Movie review: Marvel’s ‘Ant-Man’ scores one for the little guy

When it comes to blockbuster movie franchises, one could be forgiven for assuming that every Hollywood studio has a mandate to make things bigger and more ridiculous until they have no choice but to recast, remake, or reboot. While there are some franchises that have made an art out of embracing their excessive ridiculousness (“The Fast & The Furious”), there are those that are just plain tiresome in their mindlessness (Every single “Transformers” sequel).

The secret to longevity in any medium is reinvention and, following the mixed reactions to Age of Ultron’s senses-numbing bloat, one had to wonder what Marvel Studios overlord Kevin Feige had up his sleeve for “Ant-Man”. After all, where can you go after your last movie literally had a city falling from the sky?

The answer, apparently, was to go small.

Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) ponders his super-suited future in 'Ant-Man'. Photos courtesy of Marvel Studios

Perennial everyman Paul Rudd stars as Scott Lang, an ex-con (through circumstances nobody in their right mind would convict him for) looking to make his way out of the rut he’s in as the film opens. Divorced from his wife Maggie (“Jurassic World’s” Judy Greer, having quite the summer), Lang is seeking a means to get back on his feet, lest his ex-wife forbid him from seeing his beloved daughter. Despite possessing a master’s degree in electrical engineering, Lang is only able to get a job serving Baskin-Robbins, so he decides to fast track his return to respectability by (what else?) committing a crime.

Unbeknownst to Lang, the heist he embarks on (with three inept accomplices) is part of an elaborate ruse orchestrated by reclusive inventor Hank Pym (Michael Douglas, in fine form). Pym is the creator of the Ant-Man suit, a technological wonder that lets the wearer manipulate the spaces between his molecules in order to change size. Ridiculous as this may sound in theory, the premise comes across as somewhat plausible when articulated by the veteran Douglas.

Pym wants Lang’s help to secure a piece of technology, the Yellow Jacket, developed by Hank’s former protégé, Darren Cross (“House of Cards’” Corey Stoll). Having derived the design from Pym’s original shrinking technology, Cross plans to sell the Yellow Jacket to parties seeking to weaponize it.

At the same time, family issues abound: Lang’s daughter wants nothing more than to be with her father, while Pym’s offspring, Hope (“The Hobbit’s” Evangeline Lilly), just wants nothing to do with Hank, having grown up resenting him following the death of her mother. Bad blood notwithstanding, Hope is firmly on the side of the angels in the plan to stop Cross.

Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) is the original Ant-Man, seen here with his former protege, Darren Cross (Corey Stoll)

Where “Age of Ultron” beat audiences over the head with flashy visuals and incongruous sequel baiting (I don’t mind a good reference for what comes LATER as long as it doesn’t draw attention away from the story you’re trying to tell NOW), “Ant-Man” manages to tell a self-contained story while giving us well-integrated glimpses of the larger Marvel Universe at large, juggling cameos, in-jokes, and flashbacks with aplomb.

As the trailers have suggested, “Ant-Man” is the second Marvel movie (after last year’s “Guardians of the Galaxy”) to go all out in embracing its comedic aspects, and when it comes to making people laugh, Rudd is an old pro, and it shows – the newly-ripped actor’s always-affable persona keeps the audience firmly in his corner, whether he’s breaking into an old man’s house or riding a flying ant into battle.
    
The visual effects, crafted by Industrial Light and Magic (which also did “Jurassic World’s” prehistoric beasties) are top-notch, going a long way towards establishing the believability of a world where the ability to control ants with telepathy is a thing. The filmmakers make full use of ILM’s digital wizardry, getting a lot of mileage (and laughs) from their depictions of the world as seen by someone who’s been miniaturized, and the film’s numerous action sequences are ingeniously designed to take advantage of the extremes in perspective.

Visually impressive as oversized insects and assorted children’s toys may be, however, “Ant-Man’s” neatest effect is probably the digital de-aging applied to Douglas in the film’s early minutes. Set in 1989, and with the majority of cinemagoers knowing full well what Douglas looked like in that time period, the overall effect is uncanny in its believability, miles beyond the inherent creepiness of the “young” Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen in “X-Men: The Last Stand” (The young Arnie in “Terminator: Genesys” doesn’t count, as that was a digital mask on someone else’s body). Throw in a performance that shows Douglas having more onscreen fun than we’ve seen from him in years, and it isn’t hard to buy that his Hank Pym was a former superhero.

It’s a good thing that the protagonists and their adventures are so much fun to watch, as Corey Stoll is so uncharismatic and bland as villain du jour Darren Cross as to be negligible (the fact that he looks like a Howie Mandel adds little to his entertainment value). Faring better is the supporting cast which provides much of the comic relief, including Michael Peña as the hapless Luis, and Bobby Cannavale (“Will & Grace”) as Maggie’s fiancé.

Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), all suited up and ready for action

Following the abrupt departure of fan favorite director Edgar Wright (“Shaun of the Dead”, “Scott Pilgrim vs the World”) shortly filming began last year, industry speculation ran rampant that “Ant-Man” would be a disaster, and the subsequent announcement of Peyton Reed (“Yes Man”) as his replacement did little to assuage those fears. Thankfully, Reed steps up to the challenge and, while fans will no doubt try to guess how much of Wright’s pre-production work was utilized in the final product, there is no denying that, when all is said and done, “Ant-Man” is a thoroughly entertaining 12th entry in the Marvel cinematic canon.

A fun, breezy adventure, Ant-Man succeeds brilliantly in its goal of placing its somewhat obscure protagonist squarely in the mainstream spotlight and could very well be Paul Rudd’s ticket to finally breaking out of the supporting actor mold he’s been cast in for the majority of his career.
    
Score one for the little guy. — BM, GMA News

"Ant-Man" is now showing in theaters.