Antman Review: Small Time Crook to Big Time Hero

After an unsettlingly rocky road to release that made me fear not only for the quality of the movie but also whether it would ever actually appear on the big screen; the little guy has finally arrived to unlock the door on Marvels phase three with an overall great start.
 

The story of Antman sees an aged Hank Pym (the original Antman), played by Michael Douglas, have his life’s wok and company twisted into an evil mirror of what it should be that is capable of reshaping the world in terrible and horrifying ways. And so to keep these devastating technologies out of the wrong hands Pym turns to cat burglar and less than adequate father, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), as in an effort of redemption he must now dawn the mantle of the Antman.

The biggest aspect of this film and the thing that hasn’t left my mind since I left the theatre is just how much fun this movie is. From the first hilarious moment Lang uses the costumes iconic powers to shrink down to the size of an Ant I had a gleeful smile plastered on my face because the movie knows its titular hero’s more than quirky attributes and embraces it in an almost perfect way with a tone that is neither unbearably cheesy or ridiculously serious but is just simply fun.

And this unfiltered sense of fun that swept through the audience and pulled them into the movie was felt no where more than when Antman used his unique abilities. All of Antman’s powers were excellently realised in this film from the understandable and logical explanation of his abilities, from shrinking to ant control, that really showcased why this hero is actually a force to be reckoned with instead of the possible house hold joke he could have become; to the amazing CGI that was used to bring these tinier than life moments excitingly to life. These moments were so entertaining that after each show stealing sequence had ended I was left in great anticipation for more, which made each size shift a real marvel to see, no pun intended.

Another great feature in this movie is the interesting cast of characters, and great acting, put into this unlikely hero’s tale. This stories components are a very unique and different set to the normal cookie cutter characters that we have seen in past Marvel movies, from the layered and difficult relationship between Pym and his daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly) to the inherently flawed protagonist and the surprisingly interesting villain of Darren Cross (Corey Stroll).

Not only do all these characters come together to make newer take on a persons rise to heroic actions but the acting put into these characters is equally engaging and fascinating. Michael Douglas subtly and intriguingly brings out the darker aspects of Hank Pym that fans of the comics will be well aware of, Corey Stroll creates believably unhinged and narcissistic villain that each time he came on screen made me even more intrigued about just how delusional this man has become, and Paul Rudd brings a great relatability to the hero as this mostly regular man is thrust into the world of avengers and terrifying Thomas the Tank Engines.

However while the main cast of characters were loveable with interesting dynamics to be explored the same cant be said for most of the supporting cast. Sadly most of the characters outside of the main group are simply 2 dimensional caricatures simply relegated to cheap jokes that to be honest weren’t that funny. And if they aren’t cracking barley passable jokes they are an annoying distraction from the more pressing and entertaining main plot, halting the pace of the movie making me roll my eyes in disappointment of their inclusion. However there is one character that stands happily out from the secondary crowd of annoying distractions, and that is Luis (Michael Pena), Lang’s best friend. From his very first blissfully naïve joke Pena brought a more polished and well thought out comic relief that throughout the film didn’t get old as he almost encapsulated the glee of the audience.  

Being the latest film in Marvels long line of interconnected movies it’s no surprise that there are many connections to the wider MCU. But to the extent that these connections are used to either strengthen the plot or deliver fan delight was a great addition to the movie. these connections however did not only make the MCU feel more like a living breathing place but it also helped certify Antman’s importance in this world of gods and exocentric billionaires; showing how this little hero can still make big impact on the ever changing world of the MCU.

While almost every MCU connection is used in a throughout and well developed way there was one reference towards the end of the movie that just seemed not only pointless but also starkly out of the blue as it was awkwardly shoved in and never really commented on again. This rushed feeling can also be said for the very end fight  of the film where not only was it hard to keep an engaged focus on what was happening but also emotional beats where being hit far too rapidly for me to really follow the emotional drive of the climax.

The fresh un-apologetic tone of the film and the heist centric focus of the film is a great testament to how flexible Marvel is with its films. In an age where there are literally 3 to 6 superhero movies coming out a year its firmly reassuring to see the best in the business year after year bring out superhero movies that aren’t just the run of the mill super hero flick but each coming with its different flavour and spin; with Antman being no different as it delivers a new inventive twist on the superhero tale.

Another fantastic aspect of the film was the overall aesthetic. From the visual flare that comes with the miniature world of a shrunk down Antman to the actual design of the smaller than life costumes. The film had a really cool and unforgettable aesthetic that didn’t shy away from its bright and colourful comic book routes which really helped in solidifying its visual spark.

While almost every aspect of the movie successfully fights off the cheesy and cringingly over the top tone this movie could have easily picked up there is one place where the film gives into this garish tone. That aspect is the unbelievably corny soundtrack that managed to both be sighingly cliché and also ruin the impact of visually cool or overall heroic moments with its awfully cheesy tones.

Overall when I left the theatre I left with a smile on my face because if there is one thing that is undeniable about this movie is just how absolutely fun it is as through its great cast, impressive connections to the MCU as a whole and spectacular visual presentation of Antman’s powers that left me wanting more adventures from miniature landscape of real life. Even with its slight pacing issues, flat line jokes and horrendous score there’s a hell of a lot more good than bad here, and that’s without mentioning the intriguing and fan satisfying end credits scene that I urge none of you to miss.

Antman = 7.5/10