Marvel’s tiniest hero packs a big punch.
Taking another risk with Ant-Man, one of their lesser known heroes, Marvel has another winner on their hands.
Ant-man, the final movie in Marvel’s Phase 2, at its heart is a heist. It centers on Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), the father of a 6-year-old little girl and down on his luck ex-con. He’s picked by the creator of the Ant-Man suit Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), to take over as the pint sized hero. Evangeline Lilly plays Pym’s daughter Hope who helps train Rudd, while Corey Stoll plays Pym’s protégé and the main antagonist Darren Cross/Yellowjacket.
Rudd shines as the Everyman thrown into a crazy situation and will surprise people like Chris Pratt did in Guardians of the Galaxy. Rudd’s character didn’t choose to become a hero, unlike other heroes the Marvel Cinematic Universe like Captain America and Iron Man and his comedic timing makes a story about a man who shrinks and can control ants more realistic.
Douglas as the mentor shows a vulnerability as an aging hero who is looking to right past and present wrongs. Lilly’s Hope plays the extreme opposite of Rudd’s easy going character. She is super serious throughout much of the movie, but it plays well with Rudd’s humor. Stoll’s villain suffers the most with not a lot on his backstory, which can often happen in an origin movie.
“I think the fact that Paul Rudd’s character has a six-year-old daughter he cares deeply about reconnecting with is what instantly adds a more family-friendly layer to the movie,” Erik Davis, contributing editor with Fandango, told msnbc.com. “That and the action isn’t as battle-heavy as, say, Age of Ultron or Captain America: The Winter Soldier — this is a movie with more heart than bullets or lasers. It delivers a lighter tone, and really succeeds with inventive action sequences that play well to a younger audience because they’re imaginative and just straight-up funny.”
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Director Peyton Reed and the visual effects team did a stellar job. They were able to seamlessly blend the movement from life size to ant size. The details during the “small” scenes bring the movie to life and bring the pages in the comics to life. As always Marvel offers a lot for fans, and its not just the comic book junkies that will love this film, it is for everyone. The movie is full of unexpected cameos and in true Marvel fashion the credits offer some post scene extras, so be sure to stay until the lights come up in the theatre. If you didn’t know who Ant-Man was before all the trailers came out, you will after this weekend
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