ANT-MAN

(2015) 117 Minutes, Rated PG-13

Mike's Review: Not at all what I was expecting in a good way. This movie was awesome, interesting and very well done.  Not being too familiar with the Ant-Man story line I really enjoyed the story behind the origin of the Ant-Man and how he ties in with the rest of the Marvel Universe.

At first I couldn't see Paul Rudd as a superhero type of actor.  But after seeing this movie, I couldn't have seen anyone else playing the part.  Paul Rudd "is" the Ant-Man and I really look forward to seeing him in more Marvel movies.

Stay till after the credits for a sneak peak of whats to come in Captain America 3: Civil War.

Best scene:  The whole movie was pretty much a best scene.  I really liked the fight scene inside the briefcase, the ant helpers were cute and I thought there were some really good funny scenes spread through out the movie.

Mike’s rating:  Must See and DVD worthy

A.C.'s Review:  Marvel Studios has dubbed every movie that has come after THE AVENGERS to be phase 2 of their shared cinematic universe. The last movie to finish out phase 2 is ANT MAN and next spring’s CAPTAIN AMERICA 3: CIVIL WAR will kick off phase 3 concluding in 2019 with THE INHUMANS. ANT MAN seems like a pretty good conclusion to this “volume” especially after the somewhat over stuffed and  a bit disappointing AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON.

Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has just been released from prison where he has been jailed for a “Robin Hood” type crime. Unable to see his daughter due to failure to pay child support as he is unable to find or keep employment due to his ex-con status Lang must consider returning to his life as a cat burglar. His trio of  friends who are all the type of thieves with the heart of gold alert him to a safe in the home of Hank Pym founder of  Pym Tech. Upon breaking in they find no money but make off with an unusual suit…once to Lang’s horror upon donning allows him to shrink down to ant size.

After barely escaping with his life he is confronted by Pym who set the whole robbery up so he could induct Lang into his quest to stop his protégé Darren Cross at Pym Tech who is after the shrinking technology to weaponized it. Pym has an inside “man” at PT in the form of his daughter Hope Van Dyne. He is desperate to stop Cross as he knows the danger of shrinking all too well from his day using it as the original Ant Man, a SHIELD operative and losing his wife and Hope’s mother Jan known as the Wasp in the process. Will Lang join him and Hope to help save the day and earn his daughter’s respect in the process?

All in all this is a pretty good movie. No pun intended but the smaller scale of this movie is an good antidote to the save the world frenzy of AOU. There’s fewer characters and all are served pretty well…and there is even room for a cameo of one of the AVENGERS that doesn’t feel shoehorned in but a natural part of the story.

I’ve always enjoyed movies/TV shows were people shrink down so this was right up my ally. Also as an AVENGERS comic book fan it was time that Ant Man and the Wasp got their due as they were original Avengers and even were the ones that suggested the group stay together after they defeated their first adversary Loki. At the end of the film its strongly implied that Hope will become the new Wasp.

The production was initially troubled as the in my opinion prima donna original director Edgar Wright bailed out because the studio reportedly wanted more elements to tie his vision of the movie into the wider Marvel universe…and based on how little there actually was of that in the film it makes Wright look like a spoiled brat frankly.

ANT MAN is expected to return in CIVIL WAR and his presence would be a welcome one.

Best Scene: Tie between Ant Man infiltrating Pym Tech or his battle with one of the Avengers when he must try and sneak into the Avengers headquarters to steal some needed tech to fight Darren Cross.

A.C.'s rating: Full Price