Movie Monday (Friday Edition) - Ant-Man

If you’ve been wondering what is definitively the worst film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you’re going to have to look elsewhere, because Ant-Man is far from the worst. In fact, I would argue that Ant-Man may actually be one of the best films to come out of Marvel. Here we have a super hero origin story that's new and refreshing. So far we’ve had Iron Man who built his legacy on top of his father’s; Thor, who has built his legacy on top of his father’s; Captain America who was designed by a father-like figure who saw something more in a scrawny boy from New York; and finally The Hulk who gained his power all by himself. Ant-Man is none of these things as a character and it’s both interesting and entertaining to watch where this intelligent ANTi-hero (sorry) comes from and where he’s headed.

Marvel Studios

Ultimately, Ant-Man is a heist film with super powers and Edgar Wright’s writing to beef it up into one that Marvel fans won’t soon forget. The training montage followed by the climax of the story makes this easily as memorable as the first Captain America and perhaps as memorable as the first Iron Man. That’s not to say the film has no flaws. Some of the jokes don’t land well leaving things more awkward than funny, and certain aspects of the plot are predictable. These facts, however, are greatly overshadowed by the overall fun nature of everything surrounding them. Ant-Man is a different hero with a significantly unique skill-set that sets him apart from other heroes and I can’t wait to see how he’ll fill in the small gaps surrounding the larger characters.

However, the appeal of Ant-Man is that it nods to the well-trod broader Marvel universe in which it's set, while not bolting the existing storylines and characters all over it. Aside from an expository flashback, there is little mention of the rest of the universe until later in the film, allowing for the story surrounding Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) to blossom until it is ready to fit in to the big picture.

Marvel Studios

Like most super hero origin stories, this movie starts off slow. That’s not to say that there isn’t anything worth watching in the first two thirds of the film. Ant-Man does a good job building stakes for the characters with a quality supporting cast featuring Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly along with comic relief from Michael Peña and Paul Rudd himself. Add the adorable daughter to the mix and you have an endearing story of a dad who has done the wrong thing for the right reasons, but has a shot at world-saving redemption.

And in case you were wondering why, when the fate of the world is at stake, they don’t just call The Avengers to intervene. The film both asks and answers that question using Hank Pym’s (Michael Douglas) relationship with the Stark men to shove that thought out of our minds. While The Avengers exist in the continuity of the film, they’re not important yet and actually may prove to be more trouble than they’re worth. This is Scott Lang’s film and no one should go into it expecting to see The Avengers.

Marvel Studios

Scott Lang is nothing to scoff at. There was no point in the film where I thought “This is boring, what’s Cap doing right now?” As a master burglar, Lang’s morality sits in a gray area unlike Captain America or most of the other Avengers. That fact alone makes him different and, as a result, interesting to watch. Add in the top notch special effects of the ant-sized view of the world and you have a character that is easily as fun to follow.

Because it is the end of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s “Phase 2” leading into Civil War, there are a number of hints and teasers that leave us chomping at the bit for more. When you see it, and I suggest you see it on as big of a screen as possible, make sure that you stay to the very end of the credits as there are not one but two stingers; the second of which will leave you asking more questions and primes us for the next step.

Marvel Studios

Ranking up there with Captain America: The First Avenger, better than Iron Man 2 and 3, I give Ant-Man a solid 4 out of 5.