Youre going to hear a lot of people calling Ant-Man a straight-up comedy. Now, while it is Marvels funniest movie yet, it's only really a comedy in the same way Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a conspiracy thriller - a key genre trait there primarily in aid of enhancing a typical superhero film. Thankfully, this tactic continues to work here; Ant-Man feels fresh, so much so that many elements of the typical Marvel formula thats grown increasingly tired through the series Phase 2 are twisted into something exciting. The plot, while ticking the usual boxes, is particularly exciting. It has all the predictable narrative beats, but through various twists feels incredibly novel. Scott is a roguish hero brought in because of his troubled past - much more relatable that genius billionaires and Norse Gods - to commit a corporate heist with motives built into the key players' pasts (moving on and acceptance are key themes). Thanks to this, the usual world-threatening third act is reduced to a much smaller scale (oh I love puns), meaning that the lethargism that plagued the likes of Thor: The Dark World and Avengers: Age Of Ultron is nowhere to be seen. Elements of the film, especially anything set around Pym Technologies, feel like they're directly lifted from a nineties action film - theres a whiff of True Lies to a late-second-act set-piece. A likely hangover from Wright, these bits are greatly welcomed and, if anything, more important in building a distinct tone than the jokes (which it must be said are very funny, evolved from the typical Marvel quips into set pieces and well-invested recurring gags). Still, for all that fun stuff, the bits that got me most excited were the nods to The Avengers or cheeky references to the MCU's future. This may be a by-product of making so many movies in a shared universe, but does highlight how Ant-Man never quite stands by itself. As youve come to expect from Marvel, the acting is impeccable; Paul Rudd retrospectively earns his Hollywood star with a role that brings his usual comic chops into line with something more dramatic and Michael Douglas is conflicted and fatherly as original Ant-Man Hank Pym (youll want a prequel with him after you see how good the de-ageing CGI is in a key flashback). The supporting cast can't quite compete, but are interesting all the same; Evangeline Lilly is unassumingly the franchise's strongest female character (theres no skimpy clothing or forced feminism here) and Michael Peña's constantly hilarious as one of Scott's old criminal buddies, even if the conversation of racial stereotyping is pretty much inevitable. And Id probably watch Bobby Cannavale painting a dry wall for two hours and still be entertained. The only real weak link is Corey Stoll as Darren Cross. The House Of Cards actor channels Jeff Bridges in Iron Man without having the pomp of Jeff Bridges to pull it off, although given his villain is just as undernourished and quite frankly useless as youve come to expect from Marvel it's not entirely his fault (yeah, that's the one cliché the film wholeheartedly steers into). These numerous great parts never quite gel together thanks to the directorial confusion, a nasty bit of context that regrettably makes it onto the screen. The overall effect is one of throwaway fun, rather than ground-breaking joy, exemplified by how the long-standing Marvel hallmarks are treated. Stan Lees cameo is less an exciting Oh look moment than an Oh yeah, he has to be in these still, which is rather odd. This used to be the high-point of a Marvel related movie, yet now its an obligatory Easter egg. The mid- and post-credits scenes (dont worry, no spoilers) are both brilliant, forward thinking in distinct ways, but likewise get a thumbs up rather than excited fan squeal. Ant-Man isnt a dark turn towards that oft-feared bursting of the superhero bubble (Id argue Avengers: Age Of Ultron is more of a sign of that future than this), but its still hard to get too excited about it. I would love to say Ant-Man is this years Guardians Of The Galaxy, further proof that Marvel can spin a great movie out of anything through any circumstances. Sadly, it isnt. Instead, its a show that their producer-led method ensures well never get something that isnt at the very least entertaining. That is a very good thing given how choppy the blockbuster seas have gotten, but from the twelfth film in a series that shows no sign of slowing down, I kinda want more. Excited for Ant-Man? Share your thoughts down in the comments.Like this review? Then make sure you check out the rest of our Film Reviews.
