Ant-Man (2015)

 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a true juggernaut: a ton of films that are in some way all interconnected. It's not an easy feat pulling all that off. Also, depending on which characters are central to the plot, it depends on how heavy or lighthearted it all feels. Up until this one, most of the exploits were action pieces that had more drama and less comedy. But 'Ant-Man' is a lot lighter in tone and that feels like a breath of fresh air. 

 Central to the plot is the invention made by Dr Hank Pym: the Pym Particles. These allow their user to shrink and grow at will. Pym himself stopped being Ant-Man because - of course - someone intended to use and abuse his invention. Fast forward to several years later and Pym decides it is time to enlist the unwitting help of a burglar named Scott Lang. The reason? Pym's former protegée, Darren Cross, has come up with his own version of the shrinkparticles, but because he is of course a little unhinged, this seems like a bad idea to let him just do whatever he wants. So Pym wants to destroy it all.

Why does this one work so wonderfully? Well, a lot of it has to do with the tone. It's rather lighthearted at times (save for the finale, which is a more dramatic conclusion to the whole story) and it focuses on the setup of a heist, more than it does actual hero stuff. Scott Lang, by his own admission, is no hero, no supersoldier or mutated human and it shows. That makes him all the more relatable as a character. The fact that he is played by Paul Rudd also helps, because Rudd has a face and demeanor that screams 'normalcy', yet funny as well. 

The only thing that feels a little off, is the villain, played by Cory Stoll. I'm sure it was the direction, but he immediately gives off red flags as "I'm the evil guy". That's a shame, because he could do so much more with the role and as soon as the finale closes, he just goes balls out on the insanity scale and that does feel a little forced at times. But other than that, he's just fine.

What also makes this film funny, is that the comedic characters actually are funny. Scott's three friends feel a little like the Three Stooges and they play it to the max. Not that they go for slapstick, but their interaction with everyone feels natural in a funny way and they bring some levity to what could have been a deadly serious action film, even if it is essentially about a guy that can shrink and talk to ants. 

All in all, 'Ant-Man' is a more than worthy entry in the massive Marvel timeline and even if you are not really all that fond of superhero-stuff, this is one that can please even the casual viewer. 

Unless you really hate ants, in which case, I wouldn't watch this, of course. Seeing as there are so many of them in the film.