Marvel brings a new genre of film to their cinematic universe and this time we get a heist film. Ant Man is a fun heist film for the family with a touch of Honey I Shrunk the Kids.
Scott Lang played by Paul Rudd is a crook that has just been released from his prison sentence and we see that he wants to become honourable in the eyes of his young daughter, which we find he has in common with Michael Douglas’s character later on. Scott’s skills for breaking into some of the most secure vaults make him the prime candidate to helm the suit for a heist and set out to steal the new suit being prepped for diabolical purposes. Paul Rudd is great and believable in the title role, but he might need another film to make you take away the star Paul Rudd from our eyes and see Ant-Man instead. Michael Douglas was the best part of the movie to me. I didn’t think an actor as talented as him would fit well into this universe, but he made himself feel right at home in it. His character, Hank Pym is the inventor of the shrinking technology and we see he was the original Ant-Man hero who infiltrated the enemy Hydra in his youth. Hank is also the reason for the antagonist Darren Cross, who was once his protege though he began to feel alienated from the truth of his suit and began working out how to create his own shrinking suit for sale in global warfare and “peacekeeping.” Evangeline Lilly is back on the big screen for this film, which is always a good thing and she brings us a strong female character to the Marvel roster.
When Edgar Wright, one of my favourite directors and writers had left the project I was doubtful in Marvel achieving a great film without him, and to a degree I was right. While we didn’t get an Edgar Wright film in Ant-Man we did get a Marvel film. Edgar Wright’s films are stylistic and when you look at Marvel’s films the directors are relatively invisable so hopefully we get a new one from him soon with his energies put towards something he can continue to make his own.
Ant-Man is easily one of my favourite Marvel standalone films and almost as much fun as Guardians of the Galaxy. Marvel’s stamp is all through the film and it has a lot of sneaky easter eggs to keep fans of the marvel cinematic universe smirking. There are also two scenes to wait for after the credits start rolling so stay seated and enjoy.
3.5/5 – Stars
Robert Ring
KissTheMovies 