ANT-MAN (2015) REVIEW : Small Size, Big Things

Setelah menuju akhir fase keduanya lewat Avengers : Age of Ultron, Marvel tak henti-hentinya untuk membuat dunia sinematik yang lebih besar lewat fase ketiga. Setelah menambah karakter superhero di fase kedua lewat Guardians of The Galaxy, fase ketiga akan menambah beberapa barisan karakter superhero baru yang akan ikut serta membasmi kejahatan di kubu Avengers. Dan salah satu karakter manusia super pertama yang dikenalkan oleh Marvel adalah Ant-Man.

Karakter manusia super baru ini jelas akan terasa asing di mata penontonnya, layaknya film Guardian of The Galaxy kala itu. Ditambah lagi, akan terdengar menggelikan ketika tahu ada manusia super yang berubah ukuran sekecil ukuran semut. Tetapi kembali lagi, ketika ini adalah produk milik Marvel yang diproduseri oleh Kevin Feige, maka tak ada yang tidak mungkin menarik minat penonton untuk menyaksikan filmnya.

Film manusia super terbaru ini diarahkan oleh Peyton Reed yang menggantikan Edgar Wright yang seharusnya berada di posisi sutradara. Hanya saja, Edgar Wright tak serta merta meninggalkan proyek Ant-Man ini, bersama Joe Cornish dia tetap mendapat kesempatan sebagai penulis naskah untuk kisah manusia semut satu ini. Dengan premis yang terlihat nyeleneh ini, rasanya tepat untuk memberikan porsi bagi Edgar Wright dan Joe Cornish sebagai penulis naskah yang kiranya dapat menyokong keanehan manusia super satu ini. Tetapi, tetap bercitarasa Marvel lewat arahan Peyton Reed.

Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) menciptakan sebuah formula dan perlengkapan terobosan baru. Hal tersebut dapat membuat manusia berubah menjadi seukuran semut tetapi dengan kekuatan yang sangat besar. Hanya saja, proyek milik Hank Pym ini tersendat oleh beberapa kasus. Sehingga beberapa puluh tahun kemudian, Pym Tech ?perusahaan milik Hank Pym ?mendapatkan pimpinan baru yaitu Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) yang ingin membuat proyek mirip dengan milik Hank Pym.

Pym yang sudah lama mencari seseorang yang pantas membawa tanggung jawab atas perlengkapan supernya, menemukan seseorang dengan catatan kriminal papan atas, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd). Terkenal lewas kasusnya yang meretas Vista Corporation yang memiliki tingkat keamanannya yang tinggi. Dia kembali merampok demi memenuhi kebutuhan anaknya dengan mantan istrinya. Dan secara tak sadar, itu adalah tes untuk menjadi seorang Ant-Man yang dilakukan oleh Hank Pym dan anaknya, Hope (Evangeline Lilly).

Menjadi salah satu produk Marvel yang beresiko, jelas tak mudah untuk memperkenalkan Ant-Man kepada khalayak umum. Guardians of The Galaxy pun memang terdengar asing, tetapi premis dari filmnya masih bisa kita temui lewat Star Trek atau pun Star Wars. Berbeda dengan Ant-Man yang memiliki dasar yang lebih unik dan akan terlihat kesusahan untuk menemukan pasarnya. Tetapi, apa yang tidak mungkin jika proyek ini adalah proyek milik Marvel untuk memperluas dunia sinematik di fase terbarunya.

Ant-Man berhasil melampaui ekspektasi dan kekhawatiran dari para penikmat film yang takut tak akan bisa untuk bernegosiasi dengan premis unik milik Ant-Man. Film ini memang memiliki konflik yang terlihat lebih personal dibandingkan dengan film-film manusia super lain milik Marvel. Ant-Man memiliki konflik dengan skala yang lebih kecil layaknya seekor semut. Apa yang memengaruhi plot cerita hanya seputar konflik keluarga dan rekan bisnisnya tanpa ada impact dari villain untuk menguasai dunia.

