directed by Peyton Reed
written by Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Adam McKay and Paul Rudd
As much as I have truly savored seeing the Marvel Cinematic Universe unfold since the very first Iron Man movie in 2008, I will admit that, after eleven movies, which include films I find utterly sublime, like the aforementioned Iron Man, The Avengers, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, I have finally started to feel a little fatigue set in, to the extent that at one point I was contemplating sitting out the MCU's twelfth film, Ant-Man.
More than just feeling tired of superhero movies in general and Marvel movies in particular, I was also one of the few film geeks who was put off by the fact that quirky British director Edgar Wright, who had basically devoted ten years his life to bringing this movie to the big screen, had left this film in a bit of a huff last year over "creative differences" with Marvel Studios. The trailer looked promising, though, and my kids were interested in seeing the movie, so partly out of curiosity and a sense of "duty" to my kids, I still went to see it, doubts notwithstanding.
I'm happy to say that I'm glad I overcame my misgivings and went to see the film; I had a really good time.
Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has just done three years for burgling, and has resolved to go straight for the sake of his daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Forston) to the extent that he even resists the enticements of his former partner-in-crime Luis (Michael Pena), at whose apartment he is now staying with two other "associates" Dave (Tip Harris) and Kurt (David Dastmalchian). Things take a turn for the worse, however, as Scott's employer lets him go upon discovering his criminal record, and Scott realizes that he won't be able to see his daughter until he gets on his own two feet. In a fit of desperation, he takes Luis up on his offer, which is to break into the vault of a rich old man away on vacation. As it turns out, that rich old man happens to be Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) creator of fantastic technologies, one of which shrinks humans to insect size while giving them extraordinary strength and the other of which enables people to communicate with ants. Pym, who actually allowed Scott to break into his house and steal his things, deliberately chose Scott because of the skill he displayed in one of his previous jobs, in which he burgled an ulta-rich one percenter who happened to have the most advanced home security system on the planet. Pym needs Scott to break into the facilities of the very company he founded in order to stop his former protege Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) from using technology derived from Hank's own inventions to create and sell a weapon of frightening power. Scott will have help from Pym, his reluctant(and highly-skilled) daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly) and most importantly, an army of Pym's most useful allies: ants. Scott is reluctant at first, but agrees when he realizes the stakes, even if it means getting in way over his head.
The good news is that, even though Wright did not direct this movie, Reed does a job that can reasonably described as a couple of notches above competent, and even more encouragingly, Wright's fingerprints can be seen all over the film. The movie's a bit breezy and a lot more lighthearted than other MCU films, which says a lot considering that, with the possible exception of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, most Marvel movies have a certain buoyancy to them which, while making them fun to watch, also opens them up to criticism from people saying that they're pure fluff. The humor works differently here, though, in an Ocean's 11 sort of way.
Casting Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, while not quite as spot-on as the selection of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, was a clever move that paid off, as was the choice of making Lang the lead Ant Man and casting Michael Douglas as Henry Pym. What I love about these top-caliber actors like Douglas and, before him, Glenn Close, Robert Redford and Anthony Hopkins, is that none of them are slumming it in these roles for a paycheck, or just so they can say they were in a superhero movie. They all put in really engaging performances, and Douglas is no exception. Evangeline Lilly does a great job as Pym's firebrand of a daughter Hope, but ironically the filmmakers kind of shot themselves in the foot by creating such a strong female character and basically relegating her to a supporting role. Stoll's Darren Cross, while appropriately menacing, is like a few of the other the MCU antagonists that have come before him, yet another throwaway bad guy. Judy Greer, an actress whose work I enjoy, is utterly wasted in her second mom role this year. I was happy, though, about Michael Pena and the rest of the guys playing Lang's crew, who provide wonderful comic relief. Pena, in particular, is central to two of the film's most memorable sequences. The three characters kind of play up to ethnic stereotypes, but the actors playing them are having such a grand time of it that it's hard to begrudge Marvel this little indulgence.
What I had a little difficulty with, though, was the sequences basically tying Scott into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which felt shoehorned into the script. Yes, they work from the logic of the MCU and achieve the intended result, but they feel disruptive of the film's overall narrative flow. This was a film conceived years before there was a grand design to fit all of these things together, and it definitely feels like it. About the only MCU insertion that feels right is the part of the script demonstrating and explaining Pym's disdain for Stark (played here by John Slattery, rather than the more youthful Dominic Cooper). At least it clearly establishes why Pym wouldn't run to the Avengers for help.
The movie was fun, though not anywhere near Marvel's very best. Still, it's definitely worth 120 minutes of one's time and a couple of hundred pesos. As with most Marvel movies, I skipped the 3D on this one.
7.5/10
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