Having already built a world populated by a Norse god, a billionaire in a metal suit and a super soldier, it was crucial for the company to sell the idea that a man who can shrink and talk to insects could exist alongside these characters. Cleverly, they themselves realised the silliness of the idea and embraced it, making Ant-Man a much more comedic affair than other superhero movies. While following the structure of a heist movie, the story of the movie places a greater emphasis on the light-hearted moments between different characters. That's not to say, however, that there are no deeply emotional scenes, particularly between Michael Douglas' Hank Pym and Evangeline Lilly's Hope Van Dyne. I won't spoil the nature of the scenes here, but I will say that both actors deliver great performances.
Marvel are well-renowned for their excellent casting for lead actors, and I'm happy to say that they have continued their streak here. Paul Rudd has a history as a comedic actor and writer, something that is clear in his performance as leading man Scott Lang AKA The Ant-Man. The character is very likeable while also being quite different to Marvel's other main heroes due to Scott being an everyman rather than a tech genius or magical being. However, he shares the spotlight with co-star Michael Douglas, who delivers an emotional but amusing performance as Hank Pym. The two actors have great chemistry and play very well off each other in their scenes together.
Marvel are well-renowned for their excellent casting for lead actors, and I'm happy to say that they have continued their streak here. Paul Rudd has a history as a comedic actor and writer, something that is clear in his performance as leading man Scott Lang AKA The Ant-Man. The character is very likeable while also being quite different to Marvel's other main heroes due to Scott being an everyman rather than a tech genius or magical being. However, he shares the spotlight with co-star Michael Douglas, who delivers an emotional but amusing performance as Hank Pym. The two actors have great chemistry and play very well off each other in their scenes together.
Unfortunately, the movie is not flawless in the character department. While Marvel consistently receive critical acclaim, there is one recurring issue: the villains. The writers do not seem to know exactly how to write well-motivated, strong villains who can appear in multiple films (besides Loki, of course). Recent examples include Malekith from "Thor: The Dark World" and the infamous Mandarin twist from "Iron Man 3." It's regrettable, then, that Ant-Man continues this trend, with evildoer Darren Cross AKA Yellowjacket also falling into this category, despite the best efforts of actor Corey Stoll. The character of Cross is very generic and not well written, with his only aim seemingly to become even more rich and powerful than he already is.
Aside from uninteresting villains, there are some positives guaranteed from Marvel, one of these being fantastic effects and action. When Ant-Man shrinks, the effects team does a phenomenal job of making the audience feel as if they are on his level and feel the terror of seeing everyday objects like a chair or a mouse from a tiny size. This transfers well into the action sequences, with their unusually small scale differentiating them from any comic book movie seen before. The humour does not stop in these scenes with some fun modern jokes and scenarios, such as Siri, Scott's relationship with the ants and a well advertised Thomas the Tank Engine appearance.
Aside from uninteresting villains, there are some positives guaranteed from Marvel, one of these being fantastic effects and action. When Ant-Man shrinks, the effects team does a phenomenal job of making the audience feel as if they are on his level and feel the terror of seeing everyday objects like a chair or a mouse from a tiny size. This transfers well into the action sequences, with their unusually small scale differentiating them from any comic book movie seen before. The humour does not stop in these scenes with some fun modern jokes and scenarios, such as Siri, Scott's relationship with the ants and a well advertised Thomas the Tank Engine appearance.
One of the big concerns going into this movie was the departure of original director of Edgar Wright, who had supposedly been wanting to make and direct this film for years. The apparent reason for this was that, in a similar fashion to their other movies, Marvel wanted to tie this film into their expansive, shared universe. The basis of the concern comes from the suspicion that the script had been so heavily re-written by the studio in order to emphasise the set-up for the next Avengers movie over the standalone story of Ant-Man. Luckily, this was not the case. The references are there, one even making up one of the movie's main action scenes, but they do not take over from the character himself.
Against all odds, Marvel have proven their capability to produce exciting and highly entertaining movies. Despite a continuing issue of uninspired one-off villains and a potential lack of public interest, the studio pushed forward and delivered one of their funniest movies. With a stellar cast, intense action sequences, and an engaging plot, Ant-Man is an extremely enjoyable movie that is worth seeing for comic book fans and general moviegoers alike.
Pros
- One of Marvel's funniest
- Performances (but especially Michael Douglas and Paul Rudd)
- Great action
- A great story for a relatively unknown character.
- Tie-in to the wider MCU.
Cons
- Once again, the villain
Rating: 8/10
Original Release Date: July 17th, 2015
Directed by Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Michael Pena, Judy Greer, Bobby Cannavale, John Slattery
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