Meski Ant-Man akan terlihat menjadi manusia super berukuran kecil, tetapi filmnya memiliki banyak sekali poin yang terasa sangat besar. Dengan konflik yang lebih sempit dan premis yang lebih unik, kedua hal ini lah yang ternyata yang menjadi kelebihan dari Ant-Man. Film arahan Peyton Reed ini bisa menggabungkan sebuah Heist movie dengan tema manusia super dan juga tak lupa konflik keluarga dengan takaran yang pas. Sehingga, Ant-Man memiliki kuantitas hati yang terasa lebih besar ketimbang film-film Marvel lainnya.

Edgar Wright dan Joe Cornish pun memiliki naskah yang mampu menggelitik penontonnya tanpa perlu kehilangan identitas mereka di dalam film-film sebelumnya. Hanya saja, tentu Edgar Wright dan Joe Cornish tidak bisa tampil se-eksperimental mungkin seperti film yang mereka garap sendiri. Jelas, ini karena Marvel membutuhkan sesuatu yang lebih terasa universal terlebih untuk karakter manusia super baru yang belum memiliki pangsa pasar yang jelas.

Naskah milik Edgar Wright dan Joe Cornish selalu bisa menghadirkan humor-humor pintar dan padat tanpa perlu terasa memaksa. Guyonan sarkastik menjadi andalan bagi Edgar Wright tetapi sangat berhasil membuat penonton sangat terhibur saat menonton Ant-Man. Juga, berbagai tata adegan yang mampu bergerak sangat dinamis dengan berbagai tempelan subplot cerita yang malah tak membuat Ant-Man menjadi sajian yang tersendat-sendat.

Dan Peyton Reed hadir untuk mengarahkan film Ant-Man menjadi sajian yang sangat menyenangkan. Menawarkan sesuatu yang malah terlihat segar dengan film yang menggunakan template yang sudah terasa familiar bagi penontonnya. Ant-Man memiliki sekuens aksi yang berbeda, meski terlihat besar, tetapi dipresentasikan dengan skala ukuran yang kecil. Dan hal tersebut pun, tak lantas menjadi suatu kelemahan bagi Ant-Man untuk menjadi sesuatu yang sangat menyenangkan untuk diikuti.

Dengan Paul Rudd sebagai aktor utama, Ant-Man sangat terasa pas dengannya. Dia berhasil menghadirkan suasana komedi tanpa perlu berusaha keras menjadi seseorang yang konyol. Meski begitu kharismanya sebagai manusia super tetap ada di dalamnya. Dan Michael Pena yang juga berhasil menjadi pemeran pendukung yang mencuri perhatian penontonnya. Lewat karakternya, dia menjadikan Ant-Man menjadi sesuatu yang mengocok perut penontonnya.

Meski memiliki ukuran mikro seperti seekor semut, Ant-Man memiliki sesuatu yang sangat besar di dalamnya. Hadir lewat premisnya yang unik, naskah yang dinamis, dengan arahan yang tepat sehingga Ant-Man menjadi salah satu film Marvel yang sangat menyenangkan untuk diikuti. Pun, Ant-Man memiliki kuantitas hati yang akan terasa lebih besar daripada film Marvel lainnya. Dengan konfliknya yang personal dan lebih sempit, tak menjadikan Ant-Man tak bisa sebesar film-film Marvel sebelumnya. Dan ini adalah Penutup yang bagus bagi Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 2.

ANT-MAN (2015) REVIEW : Small Size, Big Things

Setelah menuju akhir fase keduanya lewat Avengers : Age of Ultron, Marvel tak henti-hentinya untuk membuat dunia sinematik yang lebih besar lewat fase ketiga. Setelah menambah karakter superhero di fase kedua lewat Guardians of The Galaxy, fase ketiga akan menambah beberapa barisan karakter superhero baru yang akan ikut serta membasmi kejahatan di kubu Avengers. Dan salah satu karakter manusia super pertama yang dikenalkan oleh Marvel adalah Ant-Man.

