Ant-Man (2015)

"Sorry I'm late, I was saving the world. 

You know how it is."

Batman, Superman, Iron Man, Spider-Man and now we have Ant-Man. Do they not have any names that don't end in "man"? 

No? Okay...

Armed with a super-suit that allows the wearer to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang must become the Ant-Man and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

After hearing about the endless production problems on 'Ant-Man' and seeing the disappointing  'Avengers: Age of Ultron', I can't say I was particularly excited for 'Ant-Man'. Despite my trepidation, I had heard a lot of really positive reviews so wasn't sure what to expect. 

Not since 'Guardians of the Galaxy' have I actually enjoyed a Marvel movie. 

I can't say I'm suddenly a converted Marvel fan by any stretch of the imagination but I was surprised how much I liked 'Ant-Man'.

The best part of 'Ant-Man' is Paul Rudd as Scott Lang. He has so much personality and natural charisma that it's impossible not to like him. He's funny, likeable and holds nearly the entire movie on his shoulders. You can tell that he's having a blast being a superhero and is making the most of the opportunity. I would not have imagined Paul Rudd in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but it works. He's well cast and reminds you of Robert Downey Jr. with his naturalistic acting style and comedy timing.

We also get a solid performance from Michael Douglas, as the genius inventor Dr. Hank Pym, which was refreshing to watch. He's a great actor and, despite some of the more ridiculous lines he had to pull off, manages to make you believe everything you see. He and Paul Rudd have some good comedy chemistry and they were an enjoyable pair to watch on screen.

For me, 'Ant-Man' took a while to find its feet in the first half. It was a little jumbled with a lot of jumping around which made it feel very clunky and expositional, however when it started picking up steam around the halfway mark it became really entertaining.  

The action in 'Ant-Man' was unique and exciting. We've never seen anything like it before and it's fun to watch Scott Lang train and get to grips with his new powers. When the action kicks off it's interesting and thrilling seeing the possibilities of the suit and how it can be used in a practical way. The CGI is also pretty good which helps a lot in a film like this, it looks cartoon-like but in a way that isn't distracting. 

Corey Stoll, who I've only ever seen in 'House of Cards', as Darren Cross/Yellow Jacket was a decent bad guy as far as comic book villains go. He was pretty pantomime but the film itself realises it's a little campy and a bit silly so it plays on that and doesn't take itself too seriously. Huge epic moments are deflated by comedy to lighten the mood so that it doesn't come across as melodramatic. This helped me get involved in the film a lot more, it knew the limits and took great care not to overstep the mark. It was very self aware and they made it work. 

The plot is relatively predictable and simplistic. You see the entire plot in the trailer but in a fun film like this it doesn't matter too much. It's not like there are any huge surprises, a guy gets super powers from a super suit and has to fight a villain with a better suit, it's more in the delivery and the fun that it has doing it that makes 'Ant-Man' enjoyable. 

There were a lot of scenes that made me laugh unexpectedly and I was worried about how they'd balance the humour with the action but it actually works well. There's a fun supporting cast that give some good comic relief when Paul Rudd's not there to provide it himself. 

I was disappointed that there was a love story crow-barred in between Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne, played by Evangeline Lilly, but it's always going to be on the cards in a movie like this. She's a strong female (with daddy issues) but still can't resist the charms of our leading man. It's a small complaint but I do feel that Marvel need to get with the times a bit more on these issues. It would have been funnier if the advances were always rejected but c'est la vie.

Overall, 'Ant-Man' is a fun movie that packs a lot of action and intrigue into what could have been a pretty bland superhero movie. It took a while to get going but once it got into it I was well on board. I wouldn't mind watching Paul Rudd interacting with the Avengers and he's definitely a superhero that I can get on board with. 

I wonder who else we could get into a superhero movie... *Cough* Owen Wilson *Cough*.

Just saying Marvel, make it happen. 

I would definitely watch that film.