"Better a fallen rocket than never a burst of light."
~ Tom Stoppard, The Invention of Love

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Ant-Man (2015, PG-13)

Rule One of the Avengers universe:  trust that Marvel knows what it’s doing.  This movie is way better than it has any right to be, and I had a fantastic time seeing it.  In fact, while we know that Ant-Man (and, hopefully, some of his crew) will be appearing in future Marvel properties, it’s kind of a bummer to think that it’ll be 2019 or later before we get Ant-Man 2.

Scott Lang, a convict with Robin Hood morals, engineering smarts, and cat-burglar moves, has recently left the big house.  He’s anxious to get back on his feet and prove to his ex-wife that he’s on the straight and narrow; until he can get his act together, he won’t be allowed to see his daughter.  Enter Hank Pym, scientific wonder and former S.H.I.E.L.D. asset.  Pym is the genius behind the Pym Particle, which once enabled him, with the help of a special suit, to shrink to the level of an insect while maintaining the strength of a full-sized man.  He retired years ago, fearing the potential of his own tech, but he now needs someone new to take up the Ant-Man mantle – someone’s trying to replicate his work, and Pym will do anything to keep the powerful, dangerous technology out of the wrong hands.  Scott is rough and untrained, but Pym, with the begrudging help of his daughter Hope, is determined to whip him into shape.

First things first:  this movie is crazy fun.  Scott faces his incredible situation with everything from bewilderment to deadpan humor, a humorous crop of supporting characters nicely round out the film, and the action is a blast.  The film plays around a lot with the nature of the suit’s powers; it’s neat watching Scott change size in an instant mid-fight, and I love the visual effects of Scott interacting with normal-sized objects in his reduced state.  It also takes advantage of the comic potential in the lowered stakes of a miniaturized fight – moves that look epic zoomed-in are hilariously anticlimactic when the camera pulls out to show the actual scale.

For a film that at first seems pretty removed from the major Marvel happenings, I like how it folds into the franchise continuity and just generally feels like it’s taking place in a world where the Avengers exist.  Even if Hank is no longer in the S.H.I.E.L.D. loop and Scott has never been in it, the connections are there and feel organic.  And overall, framing the movie more as a super-powered heist than a standard comic-book film is smart.  It especially helps in the big third-act throw-down; between the different genre and Ant-Man’s unique powers, it’s one of the most original climax sequences in the Marvel oeuvre.  Really, my only big complaint is that I wanted more of Hope in action.  While I understand the reasons the story gives for limiting her, it’s not terribly satisfying, particularly since she more than proves herself as she helps train Scott.

Paul Rudd is likeable and engaging as Scott.  He brings the humor, the action, and the heart (his scenes with his daughter are adorable.)  I like Michael Douglas’s gruff mentor Pym, Lost’s Evangeline Lilly does a nice job as cool, capable Hope, and Corey Stoll (Hemingway from Midnight in Paris!) is a lot of fun in a supporting role.  Additionally, this movie offers a few terrific Avengers-verse cameos that I won’t spoil, both in the movie proper and in the post-credits scenes (which, by the way, get me super excited for future movies.)

Warnings

Comic book violence (including a scene involving animals,) some swearing, and drinking.

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