Karakter manusia super baru ini jelas akan terasa asing di mata penontonnya, layaknya film Guardian of The Galaxy kala itu. Ditambah lagi, akan terdengar menggelikan ketika tahu ada manusia super yang berubah ukuran sekecil ukuran semut. Tetapi kembali lagi, ketika ini adalah produk milik Marvel yang diproduseri oleh Kevin Feige, maka tak ada yang tidak mungkin menarik minat penonton untuk menyaksikan filmnya.

Film manusia super terbaru ini diarahkan oleh Peyton Reed yang menggantikan Edgar Wright yang seharusnya berada di posisi sutradara. Hanya saja, Edgar Wright tak serta merta meninggalkan proyek Ant-Man ini, bersama Joe Cornish dia tetap mendapat kesempatan sebagai penulis naskah untuk kisah manusia semut satu ini. Dengan premis yang terlihat nyeleneh ini, rasanya tepat untuk memberikan porsi bagi Edgar Wright dan Joe Cornish sebagai penulis naskah yang kiranya dapat menyokong keanehan manusia super satu ini. Tetapi, tetap bercitarasa Marvel lewat arahan Peyton Reed.

Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) menciptakan sebuah formula dan perlengkapan terobosan baru. Hal tersebut dapat membuat manusia berubah menjadi seukuran semut tetapi dengan kekuatan yang sangat besar. Hanya saja, proyek milik Hank Pym ini tersendat oleh beberapa kasus. Sehingga beberapa puluh tahun kemudian, Pym Tech ?perusahaan milik Hank Pym ?mendapatkan pimpinan baru yaitu Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) yang ingin membuat proyek mirip dengan milik Hank Pym.

Pym yang sudah lama mencari seseorang yang pantas membawa tanggung jawab atas perlengkapan supernya, menemukan seseorang dengan catatan kriminal papan atas, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd). Terkenal lewas kasusnya yang meretas Vista Corporation yang memiliki tingkat keamanannya yang tinggi. Dia kembali merampok demi memenuhi kebutuhan anaknya dengan mantan istrinya. Dan secara tak sadar, itu adalah tes untuk menjadi seorang Ant-Man yang dilakukan oleh Hank Pym dan anaknya, Hope (Evangeline Lilly).

Menjadi salah satu produk Marvel yang beresiko, jelas tak mudah untuk memperkenalkan Ant-Man kepada khalayak umum. Guardians of The Galaxy pun memang terdengar asing, tetapi premis dari filmnya masih bisa kita temui lewat Star Trek atau pun Star Wars. Berbeda dengan Ant-Man yang memiliki dasar yang lebih unik dan akan terlihat kesusahan untuk menemukan pasarnya. Tetapi, apa yang tidak mungkin jika proyek ini adalah proyek milik Marvel untuk memperluas dunia sinematik di fase terbarunya.

Ant-Man berhasil melampaui ekspektasi dan kekhawatiran dari para penikmat film yang takut tak akan bisa untuk bernegosiasi dengan premis unik milik Ant-Man. Film ini memang memiliki konflik yang terlihat lebih personal dibandingkan dengan film-film manusia super lain milik Marvel. Ant-Man memiliki konflik dengan skala yang lebih kecil layaknya seekor semut. Apa yang memengaruhi plot cerita hanya seputar konflik keluarga dan rekan bisnisnya tanpa ada impact dari villain untuk menguasai dunia.

Meski Ant-Man akan terlihat menjadi manusia super berukuran kecil, tetapi filmnya memiliki banyak sekali poin yang terasa sangat besar. Dengan konflik yang lebih sempit dan premis yang lebih unik, kedua hal ini lah yang ternyata yang menjadi kelebihan dari Ant-Man. Film arahan Peyton Reed ini bisa menggabungkan sebuah Heist movie dengan tema manusia super dan juga tak lupa konflik keluarga dengan takaran yang pas. Sehingga, Ant-Man memiliki kuantitas hati yang terasa lebih besar ketimbang film-film Marvel lainnya.

Edgar Wright dan Joe Cornish pun memiliki naskah yang mampu menggelitik penontonnya tanpa perlu kehilangan identitas mereka di dalam film-film sebelumnya. Hanya saja, tentu Edgar Wright dan Joe Cornish tidak bisa tampil se-eksperimental mungkin seperti film yang mereka garap sendiri. Jelas, ini karena Marvel membutuhkan sesuatu yang lebih terasa universal terlebih untuk karakter manusia super baru yang belum memiliki pangsa pasar yang jelas.

