Ant-Man Movie Review

Ant-Man, it’s the little things that count, pun intended. We welcome the newest and smallest member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe! In Marvel’s most recent “origin” story we meet Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), a former thief and currently trying to get his crap together kind of guy. As he goes on a wild adventure of going from criminal to hero, from absent father to dad of the year, from Scott Lang to... well… The Ant-Man.

Chosen and mentored by Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), disliked, hated, and loved by Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), and accompanied by his posy of Luis (Michael Peña), Kurt (David Dastmalchian), and Dave (Tip Harris), Scott Lang faces a worthy opponent in Darren Cross/Yellowjacket (Corey Stoll).

After much conflict between losing the director during mid-production, going back to re-write a portion of the script, and nearly scratching the whole project entirely, it seems that Peyton Reed was the correct man for the job and got it done right! From a man whose biggest projects had been The Break Up and Bring It On, it was understood why there were many doubts as to what Mr. Reed was doing directing a film such as this. However, it would seem that he has succeeded in this endeavor and has given us the latest superhero success story to hit the big screen.

The Good:

1. The story

When Marvel announced Ant-Man, there was a collective “huh?” among the comic book community and an equally collective “who is that?” amongst the general public. I had many questions going into this film and I told anyone that would listen to go in hopeful but with no expectations. With that being said, I am proud to announce that Marvel and Disney have done it again! They took a supporting comic book character and turned him into a solid stand-alone box office warrior. Kudos to Edgar Wright, whom eventually left the project, and to Paul Rudd as they brilliantly managed to create a film that was a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe without having to depend on it and screaming, “Hey! I’m a part of the universe! Avengers! Captain America! Etc…” They were able to give you that “oh snap!” moment while staying relevant to the current story line.

2. The Good Guys

I can’t think of anyone that could’ve played Scott Lang/Ant-Man better than Paul Rudd. This was easily one of his more brilliant performances as he makes you feel a huge range of emotions throughout the film. Michael Douglas portrayed a Hank Pym that had been taught many lessons throughout the years. I must be honest, when I pictured an older Hank Pym, Michael Douglas was not what came to mind, however there’s more than meets the eyes. Evangeline Lilly played the part of Hope, Dr. Pym’s daughter and she did a wonderful job of taking the audience on a roller coaster ride of emotion throughout the film. Marvel has gotten us used to finding good iconic characters that are here to stay: Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, etc… And they definitely did not deviate from that here.

3. The Graphics

My God! The graphics of this movie literally made me jump out of my seat on several occasions. Without spoiling anything just imagine A Bugs’ Life meets Star Wars. The microscopic Ant-Man scenes were something straight from the comic books and I watched with eyes wide open as my childhood readings came true right in front of my eyes.

The Bad:

1. The Villain

I am tired of disposable villains with a revenge vendetta to carry out. Nowadays, films don’t take the time to develop a villain to the point where he or she is worth keeping around. I am grateful that the iconic, legendary villains have been left alone for now until a franchise can learn to get it right. Other than a couple such as Loki in the MCU, Magneto in X-Men, Voldemort in Harry Potter, and maybe (this is probably reaching) The Capitol in the Hunger Games saga; there isn’t much time put in into a villain worth getting to know and this movie was no exception.

2. The Soundtrack

This may sound very petty of me, but I was hoping for Guardians of the Galaxy type feel in terms of the music I would hear throughout the movie. Part of it was due to my belief that Ant-Man would have a Guardians of the Galaxy feel to it.

The Inconsistent:

1. The Feel

Throughout the movie, there was a variety of styles. For a couple of scenes I felt like I was watching This is 40 or Peyton Reed’s very own Yes Man while at other times I knew that this was a superhero film. No matter the amount or type of humor involved, (and this is my opinion) a movie should not be flip flopping that drastically. It is okay to have different themes but not to the point to where it feels that a certain scene belongs to a completely different movie.

2. The Crew

Michael Peña, David Dastmalchian, and Tip Harris (T.I.) played the role of Ant-Man’s boys. While they played their part to perfection by adding the necessary comic relief, I can’t say that I was satisfied with their roles. Too many times did they rely on stereotypes and one-liners to stay relevant. If they were to ever reprise their roles in future films, it would be nice to see them get a bit more screen time in order for them to develop a character that goes beyond three musketeers doing stand-up comedy in any given scene.

Final Take

Marvel has done it again! With a great cast and a very generous budget that helped create those standing ovation worthy graphics, Ant-Man is a movie for everyone. From the comic book geeks to the once in a while movie goer, from the grown-ass man to the seven year old (with a parent of course) this movie Is guaranteed to make you laugh at least once and definitely make your imagination run wild.

Watched the movie already? Agree? Disagree? Have questions or theories? Let us know!! Email us at insidedormwalls@gmail.com!!

If you have NOT yet watched the movie and do NOT want to be SPOILED stop reading now. If you have already watched the movie and are interested in my top five scenes of the movie continue reading.

Top 5 Scenes:

1. Falcon vs. Ant-Man- In a surprising turn of events Scott Lang is on a mission to steal something from the Avengers facility. Unfortunately, Sam Wilson AKA Falcon is on duty and must put an end to Ant-Man’s plan.

2. First MCU Spidey-Man reference! – At the very end of the movie, while describing the kind of superheroes available it is said that there is a guy that can climb on walls.

3. The Heist- Scott Lang is in need of money and his boys provide him with an “easy” job. Soon he finds himself in a vault that is practically empty with the exception of a strange suit.

4. Wasp- In the first end credits scene Dr. Pym reveals to his daughter Hope the Wasp suit that will hopefully be worn someday by her.

5. Ant-Man meets some Avengers… sorta - In the post credit scene we find Falcon in some sort of warehouse meeting Captain America with Bucky Barnes AKA the Winter Soldier as they apparently need help with removing something from Bucky’s metallic arm and Falcon says that he knows a guy that can help.