Marvel's Ant-Man Review

Review of Marvel's Ant-Man

Today I'm reviewing Marvel's Ant-Man, was it good? bad? a little of both? let's find out...

I was pleasantly surprised with Paul Rudd as Scott Lange. He's a quasi celebrity thief who engaged in some "Robin Hood-esque" shenanigans, when he stuck it to an evil corporation that was bilking it's customers to the tune of a quabilzion dollars.

Paul Rudd did what he does which is ooze charm - he got the Marvel abs and the costume and he ran with it. The only issue I had with him as Scott is that they setup his criminal past as something that he did only to right this evil capitalist wrong, and then try to have him flipping over fences and climbing walls (straight ninja warrior style) and he has this expertise in cracking an old safe...none of this was believable for an electrical engineer that has only burgled ONCE.

Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, he totally could have phoned this in, this so could have been Sam Elliot in Ghost Rider. He could have been a flat one note mentor that appears in the beginning and helps a little toward the end...or worse he could have had the cliche death that inspires Scott to become the Ant-Man he always knew he could be. He wasn't, he was super involved and he was funny and believable. They didn't kill him off so I'm psyched that we might be able to see him put that young whippersnapper Tony Stark in his place.

Evangeline Lilly as Janet Van Dyne took a little while to warm up to. She seemed, especially in the first scene with Scott, to be trying to be a shrew. It seemed forced...but as the film progressed and she loosened up, she became a pretty good character. I like that she is very independent and very real. Black Widow seems to be either super flirty or super jaded, she never seems real or happy. Janet seems just as capable but also human and I really liked that.

Darren Cross played by Corey Stoll, was a weak link. I love Corey Stoll... in The Strain and House of Cards. I think he did what he could but Marvel has an issue creating compelling and believable villains (apart from Loki). Darren is very mustache twirling - and he comes across as a confused and spoiled child, rather than a super villain. "Hank Pym didn't share every secret with me...I hate him, but I want him to like me, but I want to kill him"...It's like asking a middle school girl to tell you about her relationship with her best friend Kimmy.

The best characters though were Kurt, Dave and Luis! Michael Pena, TI and David Dastmalchian were terrific. They stole every scene they were in and I want to see more of them in the MCU. I had no idea the Michael Pena was this funny and "This is the work of Gypsies" from David Dastmalchian was hilariously delivered.

As far as the plot goes this was very much a retread of Iron Man, but with heist elements instead of terrorist hunting. It worked and I loved the action sequences. The concept of fighting in a suitcase while it bounces around, or that a train set can become this epic battlefield were supremely interesting and perfectly executed. I loved the dynamic between Scott and his daughter. This film has heart.

The MCU tie-ins were balanced well and it didn't beat you over the head with cameos. The Falcon's appearance fits in seamlessly with the tone of the film. The film actually asks the question that we've all asked since Avengers first hit, "Why don't we just call in the Avengers" and it answers it, in a way that doesn't feel like a cop out.

I'm excited to see more Ant-Man in the MCU. What did you think? Leave me a comment below.