2015’s Ant Man, directed
by Peyton Reed.
Starring Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly,
Michael Pena, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Anthony Mackie, Judy Greer, Hayley
Atwell, Abby Ryder Fortson, and Martin Donovan.
What is it about?
Ant Man stars Paul
Rudd as a divorced father freshly released from jail. Convicted with high tech
burglary crimes, he struggles to get on the straight and narrow so he can have
access to his daughter (Abby Ryder Fortson), whom is cared for by his dismissive
ex-wife (Judy Greer) and cop boyfriend (Bobby Cannavale). Broke and prospect
less, Rudd falls back into a burglary job recommended by his buddy (Michael
Pena). After some impressive safe cracking, Rudd discovers a suit that can
compress particles to make its wearer ant sized and possess ant-like strength. Mentored
by the suit’s inventor (Michael Douglas), Rudd works with Douglas’ daughter
(Evangeline Lilly) to steal a similar suit from a technological rival (Corey
Stoll)- who wants to market his suits to the Hydra agency to get rich. Will
Rudd be able to master his new powers to stop Stoll’s plans?
Why is it worth seeing?
Ant Man is the 6th
and final film in the Phase 2 stage of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU),
which is parent company Disney’s declaration of theatrical domination. With 11
films of the MCU already established and inter connected (save Guardians), Ant Man attempts to introduce yet another super hero- and to keep
things fresh, goes all in on the comedic aspects, with mixed results.
Writers Edgar Wright, Adam McKay, Joe Cornish, and double
duty star Paul Rudd, bring considerable comic background and inject it into the
super hero origin story archetype. The result is a film that feels at times
more like a comedy than a comic book movie, with mixed results. When the jokes
connect (the physical gag about Thomas the Train and a supersized ant in
particular are inspired), all is well, but the rest of the time the unevenness
reveals something missing.
Douglas’ character keeps things grounded as he introduces us
to Ant Man’s world, but the results
of the attraction between Rudd and Lilly are as predictable as it gets, and the
message from the characters to Rudd about “being the person your daughter
thinks you are” leaves a lot of be desired. Ditto for Stoll, as a villain who
is as forgettable as he is (sometimes) micro sized.
What’s not missing is the unique action mayhem. All of the
requisite Marvel touches are here, as Ant
Man embraces Iron Man’s love of
technology and shrinks things down to particle size, as Rudd’s character
cannonballs back and forth between human scale and ant sized. Small but potent,
here’s an interesting character to add to an increasingly populated universe.
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