BY TIM ESTILOZ.-
As fun, exciting and enjoyable as the majority of the Marvel superhero films have been thus far; the accepted drawback has been that each one, more or less, requires a bit of audience familiarity with the main characters or connected narratives to make each new story go down a bit smoother. Add the fact, that save for dollops of dry wit and humor, mostly from Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man; Marvel films are pretty much played with a significant dose of straightforward gravitas and seriousness.
The newest franchise hero, Ant-Man jettisons much of that excess baggage to instead be one of Marvel’s most pure, lightly uncomplicated and delightfully jaunty pieces of action-filled fun and humor since it’s popular previous film, Guardians of the Galaxy.
Paul Rudd plays Scott Lang, an ex-con master thief formerly jailed for a good-hearted Robin-Hood style caper against corporate America. But his well-intentioned deed has left him jobless and struggling to pay child-support, while trying to visit his adoring little daughter. However, blocking his way is his ex-wife (Judy Greer) who wants him to get more responsible and an unsympathetic cop step-father (Bobby Cannavale).
Before long, Lang is, at first, unsuspectingly enlisted by scientific inventor Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to help him prevent his ambitiously evil and greedy former protege from using his groundbreaking shrinking technology to create a deadly army of miniature Yellowjacket armored super soldiers for the highest bidder. Pym, and his semi-estranged daughter, Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) train Lang to steal the dangerous tech by suiting him up in Pym’s prototype Ant-Man suit that allows Lang to shrink in size while retaining his full size strength.
Ant-Man is quite simply a lot of fun onscreen filled with plenty of innovative action sequences and an abundance of humor that works. Rudd, who co-wrote the script, gives his character the right balance of heroism and sarcasm to make him an endearing new addition to the Marvel movie universe. The special effects are marvelous culminating in a very funny, yet exciting, climatic battle amid a tabletop Thomas The Train toy set that’s genius in it’s direction and humorous execution. Douglas, Lilly and especially a hilarious Michael Pena, as Lang’s fast-talking and funny former cohort in crime, round out a fine central cast.
Naturally, it wouldn’t be a Marvel film without a couple of post closing credit teaser scenes and the ones that follow Ant-Man neither disappoint nor confuse. When it comes to quality entertainment fun, Ant-Man proves that size doesn’t matter.
CAPSULE REVIEWS
MINIONS ★★☆☆☆
Slap-stick humor and a great nostalgic soundtrack. Fun for the kids, but adults may find this one tedious.
TRAINWRECK ★★★☆☆
Star Amy Schumer delivers a standout comedic performance. Though, the raw and crude story content may not be for everyone.