Naskah milik Edgar Wright dan Joe Cornish selalu bisa menghadirkan humor-humor pintar dan padat tanpa perlu terasa memaksa. Guyonan sarkastik menjadi andalan bagi Edgar Wright tetapi sangat berhasil membuat penonton sangat terhibur saat menonton Ant-Man. Juga, berbagai tata adegan yang mampu bergerak sangat dinamis dengan berbagai tempelan subplot cerita yang malah tak membuat Ant-Man menjadi sajian yang tersendat-sendat.

Dan Peyton Reed hadir untuk mengarahkan film Ant-Man menjadi sajian yang sangat menyenangkan. Menawarkan sesuatu yang malah terlihat segar dengan film yang menggunakan template yang sudah terasa familiar bagi penontonnya. Ant-Man memiliki sekuens aksi yang berbeda, meski terlihat besar, tetapi dipresentasikan dengan skala ukuran yang kecil. Dan hal tersebut pun, tak lantas menjadi suatu kelemahan bagi Ant-Man untuk menjadi sesuatu yang sangat menyenangkan untuk diikuti.

Dengan Paul Rudd sebagai aktor utama, Ant-Man sangat terasa pas dengannya. Dia berhasil menghadirkan suasana komedi tanpa perlu berusaha keras menjadi seseorang yang konyol. Meski begitu kharismanya sebagai manusia super tetap ada di dalamnya. Dan Michael Pena yang juga berhasil menjadi pemeran pendukung yang mencuri perhatian penontonnya. Lewat karakternya, dia menjadikan Ant-Man menjadi sesuatu yang mengocok perut penontonnya.

Meski memiliki ukuran mikro seperti seekor semut, Ant-Man memiliki sesuatu yang sangat besar di dalamnya. Hadir lewat premisnya yang unik, naskah yang dinamis, dengan arahan yang tepat sehingga Ant-Man menjadi salah satu film Marvel yang sangat menyenangkan untuk diikuti. Pun, Ant-Man memiliki kuantitas hati yang akan terasa lebih besar daripada film Marvel lainnya. Dengan konfliknya yang personal dan lebih sempit, tak menjadikan Ant-Man tak bisa sebesar film-film Marvel sebelumnya. Dan ini adalah Penutup yang bagus bagi Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 2.

ANT-MAN Proves That Paul Rudd Can Be A Marvel Superhero Too

Opening today at a multiplex near you:

ANT-MAN (Dir. Payton Reed, 2015)

The first time I was introduced to Ant-Man it was in an old Saturday Night Live sketch from the late '70s. Margot Kidder was hosting at the height of the success of the first SUPERMAN movie so they did a sketch with her reprising Lois Lane in the premise of hosting a party with the man of steel (Bill Murray) as her new husband. Dan Aykroyd showed up as The Flash, John Belushi made quite an applause-filled entrance as The Hulk, and extras came in dressed as Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, The Thing, etc.

Then there was Garrett Morris (SNL cast member from '75-'80) as Ant-Man, who was mocked mercilessly by The Flash and The Hulk. ?He has the strength of a human!? Aykroyd?s Flash joked. I honestly thought at the time that they had made up the character for the sketch - it was a while later that I found out that he'd been around since the early '60s.

The gag that Ant-Man is one of the lesser superheroes is one that still endures. Paul Rudd, who takes on the role as the tiny crime-fighter in the new comic book blockbuster wannabe opening today, said on LIVE with Kelly and Michael this week that compared to the rest of the Marvel family he felt like ?cousin Oliver to the rest of the Brady bunch.?

It?s just that sort of self-deprecating comic charm that Rudd has in spades that helps elevate ANT-MAN from the all-too familiar formula makes it one of the most fun films of the summer.

