Marvel’s Ant-Man (2015) | Movie Review

Ever since it was announced, “Ant-Man” faced an uphill battle. In the Marvel lexicon, those words pale in comparison to Spider-Man, Iron Man, or even Captain America. This is not a hero many were clamoring for a live-action vision of – hell, this isn’t a character casual viewers even knew existed – yet Marvel often ignores our simpleton views of cinematic necessity and does whatever the hell they want to…and we LOVE IT! Last year, they convinced us that we should all listen to a talking raccoon and empathize with a tree, and we are still yammering on about it. By all accounts, Marvel has more than earned our blind trust and devotion.

So does “Ant-Man” continue this tradition? Let’s come back to that.

Paul Rudd, an actor long deserving of his own franchise, stars as Scott Lang, a loveable thief who seemingly screws up every opportunity he is presented by continuously turning to crime the moment life grows difficult. Deciding he wants to become the hero that his daughter already believes him to be, Scott agrees to take up reclusive scientist Hank Pym’s (Michael Douglas) offer to don his super suit and emerge the titular Ant-Man. As Pym’s protégé gone wrong, Cross (Corey Stoll) develops his own super suit – leaving it up to Ant-Man, Pym’s daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly), and Lang’s personal band of thieving nitwits (Michael Pena, T.I., and David Dastmalchian) to Ocean’s 11 the suit and save the day.

Ant-Man may sound like the lamest superhero to ever grace the multiplex – how quickly we forget Howard the Duck and the Phantom – yet there is a kaleidoscope of opportunities available to our hero as he shrinks to miniscule size and flies through keyholes, sprints across gun barrels, and even rides an ant as confidently as if it were Pegasus himself. Ant-Man is not a boring hero in any respect.

Unfortunately, the movie cannot say the same. While the first hour of “Ant-Man” is definitely focused on story and laughs, it also feels as though it is desperately trying to find its tone. Perhaps this is due to the shift from original writer / director Edgar Wright to now-at-the-helm Peyton Reed, or maybe the decision to tell Hank’s story through Scott’s eyes was more difficult to realize than initially perceived, but the film’s struggle to locate its footing is real.

There is some good material at play here: The turmoil between Hope and her father over his decision to keep her out of the suit, Scott’s relationship with his daughter, a brilliant Avengers cameo, anything and everything that comes out of Pena’s mouth. The movie’s very theme of fathers and daughters is sure to resonate with many a filmgoer. Rudd, Douglas, and Lilly are all strong here, even if none of the actors cement their characters into our subconscious the same way Tony Stark or Agent Carter has. The largest issue with “Ant-Man” is that the central conflict repeatedly falls flat. Cross, like most Marvel villains, is the movie’s weakest link. Through no fault of Stoll’s, the character of Cross is written as nothing more than a mustache-twirling ego-maniac with daddy issues. The layers are explained, but they never quite resonate, which creates a difficult scenario when the entirety of the story rests on our investment in this arc. The novel concept of essentially kicking the clichéd superhero-saving-his-city storyline to the curb and crafting a heist film is inspired, it is the execution that is flawed.

Thankfully, the last act of the film ratchets up the tension and the laughs and becomes the kind of film it should have been from the start – FUN! As we coast to our engaging conclusion that utilizes a child’s bedroom, Thomas the Tank Engine, and enough creative fuel to power a Willy Wonka jet: “Ant-Man” comes to life! The last 45 minutes are stocked with the same gags and thrills that have become staples in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe for you newbies), and much of Wright’s singular brand of quirkily delightful humor remains. Tack on an end-stinger that sets up an entire collection of future films, and “Ant-Man” is saved from the infamy of being Marvel’s first full-on miss.

To answer the question: Does “Ant-Man” continue the Marvel tradition of taking comic films to the next level? Well, by the ending reel, Marvel emerges fairly scar-free with its record firmly intact. Is this another “Guardians of the Galaxy”? Absolutely not. In fact, in my humble opinion, this is pretty close to the weakest of the MCU films.

Thankfully, even the weakest in the Marvel collection turns out to be fairly entertaining, proving that ultimately, the size of the hero really doesn’t matter at all.

Aaron Peterson
The Hollywood Outsider