Introducing the smallest Marvel Comics character to the big screen, Ant-Man takes a turn at being a huge superhero. Aiming to equal his predecessors such as Iron Man and Captain America, this little giant comes in close to the pack. The comedy and drama are very good, but much like the movie introductory of the character Thor the opening story does drag somewhat. If you are a Marvel Comic addict, then the first paragraph here will be meaningless to you. I’m sure you’ll be one of the multitudes that are already lining up for a turn on seeing the Avengers newest freshman.
Trying to turn his life around from a cat burglar to a loving father for his young daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson), Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) takes a job like normal hard working citizens. Returning from a three year stint in jail has put his ex-wife Maggie (Judy Greer) on edge and persistence that he will never change. In the meantime, (shown in flashback many years earlier) scientist Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) has been making breakthroughs in his particle research of reducing live human tissue at his company Pymtech. But the Board of Directors at the company he founded has become impatient and wants him to turn over the plans so they can go ahead and finish the project. He refuses and resigns before going into seclusion.
Flash ahead to modern day and we find that Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), now head of Crosstech (formerly Pymtech), is on the verge of completing Dr. Pym’s formula. His motives however, are not for ethical use. He wants an army of miniature killers that will help him rule the world. Meanwhile Dr. Pym has resurfaced and finds Scott Lang a good subject for his final experiment. When he reduces Scott down to the size of an ant, Dr. Pym gets thousands of tiny ants to help him fight the evil Darren Cross.
What makes the movie very good is the comedy that bolsters the action much like the first Iron Man movie. There’s plenty of sight gags and deadpan slapstick to keep the film at a high level of enjoyment for the action hero target audience. It’s a fast moving film that catches the audience off guard from the story laden beginning to the explosive finale.
Director Peyton Reed puts his CGI crew to the test with some amazing animated creatures that take on the chore of helping Ant-Man reach the goal of defeating Cross. His computerized ant size hero has the strength of the mighty little insects that are packed with power. Reduced to be able to travel underneath the earth, the small hero’s ability may not be throwing webs to capture the bad guys or even flying through the air with super speed to fight off the likes of Ultron, but his small size coupled with the ability to shrink and go back to normal makes him a mini superhero. As a note, Reed’s inner earth looks very cool, especially the water pipes Ant-Man has to use to get around and other not as accommodating places.
The acting in Ant-Man is up to par with the other Marvel films and Paul Rudd makes the perfect new addition to the expanding Marvel Universe. Rudd has the facial expressions, sincerity and determination to make his character the action hero expected by followers of the genre. And, you’ll see Paul Rudd as the tiny creature hero in the next Marvel’s Avengers movie Captain America: Civil War slated for next year.
The supporting cast includes Corey Stoll as the antagonist Cross that has become possessed by the possibility of getting control of the world. His theory follows that of Dr. Pym, but not for protection of America, but for take over using powerful insects. Stoll gets increasingly evil as he finds himself with the final formula that will shrink even himself as Yellow Jacket so he can fight Ant-Man.
I like both Evangeline Lilly as Hope an assistant of Cross who shows some of her fighting techniques that were prevalent in The Hobbit. She may look soft on the outside, but when it comes to defending herself, she’s not going to go easy. Michael Douglas has a good role, that of Dr. Pym the brilliant scientist that’s responsible for the shrinking of humans. He develops an impenetrable suit for Ant-Man that resembles the ants he leads in their underground pursuit of defeating Cross.
The 3D in Ant-Man is very good and it’s the format that I recommend for the film. The depth of field here takes you underground with thousands of ants scrambling through tunnels and down water drains. And although most of the 3D takes you into the action, there’s a lot of flying ants coming at you as well. The fight between Ant-Man and Yellow Jacket (a bee) becomes so real you will think you are right in the middle of the action.
Ant-Man has been rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence. If your child has seen any of the Avenger movies, then there should not be a problem with Ant-Man. However, the scene in the jail at the beginning of the movie depicts prisoners punching each other as part a ritual when an inmate gets released from prison, and it’s a bit brutal. Stick around for the credits during and at the end for future Marvel film scenes.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A very good addition to the Marvel Universe and a good cast to initiate Ant-Man to the big screen. (B+)
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, Michael Pena, Judy Greer, Abby Ryder Fortson
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Genre: Sci-fi, Adventure, Action
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi action violence
Running Time:1 hr. 57 min.
Release Date: July 17, 2015
Distributed by: Walt Disney Pictures
Release Formats: 2D and 3D
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
