Cornish, Edgar Wright, Adam McKay, Paul Rudd, and Stan Lee
Year: 2015
Ant-Man is movie that has been long in the making, and what a bumpy road it has been. The most recent issue was Edgar Wright leaving the project when he found out that Marvel planned to connect this film to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thus Peyton Reed stepped in. So, does Ant-Man stand tall amongst other comic book movies, or does it fall short of its ambition?
Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has just been released from prison. He wants to start a new life and keep clean, mainly for his daughter. Doctor Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) gives Scott that opportunity by allowing him to become the next Ant-Man. His mission is to steal a suit similar to Hank's from his old protege.
Above all, Ant-Man is a heist movie. Because of that, the film is on a much smaller scale than any of the other MCU flicks, especially in comparison to Avengers: Age of Ultron, which came out a few months earlier. But in all honesty, it fits the film better. It's more suitable to the hero and the story being told.
Speaking of our hero, Scott Lang plays the titular character and he is an amazing casting choice. Rudd throws himself into the role and makes for another colorful yet different character in this franchise. He is a criminal but he is also likable. And he is also intelligent, having a masters in electrical engineering. Michael Peña also steals the show quite often with some downright hilarious lines as Luis. He plays a bit of a stereotype, but it never gets in the way and he makes the character work. It's great to see Evangeline Lilly in another blockbuster franchise as she is a very capable actress, and this is no exception. She plays Hank's daughter, and secretary to the villain and she does a very good job. But Michael Douglas is the one who really impresses. His portrayal of Hank Pym is excellent and very true to the character. Douglas is an absolute joy to watch and actually tries his best to give a good performance, and he succeeds.
As I said before, this is a heist film. There is no evil army that needs to be taken down or alien overlord to be defeated. Just a good old fashioned heist with a comic book spin. As far as heist movies go, Ant-Man is a very good one. The planning of the mission and the actual heist is very well done. The first act focuses on introducing the suit's features as well as the characters. The second act is more about Scott's training and planning the theft of the suit. The third act is filled entirely with the heist and final battle. It is very, very intense with well choreographed action beats and fight scenes. This is also one of the few standalone MCU films that has a strong third act compared to its previous ones.
One great thing about this movie is that it is really funny. Many have called it the funniest of all the Marvel films. I'd say that title still belongs to Iron Man 3 or maybe even Guardians of the Galaxy. However, Ant-Man is still a hilarious watch. Most of the humor comes from Michael Peña's character, Luis. Just about every line from this guy had the audience laughing. Paul Rudd gets some good one liners and even Michael Douglas gets some heavy-handed comedy. In sum, Ant-Man is chock full of wonderful laughs and, at times, comedic gold, which really comes down to the line delivery.
Another interesting facet of this movie is the family dynamic. We have Paul Rudd who must deal with the fact that he cannot see his daughter, Cassie, since he and his wife are divorced and her new husband is a cop. Since Cassie's stepfather is a police officer, he won't let Scott near his family, with his being a criminal and all. But Scott wants to help and be there for his child and he proves that he does know and care about her. For her birthday, he gets her a very ugly stuffed animal, to which the stepfather objects. But it turns out that Cassie loves ugly things. It is a very nice moment that explains so much. This family dynamic surprisingly holds plenty of emotional heft and I am glad to see that the step father is not made out to be the bad guy. It's a nice change from the norm.
We also have the relationship between Hope and Hank, another father-daughter bond. Contrary to Scott's relationship with Cassie, Hank and Hope are very distant from each other. For most of the movie, they are seen together, but they spend most of their time arguing with each other. Of course, when Hank reveals what happened to Hope's mother, things are made much clearer. But until then, it is very difficult for them. They each want love each other, as they should, but Hope's working for Darren Cross and Hank's keeping the truth about her mother from her complicates their situation. Until one of them forfeits, they remain at a standstill, a stalemate.
The visual effects are remarkable. The shrinking effects are seamless and the world from Ant-Man's perspective looks alive and massive, thanks to crafty camerawork (many low angles and long shots). The ants look great most of the time and the rest of the visuals are very polished. However, there are a few instances where the ants look pretty bad. In one scene, a number of ants gather around a security camera to cover the lens and it is easily the worst effect in the entire film. It looks like something that would come out of a television series budget. But overall, the effects are convincing. I also must point out that the Ant-Man suit is very well done, remaining very faithful to the comics for its design.
Ant-Man also fits into the MCU like a missing piece to a puzzle. The references and throwaway lines work and also bring up would-be plot holes. Scott even says "We should call the Avengers." Hank Pym tells him why they can't and thus the plot hole is filled. There is also a fight between Scott and an Avenger, which is both hilarious and satisfying.
Despite all the positives I've mentioned, Ant-Man has a few stumbles. The most obvious objection to the film is its story. Sure, Marvel has not had a heist movie in their lineup until now, but this story is incredibly similar to Iron Man from 2008. The business aspect, the stealing of a suit, a battle at the end between the two suits, and many other things in between. It makes Ant-Man quite unoriginal, but how it gets away with this is its difference in tone and characters. The story is practically the same at its core, but the cast and mood are different. The story is very much the same, but it is being told another way.
Another issue with the movie is, sadly, an expected one; the villain. Of all the non-Avengers MCU films, very few have successfully given us a well developed and memorable villain. The best villains to come out of the standalone films are Loki, Aldrich Killian, and Emil Blonsky (The Abomination). The rest may have worked for their respective film to some degree, but were either weakly constructed or forgettable, sometimes both. Unfortunately, Darren Cross also fails to launch as a great villain. He has a good set up, but his turn is much too quick and he is never a convincing threat. He certainly comes across as a bad guy with negative intentions, but hardly ever a threat, save for a few minor scenes and the end battle.
