Hey there, fellow readers! Sorry this took so long to get out there. You know I like to post these within a day or two after I've seen the movie, but this one just took a while. Well, it didn't really take that long. I did the whole thing in one continuous 45 minute writing session and didn't stop, so it's basically a continuous stream of thought.
I intended on cutting some of it down. Instead, I'm going to leave it as is for your rambling enjoyment. I also want to get to work on writing a review for Trainwreck, which I have quite a bit to say about. I apologize if there are any grammar or spelling errors. Shoot me a message on Facebook or something and I'll fix it right up!
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Action/Adventure, 2015
1 hour 57 minutes
Written by Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Adam McKay, Paul Rudd
Directed by Peyton Reed
Produced by Marvel Studios
Rated PG-13 for "sci-fi action violence"
Starring
Paul Rudd
Michael Douglas
Evangeline Lily
Corey Stoll
Michael Peña
Bobby Cannavale
Judy Greer
Abby Ryder Fortston
"This is not some cute tech like the Iron Man suit."
Remember when Ant-Man was supposed to come out like five or six years ago? Yeah, that's a fact. It was one of the very first movies that Marvel began to develop for their massive Marvel Cinematic Universe. It only took a few years and the exit of writer/director Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) to get the ball rolling. Although Wright had been working on the film for several years as a passion project, he ultimately left after creative differences with the studio. Why? He wanted it to be a standalone film and not intertwined in the cinematic universe. Marvel obviously wasn't having any of it. So he left. Peyton Reed was hired to direct. Shooting began shortly thereafter. And now Ant-Man is finally here!
The latest Marvel installment is a typical origin story. Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is a reformed thief who is released from prison. He has a young daughter who loves him, an ex-wife who doesn't trust him, and his ex-wife's new squeeze who despises him. Scott can't hold down a job, even at a product placed Baskin Robbins. He's offered one last gig: break into an old man's safe. But when he gets inside, he finds... a suit? The suit gives Scott the ability to shrink down to the size of an ant and super strength when he's small. He is recruited by Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), a scientist who developed suit, to save the world from his former protégé who plans to use the suit's powers for evil.
As strange as it sounds, Ant-Man actually feels like a Phase One Marvel film. It's an origin story with a decent character arc, a bit of humor and no world-ending consequences. Not a single city gets destroyed, which is a nice change of pace. A central character is firmly established with room for growth in sequels. It's about as basic as it can be. Ant-Man is the first new superhero film that Marvel has released since Captain America: The First Avenger. So it obviously makes sense that this feels like a Phase One film. Stuff like Guardians of the Galaxy may be newer, but it's not a superhero film. So it doesn't count.
It's not only the feel of the film, it's the villain as well. Corey Stoll, known for his incredible performance as Peter Russo in House of Cards, is the big baddie known as Darren Cross. Well, more like little bad. Literally and figuratively. Cross' plans are relatively simple and unimpressive. At the beginning of the film, he is experimenting with a shrinking serum, attempting to copy the formula of what is called the "Pym Particle," the thing that makes the Ant-Man suit work. Once he figures that out, he plans on creating a series of super suits with the power, which he plans to sell off to the highest bidder. I'm pretty sure I've seen villains sell of powerful weapons to terrorists before, especially weapons that mimic what the central hero is using. It... it almost sounds like the first Iron Man, right? Or am I a little crazy? It doesn't help that Cross' motives are as boring as his plan. He has some kind of beef with Pym, like they had a falling out, but it's not explained very well, nor is it enough to keep Cross an interesting antagonist. Stoll is practically wasted in the role, but he certainly gives it his all. We've seen this guy before. I mean, yeah, okay, so this was developed when having bad guys like this were fine. It's 2015. We've seen it a thousand times. Give us something new and better. Because at this point, these guys feel like final boss battles. At least the plot isn't convoluted, like some previous installments. Very straightforward, which works for an origin story.
