Ant-Man
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lily, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll
Directed By: Peyton Reed
Reviewed by Brendan Dousi
[rating: 4/5]
Ant-Man may just be Marvel’s riskiest venture yet. Last year’s sleeper hit Guardians of the Galaxy surprised and delighted, people flocked to it because it was different than the usual superhero fare they’d been getting from Marvel. People were excited to check out the film with the walking tree and the talking raccoon. From my general experience asking people if they were interested in Marvel’s latest venture the usual response came across as “That ant guy movie? Eh, I might give it a pass…” Enthusiasm levels don’t seem to be at their usual levels for this Marvel film. Are people right in their apathy towards this one, or will they just end up missing out on one of Marvel’s best films so far?
Ant-Man starts off telling the story of Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) a genius scientist/former super-spy who has discovered something called the ‘Pym’ particle. This particle let’s those who weild it re-determine the space between atoms allowing the user to safely shrink down any object from tanks to people. Dr. Pym has kept the secret to his discovery close to his chest for many years, fearing what people could do with it if it got into the wrong hands. Enter Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), Pym’s slight megalomaniacal ex-protegee, who is a breath away from recreating his mentor’s work. Worried what Cross will do with this kind of power, Pym enlists the help of newly released master burglar Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) to help him pull off the mother of all heists. With an army of ants at his disposal and Pym’s daughter Hope (Evangeline Lily) by their side what could possibly go wrong?
Ant-Man somehow manages to be one of the most ‘comic-book’ films Marvel has produced so far while also being one of the least ‘Marvel’ films so far. That might not make much sense, but bear with me. So far ‘Marvel’ films have followed a very specific formula, your typical heroes journey with maybe a touch of genre thrown in. Thor has it’s fantasy, Captain America: The Winter Soldier it’s political thriller and so on. Then on top of this, each film has it’s pre-mandated action sequences where the films can barely stand to go 10 to 15 minutes without shoehorning in an action sequence. Ant-Man flips this on it’s head a little bit and it works out great. Instead of being a superhero movie with a touch of a ‘heist’ film, it’s a ‘heist’ film that just happens to be set in a universe occupied with superheroes. Sure, they are trying to save the world from potential risk, but really what they’re doing is divising a plan to ‘break into a place and steal some shit’. This is wonderful because instead of getting bogged down in heroic deeds and saving the day we are given a man, Scott Lang, who is determined to stop his bad ways to set a good example for his daughter being called upon to be a hero due to those exact skills that got him in trouble in the first place. On top of this, instead of shoe-horning in the usual quota of action sequences, all of the inventive and fun action scenes you come to expect from a Marvel film happen organically within the context of the story including an extremely ‘comic-book’ scene which involves Ant-Man confronting an existing Avenger. Very, very cool. It’s pretty refreshing getting to watch a Marvel film and not feeling a little worn-out by their need for constant explosions.
Anyone who has done their research is probably aware of the fact that Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) was attached to write and direct this since about 2003, well before Iron Man was even conceived. While his original 60s spy film version of Ant Man never ended up happening due to the necessity of the studio to implement it into their existing cinematic universe, his presence is nevertheless felt throughout the film. The script is sharp, funny and joyous with a fantastic sense of humour and a slightly campy skew which is necessary when dealing with a guy who shrinks and controls ants. On top of an excellent script and some truly impressive and inventive action set-pieces, it’s the cast that truly brings this film together. Paul Rudd in particular is the glue that holds this film together and gives a fantastic, light and charming performance as our protagonist Scott Lang. Add in Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lily as a delightful father-daughter duo and you have something truly special.
Ant-Man certainly isn’t anything new, but it delivers a whole and exciting cinematic experience that will definitely please anyone who has been a fan of Marvel’s films so far, and may even win back a few who may have strayed away from the more recent installments. To be horribly cheesey and punny, it’s safe to say that great things can come in small packages and Marvel definitely have a winner with this pint-sized romp.
