Marvel’s Cinematic Universe is one of the most fascinating accomplishments in recent blockbuster history.
A perfectly intertwined series of films that began as standard superhero fare before eventually transforming into a set of series in which every film carries weight on into the next, no matter how seemingly disparate they are.
The format has produced some incredible narratives, but it lost something along the way. Every story must bring the fate of the world into play, shaking up the stakes for every Marvel franchise. But what about the smaller stories? The odd corners of the MCU that live in a more intimate scale, is there still room for those films to be made? Hopefully so, if it means more movies like Ant-Man.
The story follows Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), an ex-con looking for a way out of his past life as a cat burglar. He’s recruited by Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) for a bit of corporate thievery, taking the role of Pym’s most dangerous creation, Ant-Man. It’s a refreshingly simple narrative — a basic heist flick that revolves around the Marvel brand of sci-fi. It’s light hearted, clever and skips along at a brisk pace.
Marvel’s heroes are often defined by their actors, and Ant-Man is no different. Rudd was an inspired casting choice for Lang, a comedic actor whose charm carries him through heavier emotional beats. Douglas and Evangeline Lily both hold up with Rudd’s penchant for quips, but the most unexpected comedic victory goes to Michael Peña. His character isn’t given a ton of depth, yet steals the show whenever given the opportunity.
It’s this fun, independent spirit that makes other elements of Ant-Man disappointing in comparison. Visually, it’s a very bland movie that fails to make the spectacle of micro-sized combat feel real. Director Peyton Reed seems obsessed with reminding the audience that this hero is minuscule by cutting out to full-scale shots between those from Lang’s perspective. The action is very well choreographed, with some of the most fun set pieces in recent Marvel memory. But we’re rarely given the time to properly lose ourselves in the moment.
Unlike Marvel’s past few releases, Ant-Man undeniably works as a solo venture. If you’ve never touched the Marvel realm of metal suits and gods in capes, this works as a great standalone blockbuster. For the Marvel diehard, it’s littered with connective tissue to keep you invested, and one hell of a post-credits scene.