Ant-Man Review

Five years ago, no one would have thought that a live action film about Ant-Man would have worked. But after the success of other Marvel movies, especially 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” an Ant-Man movie didn’t seem so farfetched after all.

“Ant-Man” was released on July 17, and is the twelfth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was directed by Peyton Reed and stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne, and Corey Stoll as Darren Cross / Yellowjacket. The success of the film stems from it’s strong script and talented cast, despite a few hiccups along the way.

One of the most interesting aspects of “Ant-Man” is the way it embodies both the successes and failures of the MCU all in one movie.

For example, every MCU film up until now have all had strong scripts, and “Ant-Man” is no exception. The story credits for “Ant-Man” go to Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish, and they did a spectacular job. The dialogue oozes with emotion and humor, and manages to find a healthy balance of both. It doesn’t get too bogged down in exposition, which is a good thing.

"Ant-Man" trailer

Like other movies in the MCU, “Ant-Man” has a stellar cast. Rudd seemed like an odd choice for a superhero movie back when he was announced as the titular Ant-Man, but after watching the film it’s clear he’s perfect for the role. Douglas and Lilly also deliver strong performances. They give believability to the fractured relationship between their two characters. Also worth noting is Michael Pena as Luis. Every word out of his mouth is comedic dynamite.

But just as “Ant-Man” shares many positive traits with the other MCU films, it also shares some flaws. The main issue with the movie is the villain. Stoll is okay in the roll, but the character just isn’t very memorable. Not having a strong villain has been prevalent in other MCU films, such as “Thor: The Dark World” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Perhaps one of the more subtle flaws with “Ant-Man” and the MCU as whole is the tendency to shy away from mature subjects and themes.

Pym is a complex character in the comics. He often struggles with feelings of insecurity and at times has been known to physically harm his wife and friends. These themes are absent from “Ant-Man,” and maybe for the best. But hopefully as these characters progress, they will be able to develop and become as complex and fully realized as they are in the source material.

“Ant-Man” marks the end of Marvel's phase two of films, and it does so with a bang. It’s well written, exciting, emotional, and funny. The actors are great, especially Rudd and Douglas. Even though the villain wasn’t great and the film failed to present some of the more mature themes from the comics, those are flaws that will hopefully be fixed with future films. Overall, “Ant-Man” packs a small yet powerful punch.