Ant-Man Review

Ant-Man has the power to shrink to the size of an ant, communicate with them, and has super strength for a small guy. Sounds like something totally comedic and straight from a comic, but Marvel creates a masterpiece out of it. Paul Rudd takes on the title after Dr Hank Pym, played by Michael Douglas, gives him the suit to help him steal some shit. Hope Pym, Hank's daughter, has her doubts about Scott's skills; luckily, though, this adventure finds a well-balance of laughs and action. The film's villain is Darren Cross, a protege of Dr Pym, trying to replicate the Pym particle to shrink down into size. He creates a combat suit, the Yellow Jacket, to take on secret operations and eliminate threats. Scott teams with Hank & Hope to steal and destroy Darren's suit. The film shows you can be a hero at any size. In my opinion, Michael Pena's character, Luis, is the film's top star. His actions and dialogue are full of humor. Twice he is asked to repeat a conversation about an upcoming heist and he recalls by going into off-track details and exaggeration. Every character showcases their personality that builds the plot. This allows viewers to enjoy it without focusing on the typical cliche of a superhero film.

So much comedy is added to every aspect of the film, but it works. It does not feel forced and has a natural flow. It is conducted in dialogue & action scenes. Who knew that seeing two small individuals fighting on a toy train set can be funny and full of thrill? Because of the amount of humor involved a number of memes were created. You can't help but think about them on everyday activities. Usually ants annoy me so much that I step on them, but then there are times when I wonder what if it was Antony? Damn Marvel for making me care about ants! Besides the great humor, Ant-Man was filled with great visuals. Not only are we introduced in a perspective from a small guy and his large surroundings, but we are also introduced in the quantum realm. A subatomic location where time and reality seize to exist. Since this location is only a theory and has yet to be explored, physicians were asked to give their input on how it would look. When Ant-man enters this universe it is filled with amazing visual effects and a sense of the unknown.

Finally there's the introduction of Marvel's latest Avenger: Wasp. Though she has yet to make an impact in the MCU, there is no doubt, based on what we've seen what Hope is capable of, that Wasp can hold her own and will make a name for herself.

It is unfortunate, though, we will not see her official debut till the sequel. Numerous Marvel Easter eggs are mentioned. We witness a battle between Ant-man and Falcon at the new Avengers base. Also, there are mentions of characters such as Spider-man, Iron Man, and Captain America. Lastly, the opening scene shows Dr Pym alongside Agent Peggy Carter and Howard Stark. Even though the film can be a stand-alone, it has it's connections and has a spot with the MCU.

Final Score: 9/10

The point of the film is not to be taken seriously and deliver a good laugh. I may be biased on my decision (because I had been waiting for the movie for years), but it's a fresh of breath of air from Marvel's previous works.