Ant-Man: Movie Review

Once again, Marvel Studios has taken a C-string comic book character and turned him into the star of a major summer tentpole. And it works. Also, there are scenes both during and after the credits.

Cast and Crew Information

Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man
Michael Douglas as Dr. Hank Pym
Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne
Corey Stoll as Darren Cross / Yellowjacket
Bobby Cannavale as Paxton
Judy Greer as Maggie Lang
Abby Ryder Fortson as Cassie Lang
Michael Pena as Luis
Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter
John Slattery as Howard Stark
Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon
Stan Lee as Bartender

Story by Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish. Screenplay by Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish and Adam McKay & Paul Rudd
Directed by Peyton Reed

Premise

A modern day Robin Hood, driven by a desire to see his daughter following his time in prison, is recruited to keep potentially dangerous technology out of the wrong hands.

High Point

Although he can throw a punch, Scott Lang’s mind is his greatest asset. We clearly understand why Pym didn’t hand the suit over to just anyone.

Low Point

That’s not the way quantum mechanics works. To be fair, though, that’s a problem the movie didn’t create, but merely adapted from the source material.

Also, the trailers revealed far too much, including a few points from the final confrontation.

The Review

This is a fairly faithful of Scott Lang’s comic story, even if they’ve taken some liberties with the stories of the supporting cast. It’s a different feel than the rest of the Marvel movies, although it is indisputably part of the bigger picture. I give it 5 out of 6.

The effects were well done, and this is an effects heavy movie. This is not Land of the Giants, Incredible Shrinking Man or any of the other similar features which haven’t aged well. These effects are virtually seamless. I give it 6 out of 6.

The story is very well told. We care about Scott despite meeting him while he’s in prison, we sympathize with him, and we understand why he’s taking the risks he’s choosing to take. This movie is entirely about the importance of family, even if the fate of the world is at stake. I give it 5 out of 6.

The acting is nicely done. Michael Douglas is great as Pym, as is Paul Rudd as Scott Lang. The supporting cast also fill their roles nicely. I give it 5 out of 6.

The production is nicely done. The editing feels more like a drama than a comedy or action flick, which may make it “feel” odd to some viewers. I give it 5 out of 6.

The emotional response is excellent. This is not quite as funny as Guardians of the Galaxy, but it’s funnier than the rest of Marvel’s releases. We also care about Scott and Cassie, as well as Hank and Hope. That makes it possible for a fight in a little girl’s bedroom to feel like it has higher stakes than a fight that goes from a high security complex to a helicopter above the city. I give it 6 out of 6.

Overall, this is another solid Marvel studios film. I give it 5 out of 6.

In total, Ant-Man receives 37 out of 42.

6 replies on “Ant-Man: Movie Review”

  1. But will Marvel ever get to the G-string heroes? And what sort of cameo will Stan make then?

    • In regards to the PG-13 rating, it’s mostly for language and there were a couple of moments I where I wondered if my 10yo knew what the words meant, but if I’m being honest, she’s probably heard worse out of my mouth.

  2. I was honestly impressed by how smart it was. There were lots of little things that paid off interestingly over the film. And yeah, the character work was interesting and well done. Overall, we were really impressed with Ant-Man!

  3. Late to the picnic here, but we really enjoyed it. Especially after the somewhat chaotic second Avengers movie, it was good to see one where the plot twists didn’t bury the plot, and the characterization didn’t get lost in too-many characters. I was okay with Age of Ultron as spectacle, but this, like the second Captain America, works better as a story.

    Also– given how successful Marvel has been with a lighter tone, why does DC insist on making its movies so forced-dark?

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