Rating of
3/4
Light Romp Between Team-Up Movies
Unknown - wrote on 07/22/15
'Ant-Man' is Marvel's latest, and possibly last, origin movie. We are treated to a smaller scale story (no pun intended). There's no saving the world for this outing, only stopping a potential threat that could eventually lead to a future catastrophe. Equal screen time is given between character development, backstory, humor, and action. The three main players of Scott, Hank, and Hope are the basic focus of the entire movie. Their eventual bonding is worth the investment. No other characters receive near as much presence or development, including the villain. The rest are sideline to their specific genre tropes, but they do so in a non-annoying and often funny fashion. There's much good humor throughout. I did laugh out loud on multiple occasions. Characters never hesitate to acknowledge the silliness of certain situations. Unlike past Marvel movies, the Avengers references here actually manage to coincide with the film's story. One hilarious cameo fit into the narrative surprisingly well. The main plot involves a difficult heist. I would've liked more involvement with the planning and execution of the caper. The stakes are explained, but never felt. When faced with a unforeseen problems along the way, the heroes immediately have a solution ready. You could argue that they are very smart and experienced individuals. That shouldn't be a reason for it to lack suspense. The heist is ditched in the finale, giving way to an elongated climactic battle between hero and villain. I did admire the creative visuals amidst the fighting. New displays of super heroics are found throughout. The shrinking effects are stellar. I very much enjoyed seeing the world from Ant-Man's tiny view. While not every aspect of the movie gels into a singular strong tone, and it's often wearing a few two many hats, the end result is still a solid piece of fanboy entertainment. 'Ant-Man' succeeds in delivering some light fun while we wait for the next eventual team-up movie.
