Movie Review: Ant-Man (2015)

Courtesy: Marvel

Starring Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lily, and Corey Stoll

Directed by Peyton Reed

Rated PG-13

My Rating: ****/5

In the wake of the massive success of "Avengers: Age of Ultron", it's clear that Marvel can now sell its lesser-known heroes in a manner that makes them accessible to not only the built-in audience of the comics; but also to the average moviegoer in a manner that appeals to both. Nowhere is that more apparent than with the newest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "Ant-Man."

The story begins in 1989, when scientist Hank Pym (Douglas) is voted out of his own company by protege Darren Cross (Stoll) for refusing to relinquish the secrets behind the technology of the Ant-Man suit; which can shrink the wearer to the size of an ant and give them the abilities one possesses.

In the present day; Scott Lang (Rudd) is a thief who has been newly-released from prison and given a new chance to do great things when Pym catches him trying to steal the suit. Along with the help of his daughter Hope (Lily); they train him to use the suit to pull of heists as Cross is attempting to weaponize the technology in the form of a suit known as the Yellow Jacket.

If the above premise sounds silly, you'd be right. While the character may not be familiar with the general public the way Batman, Superman, Spider-Man and the X-Men are (to the point where the film occupied the spot the former two would have had for Batman VS Superman: Dawn of Justice, now on track for March 25, 2016); the film is unabashedly self-aware of the ridiculousness of the concept, and bathes in a modern-day origin story for a hero with roots in Silver age comic book ludicrousness. Cross even mentions the "Tales to Astonish" line that the character was first published in.

The result is a film that's in a world all its own. While there are some sprinkled Easter eggs for fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the form of dealing with the climax of "Age of Ultron" (watch for a cameo from Anthony Mackie as Sam "The Falcon" Wilson); the film is largely at its best when it works as fun escapism. Seeing Lang trying to get the gist of how the suit works leads to some of the most creative action scenes and special effects of the movie; recalling 1950s classics such as "Them" and "The Incredible Shrinking Man." Marvel easily got their money's worth of their $130 million budget; with a plethora of innovative camera work and scale, from when Scott first puts on the suit to when he faces Cross in a climactic battle against him as Yellow Jacket- in the presence of his daughter's Thomas the Tank Engine train set, no less.

One admitted flaw is the pacing. While the film does have a very fanciful tone; it also uses editing in a manner that rarely gives the viewer a moment to breathe before the next scene happens. That said, it does at least take every opportunity to poke fun at the fact, since the characters also react in a manner anyone would at a setup like this.

With the film being a surprise hit; dropping less at the box office in six weeks than the infamous "Fantastic Four" reboot did in three, the character is expected to play a large part in Phase 3 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; which the film helps set up. In the vein of the first "Iron Man" or "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Ant-Man" is a big surprise as Marvel's biggest little movie ever. With a sense of childlike wonder and thrill in the film's 115-minute runtime; it's the most fun I've had at the movies in a long time.