Movie Review – Ant-Man

by Donald Hanson • July 23, 2015 • Movie Reviews • Comments (0) • 1991

Last year Marvel released Guardians of the Galaxy, a movie about obscure characters that even comic book fans barely knew. As a result of great storytelling, acting and special effects the movie was a huge success. It was even bigger than the more established Captain America sequel earlier in the year. Now they bring us Ant-Man, an equally low profile Superhero that is their most challenging yet to translate to the screen in a way that is entertaining. Once again they have succeeded.

When Marvel’s The Avengers came out in 2012 they were missing a couple charters from the line-up namely Ant-Man and The Wasp. To rectify that problem, Ant-Man gets his own movie. One of the strengths of the Marvel movies is how each one goes off in its own direction rather that just being ‘another superhero movie’. Thor’s specialty is fantasy, Captain America political espionage, Guardians of the Galaxy a goofier Star Wars and now Ant-man is a comedy/heist caper.

Paul Rudd, who you mostly know from comedic roles, stars as Ant-Man and is a co-writer of the film as well. As a result this movie is very funny and more of a comedy than Guardians of the Galaxy. This allows it to be fun and unique. Rudd has great chemistry with Michael Douglas who plays the other Ant-Man and Evangeline Lilly. This film has a great energy and Michael Pena, David Dastmalchian & T.I. add to the humor element as Ant-Man’s partners in crime. The always great Corey Stoll executes the villain as charming but with a menacing and unhinged edge just waiting to emerge.

The film does have its weaknesses however. Some of the scenes in the second act involving Rudd learning to become Ant-Man as well as the eventual climax of the third feel a little cliched and like they have been done before. But they don’t take much away from the movie as you like the characters and comedy so much that you don’t really mind. Also this is possibly the most kid-friendly of all the Marvel films despite a little bit of language here and there.

All in all this is a very good movie. Fans of the Marvel franchise and Avengers series should be especially interested in the story here as it ties in with them and basically bridges Avengers : Age of Ultron with Captain America : Civil War. Remember that it is important to stay until the end of the credits as there are 2 extra scenes to see.