Ant-Man

Ok Marvel, we get it. 

You really can't make a bad movie these days. 

So sue me for ever doubting you. 

I was thoroughly convinced that Ant-Man, Marvel's most recent entry into their impressive/massive Cinematic Universe and the official end of Phase 2, would be their largest misstep since Iron Man 2, which arguably wasn't as big of a misstep as many of us like to remember. A few things led me to this belief...the film had quite a bit of behind the scenes trouble getting made (with director Edgar Wright eventually leaving), Marvel's formula, for better or worse, is beginning to show its age, Ant-Man isn't really a super-famous superhero, and just general superhero fatigue from most audiences these days. I wouldn't have been surprised if this film would have been disjointed, boring, and forgettable. In fact, that's basically what I was expecting it to be. 

But as we all know, especially after last year's Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel can truly do no wrong at this point. Ant-Man grew on me as it went through its 2 hour run time and while it may not be Marvel's strongest entry thus far (I wouldn't even place it in my Top 5), it's still a very good one, and probably their most accessible film to date.

"Aren't you supposed to be
in a Judd Apatow comedy?"

Ant-Man centers around Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) who have somewhat of a mentor/mentored relationship once the former "recruits" the latter. Pym needs Lang to help him secure some technology that his former company is now using to create soldiers and along the way both men attempt to repair their relationships with their daughters. Douglas is more energetic here than we've seen him in years and Rudd is another perfectly cast hero in a Cinematic Universe full of them. Evangeline Lilly plays Hope, Pym's daughter. She doesn't really get much to do action-wise in the film, though I see that changing in the future. And once again, the Marvel villain, Yellow Jacket, played by Corey Stroll is entertaining, but ultimately forgettable. He does his best, and is actually pretty fun to watch, but the villain itself isn't all that compelling. For all the rivalry between DC and Marvel, DC certainly wipes the floor with Marvel when it comes to villains.

She looks a little LOST. Right? Get it?

Where Marvel excels is with their fun, often inventive action, and their humor. Ant-Man is easily one of the funniest Marvel films yet, with traces of Edgar Wright's script readily apparent throughout. The script is often witty and Rudd delivers some great one liners along with Micheal Pena who plays his friend Luis. Situational comedy is also present, with some funny beats happening during the action, and some other "explanation" scenes that are just too hard to describe on paper. The action is also impressive, featuring some great special effects and truly some situations that we've "never seen before". Again, it's one of those things where Ant-Man doesn't necessarily have the best action thus far, but it's fun nonetheless. 

The film also plays a interesting role with the larger universe, with certain references here and there. I found the references to be well-implemented and worthwhile. However, there is one scene, that I don't really want to spoil, but it basically sets up Ant-Man in further films and has actual little to do with the movie, despite how hard it tries. It's a fun scene, don't get me wrong, but it seemed awfully forced, especially when compared to some of the other MCU moments that felt more natural. The post credits scenes are both delights in this one (yes, there are two) with the one occurring at the very end of the credit's being a bit of a jaw-dropper.  

A rather odd attempt at trying to be Superman...

Ant-Man is a bit of an oddity in the Marvel movies. It's distinctively different from most of their other films in some ways (heist film, everyman hero, etc.) but at the same time it's another form of "copy + paste" of the proven Marvel formula (funny quips, showdown against villain, hero learns about themselves). That's not to say that either of those is a bad thing, and truth be told this is one of Marvel's better origin stories since Iron Man (assuming you aren't counting Guardians as an "origin story"). I'd still argue that we're going to need a change to the Marvel formula soon, which will most likely come with Civil War, but I'd say that applies more to this year's Age of Ultron more so than this film.

Although Yellow Jacket isn't a very memorable villain, his character design certainly is

Ant-Man is another "win" for Marvel simply by the facts that kids will love it, its rather accessible for new-comers, and, given all the turmoil that surrounded its development, it ended up working as well as it did. It's neither the best or worst at anything when compared to the Marvel Cinematic Universe but rather very competent at everything it does. 

CONS:

• Some enjoyable, but forced, links to the greater Cinematic Universe
• Females and villains once again get the short end of the stick, though both characters are enjoyable in their roles
• Utilizes the Marvel formula, which is getting a bit tiring at this point
• Several scenes get a little too CGI heavy

PROS:

• Rudd is a delight in the role and a great addition to the Universe
• Douglas is energetic and fun as Hank Pym
• Some stupendous special effects assist the action to work better than it has any right to
• One of Marvel's funnier films with a good script and some solid situational comedy
• Tries to be different as an origin story and ends up being one of Marvel's stronger origin stories thus far
• Awesome post credits scenes (there are two...make sure to stay all the way until the end of the credits!)
• Enjoyable, funny, and new...it's hard not to like Ant-Man

Rath's Review Score: 8/10