The movie opens in the late ?80s with Michael Douglas, who with the help of make-up and CGI looks like he did when he won the Oscar for WALL STREET, as Dr. Hank Pym storming in on a S.H.IE.L.D. meeting angry because they've been trying to reproduce his shrinking technology without his knowledge. Pym, who was the original Ant-Man in the comics, resigns from the agency and takes his formula with him.

Cut to 25 years later where we meet Paul Rudd as master thief Scott Lang as he's being released from prison. Rudd's Lang doesn't want to return to a life of crime, but a stint at Baskin Robbins gets cut short because they learn about his record. Lang is desperate to see his daughter (Abby Ryder Fortson), but his ex-wife (Judy Greer), who is now married to a cop (Bobby Cannavale), forbids it until he can pay child support so he takes on ?one last job? with his old cohorts (Michael Pe?a, Tip ?T.I.? Harris, and David Dastmalchian).

This involves breaking into a vault made out of the same metal as the Titanic, but all that's in there is Pym's old Ant-Man suit. Lang tries it on when he gets home, presses a button on it and is shrunken to, yep, the size of an ant. The amped-up experience, which results in a scene that comes off like HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS on acid, scares Lang into returning the suit, but this gets him arrested.

In jail, he's visited by Pym posing as his lawyer. Pym had set him up because he's chosen Lang to be the new Ant-Man, and with the help of the suit Lang breaks out. Pym's daughter, Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) isn't happy with this, but goes along with geting Lang in shape to help them pull off a major heist. 

Pym wants Lang to steal the dangerous garb duplicating his shrinking technology dubbed Yellowjacket, which was developed by his former prot?g? Darren Cross (Corey Stohl from House of Cards). 

From there it becomes the expected mix of fight scenes, surreally-tinged chases, and comic asides, which all breeze by without an instance of clunk.

As Cross, Stohl isn't the strongest villain, and the plot mechanics can feel pretty standard at times, but thanks to the wit, charm, and likability of Rudd, a well executed origin story, and a strong supporting cast (funnily enough, it's Pe?a who gets the most laughs), ANT-MAN is a welcome, and far from lesser, addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Back when Edgar Wright (SHAUN OF THE DEAD, SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD) who was originally slated to direct dropped out of the project and was replaced by Peyton Reed (director of the definitely un-super rom coms  DOWN WITH LOVE, YES MAN, and THE BREAK UP), it looked like it could end up a bomb, but the result is a summer superhero movie that satisfyingly pops.

Wright is credited for co-writing the screenplay, along with Joe Cornish, Adam McKay, and Rudd, so a lot of his vision is happily intact, and with a running time of under 2 hours, it's the least bloated Marvel movies in ages. 

Rudd plays well off his fellow cast members, especially Lilly, who appears to be primed to have her own superhero character soon, The Wasp, and Douglas, who, like Robert Redford in CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER, has one of his juiciest parts in recent memory. There's also a cameo by one of the Avengers, but I won't tell you which one. There's maybe more that that if you stay to the stinger at the end of the credits, but, again, that's all I'm gonna say.

Rudd also plays well off his CGI-ed insect pals, which Ant-Man can communicate with, and his affection for a winged carpenter ant he names Antony is cute in a way that only Rudd can pull off.

ANT-MAN is a delightful ride through yet another franchise starter, and a fine finish to Phase Two of the MCU. All that, and it's got a cameo by Garrett Morris in it too. Coincidence?

More later...

ANT-MAN Proves That Paul Rudd Can Be A Marvel Superhero Too

Opening today at a multiplex near you:

ANT-MAN (Dir. Payton Reed, 2015)

The first time I was introduced to Ant-Man it was in an old Saturday Night Live sketch from the late '70s. Margot Kidder was hosting at the height of the success of the first SUPERMAN movie so they did a sketch with her reprising Lois Lane in the premise of hosting a party with the man of steel (Bill Murray) as her new husband. Dan Aykroyd showed up as The Flash, John Belushi made quite an applause-filled entrance as The Hulk, and extras came in dressed as Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, The Thing, etc.

Then there was Garrett Morris (SNL cast member from '75-'80) as Ant-Man, who was mocked mercilessly by The Flash and The Hulk. ?He has the strength of a human!? Aykroyd?s Flash joked. I honestly thought at the time that they had made up the character for the sketch - it was a while later that I found out that he'd been around since the early '60s.