Speaking of the end battle, the final action scene is really different from what we are used to seeing in Marvel movies. Usually, a city is in the way of two titans clashing, destroying countless buildings and cars and causing mass destruction. But here, the climax takes place in a little girl's bedroom. Both Ant-Man and Yellow Jacket shrink down to the size of insects for the final confrontation, and this was a brilliant move. We get to see a battle unlike any other in this film franchise. Regular household items become obstacles and weapons used by these miniature fighters. The action is well choreographed and well shot, with plenty of suspense and tense moments.
In the end, Ant-Man is a very enjoyable Summer blockbuster and a strong finale for Marvel Phase 2. Ant-Man is a hero that can easily be done wrong, but Marvel hits the right note here. Paul Rudd is a good lead and Michael Douglas is an even better supporting character, the effects are dazzling for the most part, the action is filmed stylistically, with proper use of slow motion, and the script is a laugh riot. Ant-Man may fall short in a few categories, but it still stands tall in the MCU lineup, and Ant-Man will be a welcome addition in the next Avengers flick.
Grade: B+
One great thing about this movie is that it is really funny. Many have called it the funniest of all the Marvel films. I'd say that title still belongs to Iron Man 3 or maybe even Guardians of the Galaxy. However, Ant-Man is still a hilarious watch. Most of the humor comes from Michael Peña's character, Luis. Just about every line from this guy had the audience laughing. Paul Rudd gets some good one liners and even Michael Douglas gets some heavy-handed comedy. In sum, Ant-Man is chock full of wonderful laughs and, at times, comedic gold, which really comes down to the line delivery.
Another interesting facet of this movie is the family dynamic. We have Paul Rudd who must deal with the fact that he cannot see his daughter, Cassie, since he and his wife are divorced and her new husband is a cop. Since Cassie's stepfather is a police officer, he won't let Scott near his family, with his being a criminal and all. But Scott wants to help and be there for his child and he proves that he does know and care about her. For her birthday, he gets her a very ugly stuffed animal, to which the stepfather objects. But it turns out that Cassie loves ugly things. It is a very nice moment that explains so much. This family dynamic surprisingly holds plenty of emotional heft and I am glad to see that the step father is not made out to be the bad guy. It's a nice change from the norm.
We also have the relationship between Hope and Hank, another father-daughter bond. Contrary to Scott's relationship with Cassie, Hank and Hope are very distant from each other. For most of the movie, they are seen together, but they spend most of their time arguing with each other. Of course, when Hank reveals what happened to Hope's mother, things are made much clearer. But until then, it is very difficult for them. They each want love each other, as they should, but Hope's working for Darren Cross and Hank's keeping the truth about her mother from her complicates their situation. Until one of them forfeits, they remain at a standstill, a stalemate.
The visual effects are remarkable. The shrinking effects are seamless and the world from Ant-Man's perspective looks alive and massive, thanks to crafty camerawork (many low angles and long shots). The ants look great most of the time and the rest of the visuals are very polished. However, there are a few instances where the ants look pretty bad. In one scene, a number of ants gather around a security camera to cover the lens and it is easily the worst effect in the entire film. It looks like something that would come out of a television series budget. But overall, the effects are convincing. I also must point out that the Ant-Man suit is very well done, remaining very faithful to the comics for its design.
Ant-Man also fits into the MCU like a missing piece to a puzzle. The references and throwaway lines work and also bring up would-be plot holes. Scott even says "We should call the Avengers." Hank Pym tells him why they can't and thus the plot hole is filled. There is also a fight between Scott and an Avenger, which is both hilarious and satisfying.
Despite all the positives I've mentioned, Ant-Man has a few stumbles. The most obvious objection to the film is its story. Sure, Marvel has not had a heist movie in their lineup until now, but this story is incredibly similar to Iron Man from 2008. The business aspect, the stealing of a suit, a battle at the end between the two suits, and many other things in between. It makes Ant-Man quite unoriginal, but how it gets away with this is its difference in tone and characters. The story is practically the same at its core, but the cast and mood are different. The story is very much the same, but it is being told another way.
Another issue with the movie is, sadly, an expected one; the villain. Of all the non-Avengers MCU films, very few have successfully given us a well developed and memorable villain. The best villains to come out of the standalone films are Loki, Aldrich Killian, and Emil Blonsky (The Abomination). The rest may have worked for their respective film to some degree, but were either weakly constructed or forgettable, sometimes both. Unfortunately, Darren Cross also fails to launch as a great villain. He has a good set up, but his turn is much too quick and he is never a convincing threat. He certainly comes across as a bad guy with negative intentions, but hardly ever a threat, save for a few minor scenes and the end battle.
Speaking of the end battle, the final action scene is really different from what we are used to seeing in Marvel movies. Usually, a city is in the way of two titans clashing, destroying countless buildings and cars and causing mass destruction. But here, the climax takes place in a little girl's bedroom. Both Ant-Man and Yellow Jacket shrink down to the size of insects for the final confrontation, and this was a brilliant move. We get to see a battle unlike any other in this film franchise. Regular household items become obstacles and weapons used by these miniature fighters. The action is well choreographed and well shot, with plenty of suspense and tense moments.
In the end, Ant-Man is a very enjoyable Summer blockbuster and a strong finale for Marvel Phase 2. Ant-Man is a hero that can easily be done wrong, but Marvel hits the right note here. Paul Rudd is a good lead and Michael Douglas is an even better supporting character, the effects are dazzling for the most part, the action is filmed stylistically, with proper use of slow motion, and the script is a laugh riot. Ant-Man may fall short in a few categories, but it still stands tall in the MCU lineup, and Ant-Man will be a welcome addition in the next Avengers flick.
Grade: B+
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