Ant-Man was marketed as a straight up comedy. The trailer consistently got huge laughs in theaters. Edgar freakin' Wright wrote and was attached to direct. Paul Rudd is now a superhero. So... why is Ant-Man only kind of funny? It's about as funny as any other Marvel movie, filled with fun one-liners and some strong physical comedy. Several jokes straight up murder some of the more emotional moments of the film. At one point, Pym is having an emotional moment with his daughter, Hope (Evangeline Lily), and Scott comes in with a little one liner and kills the moment. Practically whacks it in the head with a shovel and buries it so deep underground that the moment becomes unsalvageable. End of scene. When is it acceptable for emotional moments to be ruined by a joke and not saved by literally anything? It's almost cringe worthy. There are a few other moments that are like this as well, but not as severely upsetting. In fact, the humor is spread pretty thinly, throwing in maybe one traditionally set up joke per scene. If the film had not been billed as a superhero comedy, perhaps it would have been more successful, just as funny as any other Marvel film. Before you start criticizing me for discussing expectations, hear me out: unlike most big budget blockbusters, Marvel does an EXCELLENT job of telling us what their movies are. Avengers: Age of Ultron was sold as an incredibly dark sequel with unbelievable high stakes and a villain with staggering power. That's exactly what we got. It also happened to be pretty funny. Guardians of the Galaxy was billed as a cool and fun science fiction adventure with goofy characters, and that's exactly what we got. It also happened to be hilarious from start to finish. Ant-Man is billed as a superhero comedy, but the humor is spread so when someone makes a joke, it feels out of place on occasion. Between Scott learning the extent of his powers and dealing with a villain, the jokes feel practically shoehorned in. That being said, the physical comedy, especially during the incredible battle sequences, is flawless, especially in the finale. As for actual jokes, Michael Peña, who plays one of Scott's thief buddies, is easily the funniest part of the entire movie. Too bad he has so little screen time.
Speaking of comedy, it's easy to see Edgar Wright's influence on the film. He has a writing credit on the film, and there are a few moments when you just have to say, "Edgar wrote that." They've tried out a few fun little techniques from other films that has never been done in a Marvel film, so it's nice to see the studio try something different. It's not anything radical, but it is noticeable.
One thing I cannot help but be bothered by is the disgusting amount of foreshadowing. Normally, foreshadowing is a good thing. It's required for stuff like this. A little mention of something at the beginning has implications in the finale. Ant-Man uses such blatant foreshadowing it's almost insulting. The ending is so stupidly clear, I would have put money on predicting the ending of the movie. I want my expectations to be subverted. I actually leaned over to my moviegoing companion and whispered, "that's how it's gonna end." And it did. Stop being so fucking predictable, please... Wait, did I just bitch for a whole paragraph on foreshadowing? Fuck. I completely understand that foreshadowing is damn important when it comes to constructing stories, but, I dunno, I just felt kind of insulted as a moviegoer and fan of these films. The ending is just so shockingly obvious that I can't help but mention it.
Complaints aside, I've never seen an action movie quite like this. Who would have thought that a superhero with a shrinking ability could fight like a badass? Although very few of the visual effects are practical, the CGI is as good as it can be. The fight choreography is utterly bizarre, as Ant-Man disappears and reappears in the blink of an eye all while dolling out punch after punch. It's pretty much all his suit can do, with the exception of give him super strength when he's small. Although he only fights a couple of guys at any given moment, he's got so much potential for teaming up with The Avengers in later Marvel films.
Seriously, if Ant-Man and Hawkeye get to share this moment in the next Avengers movie, I will shit my pants.
Casting a superhero is one hell of a challenge. You can get the beefiest guy who looks good in a suit (*cough cough Henry Cavill in Man of Steel cough*) or... you can cast... Paul Rudd. He's definitely bulked up a bit, but he's no WWE star. He can also act. And be unbelievably charming. It does feel like Paul Rudd is kind of playing Paul Rudd, but then again, didn't Jimmy Stewart always kind of play Jimmy Stuart? Like, different versions of himself? He's charming, likable and damn funny. So it works perfectly. Opposite Rudd is Michael Douglas, who has never been in any kind of superhero movie until now. He plays Hank Pym, an old scientist who used to be the Ant-Man before he retired. He's able to perfectly match Rudd's energy and is a formidable mentor figure. Knowing a little about his comic book background, it'll be interesting to see where he goes from here. Pym's daughter, Hope, also has massive potential to grow into a major player in later films.
Scott Lang is one of the most likable in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unlike all of the other main heroes, he doesn't have any actual powers. They're granted to him by his suit. Without it, he's just a normal guy. He's got a family. Well, kind of. A daughter and an ex-wife. His relationship with his daughter is the driving force of the film almost from the start. He does everything he can to be there for her, taking on the heist job in the first place to raise money so he can pay child support. He's an ordinary guy placed in extraordinary circumstances, and it works perfectly. His arc has plenty of payoff, as he becomes the hero his daughter sees him as.
Okay, I've already complained quite a bit about this movie. But as I always say, the most important part of a movie is that it's entertaining. And Ant-Man DEFINITELY has that going on. The cast is great. Fight scenes are unlike anything I've ever seen, and the visual effects are cool as well. The tie-ins to the Marvel Cinematic Universe are tight, so long-time fans will get a few "holy shit" moments that are totally worth it. It's not the best Marvel movie, but it's certainly more enjoyable than some of Marvel's other outings.
Oh, and there are an absolute TON of fun little easter eggs. Be sure to wait around for after the scrolling credits sequence. It's worth the wait.
7.8/10