The gag that Ant-Man is one of the lesser superheroes is one that still endures. Paul Rudd, who takes on the role as the tiny crime-fighter in the new comic book blockbuster wannabe opening today, said on LIVE with Kelly and Michael this week that compared to the rest of the Marvel family he felt like ?cousin Oliver to the rest of the Brady bunch.?

It?s just that sort of self-deprecating comic charm that Rudd has in spades that helps elevate ANT-MAN from the all-too familiar formula makes it one of the most fun films of the summer.

The movie opens in the late ?80s with Michael Douglas, who with the help of make-up and CGI looks like he did when he won the Oscar for WALL STREET, as Dr. Hank Pym storming in on a S.H.IE.L.D. meeting angry because they've been trying to reproduce his shrinking technology without his knowledge. Pym, who was the original Ant-Man in the comics, resigns from the agency and takes his formula with him.

Cut to 25 years later where we meet Paul Rudd as master thief Scott Lang as he's being released from prison. Rudd's Lang doesn't want to return to a life of crime, but a stint at Baskin Robbins gets cut short because they learn about his record. Lang is desperate to see his daughter (Abby Ryder Fortson), but his ex-wife (Judy Greer), who is now married to a cop (Bobby Cannavale), forbids it until he can pay child support so he takes on ?one last job? with his old cohorts (Michael Pe?a, Tip ?T.I.? Harris, and David Dastmalchian).

This involves breaking into a vault made out of the same metal as the Titanic, but all that's in there is Pym's old Ant-Man suit. Lang tries it on when he gets home, presses a button on it and is shrunken to, yep, the size of an ant. The amped-up experience, which results in a scene that comes off like HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS on acid, scares Lang into returning the suit, but this gets him arrested.

In jail, he's visited by Pym posing as his lawyer. Pym had set him up because he's chosen Lang to be the new Ant-Man, and with the help of the suit Lang breaks out. Pym's daughter, Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) isn't happy with this, but goes along with geting Lang in shape to help them pull off a major heist. 

Pym wants Lang to steal the dangerous garb duplicating his shrinking technology dubbed Yellowjacket, which was developed by his former prot?g? Darren Cross (Corey Stohl from House of Cards). 

From there it becomes the expected mix of fight scenes, surreally-tinged chases, and comic asides, which all breeze by without an instance of clunk.

As Cross, Stohl isn't the strongest villain, and the plot mechanics can feel pretty standard at times, but thanks to the wit, charm, and likability of Rudd, a well executed origin story, and a strong supporting cast (funnily enough, it's Pe?a who gets the most laughs), ANT-MAN is a welcome, and far from lesser, addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Back when Edgar Wright (SHAUN OF THE DEAD, SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD) who was originally slated to direct dropped out of the project and was replaced by Peyton Reed (director of the definitely un-super rom coms  DOWN WITH LOVE, YES MAN, and THE BREAK UP), it looked like it could end up a bomb, but the result is a summer superhero movie that satisfyingly pops.

Wright is credited for co-writing the screenplay, along with Joe Cornish, Adam McKay, and Rudd, so a lot of his vision is happily intact, and with a running time of under 2 hours, it's the least bloated Marvel movies in ages. 

Rudd plays well off his fellow cast members, especially Lilly, who appears to be primed to have her own superhero character soon, The Wasp, and Douglas, who, like Robert Redford in CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER, has one of his juiciest parts in recent memory. There's also a cameo by one of the Avengers, but I won't tell you which one. There's maybe more that that if you stay to the stinger at the end of the credits, but, again, that's all I'm gonna say.

Rudd also plays well off his CGI-ed insect pals, which Ant-Man can communicate with, and his affection for a winged carpenter ant he names Antony is cute in a way that only Rudd can pull off.

ANT-MAN is a delightful ride through yet another franchise starter, and a fine finish to Phase Two of the MCU. All that, and it's got a cameo by Garrett Morris in it too. Coincidence?

More later...

