Fits nicely into Marvel's Cinematic Universe while maintaining a low-key feel

Rating: 7/10 (3 December 2015)

When the news broke that Edgar Wright, the visionary writer-director who had been working on adapting Ant-Man for Marvel since before Iron Man (2008) and the development of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, dropped out citing creative differences with the studio, things didn't look promising for the miniature hero. Still, Wright and co-writer Joe Cornish's story remained in tact and the directorial reigns were passed to Peyton Reed, director of such routine genre fare as The Break-Up (2006) and Yes Man (2008). Although we can lament the loss of Wright's take on the character - a version we will now never see - Ant-Man turned out better than anyone could have expected.
One of the Marvel's biggest problems is constantly setting up their heroes to face a big bad with a plan to destroy the world in one shape or another, leading to a special effects-laden showdown in which all is saved (bringing down a building or ten in the process). The motivation for strapping on the suit for cat burglar Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is not to prevent global destruction, but to redeem himself in the eyes of his young daughter, whose growing-up he has missed the bulk of due to a stretch in San Quentin. Following his release, Lang tries to go straight and gets a demeaning job, which he soon loses when they discover his criminal past. Unable to pay child support to his ex- wife (Judy Greer) and her new cop hubby (Bobby Cannavale), he takes a big job suggested to him by old criminal acquaintance Luis (the scene-stealing Michael Pena).
When Lang successfully breaks into the high-tech safe, all he finds is an old suit and some jars containing various coloured liquids. Curious, he tries on the suit (kudos to costume designer Sammy Sheldon for the steampunk creation) which shrinks him down to the size of a pencil tip. Guided by a strange voice in his ear, he escapes a bath filling with water, a packed dance-floor and a hungry rat, eventually working out how to grow to normal size again. It turns out that the voice belongs to Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who perfected the ability to shrink down the size between atoms while maximising speed and strength, but who hid his formula from the world in the hope of preventing its misuse. Pym hopes to employ Lang, with the help of his daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly), to break into his own company's headquarters and steal a similar suit developed by his mentally unstable former protégé Darren Cross (Corey Stoll). Or, as he puts it, "break into a place and steal some s**t."
One of the key reasons that led to the abdication of Edgar Wright was Marvel (and Disney's) desire to see Ant-Man woven into the bigger Universe. While I have no doubt Wright's version would have been a stand-alone treat full of the visual splendour seen in the likes of Hot Fuzz (2007) and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), the final product of Ant-Man in no way suffers from referencing events of Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015) and the upcoming Captain America: Civil War, and manages to maintain a low-key feel. Anyone who knows anything about the comics will know what a huge character Hank Pym is, so leaving him out of the bigger picture would have certainly been a missed opportunity. It also leaves room for one the film's funniest scenes, in which Lang inadvertently arrives at the new Avengers base to steal a piece of technology, and finds himself up against the Falcon (Anthony Mackie) in the process.
Rudd works those puppy-dog eyes overtime and gains abs to rival Chris Pratt's recent transformation for Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy, helping make Lang one of the most lovable reluctant heroes of all of Marvel's 'Phases'. He is one of the most effortlessly endearing comedians working at the moment, but its Michael Pena who stands out the most as his fast-talking criminal sidekick. Douglas also brings experience and emotional weight as the complex Pym, and Lilly demonstrates some untapped physical prowess while rocking a bob. It isn't perfect of course - Cross isn't a particularly interesting villain although Stoll performs well, and perhaps the script tries to tell one joke too many at times. But any film that successfully convinces you that its protagonist can talk to ants without drawing immediate laughter (even getting us to care for Lang's winged favourite Anthony) is doing something right. Roll on the recently-announced sequel, Ant-Man and the Wasp.