Marvel tested the limits with unknown characters when they released Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014. The brand proved that their characters were rich and pivotal enough that even the lesser known entities could find success. Marvel would test this theory again with Ant-Man in 2015. Much like the Guardians of the Galaxy, I had never heard of the character so I really had no real expectations going into it. What I did know was that Marvel hadn’t really steered me wrong much in the past so I walked into seeing the film quite optimistic and I must say I was pleased. It’s definitely not my favorite standalone MCU film but it adapts a bit of a different tone from the other films that work. Plus it gives actor Paul Rudd a chance to headline a big budget motion picture and he’s more than ready for the task.
This film offers up something slightly different from the typical origin story. It’s hard to say how much of Edgar Wright’s original vision remains in the final product, but the tone is more jokey than that of most Marvel movies. Wright had been with the project as early as 2006 and by 2011 had done about three drafts of the script. By 2014, Wright left the film, citing creative differences, and Peyton Reed was brought on board to helm the project. I had only known Reed for directing Bring It On, a teen comedy which gave no indication that he could handle a Marvel film. But that’s the thing about Marvel and their directorial choices, they seem to see something in the most unlikely of candidates and the results have ultimately paid off. A quick look at Reed’s filmography and you notice he’s directed a majority of comedies and that actually shows in some of the tonal choices of this film. What I didn’t expect was that Reed proved capable handling action and special effects as well because Ant-Man is also solid on that front as well.
The movie opens with a scene in which an impressively de-aged Michael Douglas, playing Dr. Hank Pym, takes a moral stand against the military-industrial complex. Led by Howard Stark (John Slattery), a group wants to weaponize Pym’s breakthrough technology, which can shrink objects. Jumping ahead a few decades, we learn that Pym is now on the outside of his company looking in. His former protégé, Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), is running the show, aided by Pym’s estranged daughter, Hope (Evangeline Lilly). When he realizes they have nearly succeeded in duplicating his research, he decides it’s time for someone to wear the incredible shrinking suit he once used. He chooses ex-con Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and goes about recruiting him. His chief selling point: by becoming Ant-Man, Scott can redeem himself in his daughter’s eyes.
Despite having buffed up physically for the part, Paul Rudd is an unlikely choice to play a superhero. His character, Scott Lang, is intended to be an “ordinary guy”, and the actor imbues Scott with the “everyman” quality that has made Rudd such a likable actor over the years. What seems like unusual casting at first, quickly becomes spot on. The defining factor in Scott’s life is that he wants to be a good dad. After spending some time in prison (he once earned his living as a Robin Hood-inspired cat burglar), Scott has a lot to make up for. This sets him apart from the other heroes in the MCU. He has a backstory that is more relatable to the ordinary moviegoers watching the film. He’s instantly identifiable and Rudd makes it very easy to root for him.
Numerous previous productions have used special effects to create the illusion of a man reduced to insect size and forced to navigate the micro world. Ant-Man, in part, because it mixes practical and computer-generated visuals, does perhaps the best job of this to-date. The movie doesn’t dwell on the perils of being any larger than a thimble but that’s not its goal. It’s so wonderfully rendered that we almost feel like we’re not watching special effects. The scenes are visually arresting and just downright fun.
If Ant-Man has one flaw, it’s that it feels overlong, with a lion’s share of the screen time devoted to the obligatory scenes of Scott learning his “craft.” We get the expected training montage; I suppose no superhero origin story would be complete without this. There’s a quasi-romance between Scott and Hope that comes out of nowhere and goes nowhere but perhaps that will be explored later. Here it just feels redundant. Ant-Man is hyper-aware of its place in the MCU. It name-drops shamelessly and features several appearances by characters we have seen before. The overall effect is to remind us that there was a time when the MCU was less crowded. When you’re trying to build a universe, a hero can’t simply standalone in his own film.
Despite the pacing issues, Ant-Man is a fun ride that I really wasn’t expecting. I remember seeing the trailer for the first time and thinking “ok Marvel, you’re getting ridiculous” but I was proven wrong once again. The film doesn’t break the mold on comic book films or origin stories but it’s a solid effort and definitely left me wanting to explore the character more by the time the credits rolled.