Ant-Man

***DISCLAIMER*** The following review is entirely my opinion. If you comment (which I encourage you to do) be respectful. If you don't agree with my opinion (or other commenters), that's fine. To each their own. These reviews are not meant to be statements of facts or endorsements, I am just sharing my opinions and my perspective when watching the film and is not meant to reflect how these films should be viewed. Finally, the reviews are given on a scale of 0-5. 0, of course, being unwatchable. 1, being terrible. 2, being not great. 3, being okay. 4, being great and 5, being epic! And if you enjoy these reviews feel free to share them and follow the blog or follow me on Twitter (@RevRonster) for links to my reviews and the occasional live-Tweet session of the movie I'm watching!  If the hero thing doesn't work out, Ant-Man can take a job at the Derek Zoolander Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good...or at least the model of it.

Ant-Man ? 5 out of 5

That?s right, playas!  Another Marvel Studios film has been released and Phase 2 has been shut and it?s no surprise that I absolutely loved this film!  What can I say?  I?m a huge fan and superhero films haven?t been letting me down for several years now.  So, strap in and let?s get to talking about the latest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; Ant-Man.

                                                                                                                          Marvel Studios
Welcome to the world of being a hero, Scott Lang.  You are legally required to land all your
jumps like this.

Set after the events of Avengers:  Age of Ultron, we see Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) desperate to get his technology out of the hands of the unstable Darren Cross (Corey Stoll).  Years ago, Pym discovered how to pull a Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.  This tech would leave the subject with the ability to shrink, revert to normal size, and have heightened abilities when in the shrunken state.  Pym knew that this tech could be used for great evil so he turns to Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), a criminal desperate to reform in order to be a positive presence for his daughter.  Lang agrees and learns to control the tech and the suit that contains this ability (part of which is the ability to communicate with ants) and ends up becoming the Ant-Man.  Now, teaming with Pym, his daughter Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), and some of his former robbing buddies (played by Michael Pe?a, T.I., and David Dastmalchian) set out to successfully complete a heist to take away Cross? suit that replicates Pym tech.  A suit he soon adorns in order to become the villainous Yellowjacket.

                                                                                                                         Marvel Studios
Yes, Yellowjacket is a bad guy but that suit is badass.

I know I get repetitive when I defend my perfect scores for superhero movies but I feel I have to always explain myself.  I never deny that I?m bias towards these films because I totally am.  Superheroes are just my thing and I?ve been a loyal fan of Marvel and DC superhero properties since I was old enough to actually talk.  I?ve been through the dark times and seen the horrors they made when I was a youngling and seen the adequate items that were made when I was a teenager and in my early 20s.  However, things all changed when Iron Man came out and things just seem to keep getting better and better.  Ant-Man just keeps that level of quality going and proves that Marvel Studios might be unstoppable with their shared cinematic universe.

                                                                                                                          Marvel Studios
I think this is a metaphor for San Diego Comic-Con.

Unlike the entirety of Phase One, Ant-Man ventures past just an origin story that establishes Scott Lang and Henry Pym.  In the same vein that The WinterSoldier went the political thriller route or how Guardians of the Galaxy became a loving tribute to the Sci-Fi space adventures of old, Ant-Man forgoes being just a straight forward tale of the aging hero Pym handing off his tech to the younger Scott Lang and, instead, is a heist movie with a heavy dose of comedy.  Granted, the film is still filled with the usual superhero origin tropes and familiar twist and turns that heist movies go through but they never feel tired or boring.  Part of this has to do with fantastically established cinematic universe Marvel has but a lot of it has to do with the wonderfully written comedy and the charismatic cast.

                                                                                                                           Marvel Studios
Oh, Paul Rudd...you are too damn charming and are, without a doubt, Hollywood's
most likable man!  You are a national treasure...now please lift the restraining
order.

