Peyton Reed directs the twelfth installment in the Marvel Comic Universe films. Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has just recently gotten out of prison after spending years locked up for breaking and entering into a major corporation building. Unbeknownst to him, finding a job even with a master’s degree in engineering proves to be a very difficult feat for an ex-con. When things don’t work out at the local Baskin Robins, Scott succumbs to the peer pressure of his friends who persuade him to rob a billionaire who will be out of his house for a whole week.
Disappointed that a “leather motorcycle suit” is the only thing in the billionaire’s vault, Scott decides to try on the costume when he gets back home. He quickly realizes that not everything is as it seems when he shrinks to the size of an ant. With the help of Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Scott embarks on a mission to prevent Darrin Cross from marketing and selling similar technology.
Marvel’s Ant-Man..Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd)..Photo Credit: Zade Rosenthal..? Marvel 2014
To be completely honest, I was pretty dead set on not watching this film in theaters. How exciting could a movie about a man who can shrink to the size of ant be? Well as it turns out, pretty darn exciting. Similar to Guardians of the Galaxy, I was pleasantly surprised.
Luis (Michael Pena) was definitely a scene-stealer. All his lines had me cracking up. This movie was a lot funnier than many of the comedies I’ve seen. (Remember kids, Baskin Robins always finds out). I oddly enjoyed Paul Rudd as the title character. Admittedly, I was skeptical that he wouldn’t be able to embody an action-hero role. I was wrong. The climactic scene takes place on a Thomas the Train set. It is both action-packed and funny, especially when the camera zooms out and we see how silly it all looks.
Some of the dialog was a bit cheesy, but sort of expected from a Disney movie. I wished there was some more character development. I don’t think we know enough about Hank Pym or even Scott’s family. His family was a bit peripheral to the main arc. I did like Rudd’s scenes with his daughter. In the end, it’s clear that you don’t need the Hulk, Iron Man or any of the other Avengers to make a great film. Sometimes less is more. Ant-Man is a film that has renewed my faith in these films, especially after my recent disappointment with Avengers: Age of Ultron.
I recommend you watch this film in theaters.
Side note: it’s not a good idea to bring a baby to an 8pm showing. I sympathize that you want to go out, but on the other hand you need to empathize that you aren’t the only one watching the movie.
*There are two post-credit scenes.
**I also wanted to note that there are a few lines in the movie that I don’t think are kid-friendly. They aren’t terrible, but not appropriate for the young ones.
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (sci-fi action violence
Running Time: 117 minutes
My Grade: A-
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