Dammit, Marvel has done it to me again. From the Avenger you cared the least about (if you knew him at all, but was part of the original Avengers lineup), comes Ant-Man. Like Guardians of the Galaxy last year, when Ant-Man's production was announced, I was so underwhelmed about this new entry into the Marvel cinematic universe. And yet, like last year, they pull another rabbit out of the hat and blow away all my expectations. With the exception of the incredibly perfect casting but pretty dumb Thor series, Marvel is batting near 1.000. We will give Iron Man 2 and 3 a pass because the first one is so good. Marvel is really hitting its stride and it seems to be just getting warmed up.
Paul Rudd plays Scott Lang, a self-professed cat burglar (not a thief, there is a difference) who is released from a three-year stint in prison for robbing ill-gotten profits from a nameless corporate CEO (the bad-guy du jour of today's obscenely rich Hollywood that acts like they're salt-of-the-Earth types) Robin Hood-style and redistributed the booty back to the swindled customers. Now he is an ex-con, an electrical engineering genius who can't find a job in San Francisco, home of the high-tech industry that might have an opening for an electrical engineering genius. Anyway, he is trying to get his life together when he is approached by Michael Douglas' Dr. Hank Pym (the original genius and Ant-Man in the comics) to destroy a formula and suit that will cause humans to shrink down to ant size (don't ask). This will involve a complex heist to get into a highly sensitive facility and destroy it using ants. Trust me, it makes a lot more sense in the movie than on paper.
Like Guardians of the Galaxy before this, Marvel Studios (and more specifically, original writer/screewriter/director Édgar Wright) wisely chose an adventure-comedy to lessen the blow of the unfamiliar Ant-Man to make it more approachable for people new to the material, and they succeeded brilliantly. There is just enough humor for great entertainment and yet enough pathos to keep a story about a guy who can shrink to the size of an ant grounded in a pretty realistic universe. You actually care about all the characters, even when they are played for laughs. There are no cheap shots, no over-the-top bad guys like Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2, just out-and-out fun all around. The reasons the movie rates three stars are there are some plot holes so big you could drive a truck through and it is a tad formulaic in the final confrontation/extended fight scene. I also felt like I was watching an update to Honey, I Shrunk The Kids a little too much. But in the end, the reasons don't detract from some good old-fashioned fun. This is why we go to movies, grand entertainment.
Also like Thor and the first Captain America, this movie is a placeholder, setting up the pieces for next year's Captain America: Civil War. With the introduction of Hank Pym, who hates the Starks and distrustful of SHIELD's motivations, as well as some key scenes at the end (stay all the way), Civil War is shaping up to be a universe-shaking movie. This is the second piece of genius to the Marvel cinematic strategy. Every one of these movies exist in their own microcosms, and can be viewed as such. Marvel has such a rich mythology to refer to, and they have been deftly linking all their movies into a seamless universe from the beginning. They have been patient and methodical, and they take their subject matter seriously, never descending into Batman & Robin buffoonery. For the most part, the movie company has wisely stayed out of the visions of the filmmakers, despite what news reports say. Artists are always a prickly lot, and will never be satisfied without total creative freedom. Many times, they are also disdainful of the art versus commerce debate. But they should never be fully trusted with the keys to the kingdom. Otherwise, they end up with a bloated, indulgent, but incredibly beautiful vision like Heaven's Gate. This is a great movie that I highly recommend for all ages.
Great review, pretty much what I was feeling when I left. In the end, it was just a FUN movie and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. As an aside, i thought it interesting that there was more nods to the other franchises in this movie than others with the fight with Falcon in addition to the end credits...
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