I was very excited to hear that Paul Rudd was going to suit up and enter the MCU as Ant-Man.  I?m a big fan of the guy.  I find him hilarious and overwhelmingly charming?with the whip cream and cherry on top being the fact that he is a ridiculously talented man.  I?ve said it many times and I stand by it; I don?t want to meet the man who doesn?t like Paul Rudd.  Rudd brings his usual lovable persona and makes it work well with the redemption-seeking Scott Lang.  There was the potential that Rudd might not have fit in within the Marvel Cinematic Universe due to his comedy work but, not surprisingly, Rudd proves that he can balance his humor with heart and complete badassery and prove that he is a welcome addition to the universe and someone I?m excited as all hell to see fight side-by-side with Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow and the rest of the Avengers.

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We going to see Giant Man in Civil War perhaps?

Rudd isn?t a lone wolf in this film and is surrounded by an excellent cast.  Smaller roles filled by Judy Greer and Bobby Cannavale play just as well as the bigger roles of Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly.  Some of the highlights include the great chemistry between Douglas, Lilly and Rudd in the core of the heist team and special mention has to be made to Michael Pe?a who provides some of the strongest laughs in the film and proved to be just an absolutely and fantastically entertaining character.  Finally, just like Rudd nailed becoming Scott Lang, Michael Douglass proved to be insanely captivating to watch as the mentor and creative genius Hank Pym.

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Seriously, try and take your eyes away from Douglas when he's on screen...
you can't do it.  He's that good.

The only downside I had to the cast was Corey Stoll as Darren Cross/Yellowjacket.  Stoll is never outright terrible in this role and actually proves to be quite intimidating once he puts the suit on but early in the film he comes off a tad cheesy.  His performance made it seem like Cross was seconds away from spontaneously growing a mustache before he started twirling it and tied Hope van Dyne to some railroad tracks.  And speaking of Hope, Lilly's performance was so good that I really wanted to see a bigger character arc for her.  Her character isn't written badly at all but she was so cool that I wanted more...which is definitely going to happen as it is hinted A LOT!

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Not to spoil anything but during the button scene in the credits we learn
*COMMENT REMOVED DUE TO SPOILERS*

Stoll?s performance proved to be the only real downside I had for the film for the most part.  Occasionally, the action is difficult to watch because of the scale.  When Ant-Man is small, the action is fast and sometimes hard to focus on because the scenes are so busy but, for the most part, the action is satisfying?even though it?s on a much smaller scale than the previous Marvel film?pun intended.  This also leads to the very cool special effects that successfully provided a sense of scale that showed you how different the world looks when you?re the size of an insect and it was just awesome to see how they created the shrinking effect and did so in a way that honored the source material wonderfully.

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The design of the suit is so rad!  And I'm not trying to be ironic by saying "rad."
I really mean it, it looks very cool.

Finally, no adaptation?whether it is a book, comic, video game or cave drawings?will ever been 100% accurate and translated exactly.  I don?t expect it to be because I honestly think that would be boring.  I want just enough changes that makes what I?m seeing to be fresh and new and Marvel Studios is doing an amazing job of adapting their characters so they are familiar from the pages but different enough so they exist in a realm that can cater to a mass audience.  This story captured the spirit of the characters extremely well?heck, even taking the character of Yellowjacket (who is actually Pym in the comics) felt like it was a nice mix of the source material but molded so that it fits in the MCU.  What I saw on screen feels like the characters I read on the pages but shown through a different filter for the MCU and it works.

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Just going to say it again:  Michael Pe?a is a show-stealer in this film.

My complaints for Ant-Man are very minimal because I had a blast watching it.  The story is solid as it tells a great heist story and blends it with themes of passing on the torch, redemption and personal responsibility.  The humor is fantastic and helps keep the movie light enough and the cast is an ensemble of talented people that fit right into this universe.  This film, much like Guardians, was a big risk for Marvel because Ant-Man isn?t a mainstream hero and the realities of his abilities might be considered silly to the average movie goer but Marvel Studios knew how to play the game and proved that this gamble was successful and they crafted another fun and wickedly entertaining film.  Now, it just sucks that I have to wait until next year to watch Captain America:  Civil War?well, at least Jessica Jones will be coming out on Netflix.  That?ll be my Marvel fix!  And then, of course, there's season 2 of Daredevil and that contains Jon Bernthal as The Punisher!  Oh my glob, I can't wait for that!