A Thrilling Hero

Rating: 9/10 (14 July 2016)

Just when you thought it was Marvel overkill, here comes a hero that is worth paying attention to because the premise is FUN, and there is probably not a better cast film this year. Paul Rudd perfectly embodies the newly minted hero, a scientific wonder who can switch between insect size (while retaining full-size super powers and speed), and at the same time working with a team of artificial swarms.
"Ant-Man" goes beyond the action and super-power to infuse the story with plenty of humanity and humour. We have the silly exchanges with the Michael Pena character (very funny performance), and it's fun to concentrate the villain back to one single character, with a defined malevolent goal, gleefully portrayed by Corey Stoll, who appears to have a good time while reaching for his ultimate goal to destroy his former mentor.
One of the highlights in "Ant-Man" involves the family relationships, shaded by affection and jealousy. Father and daughter relationships mirror each other. Douglas and Lilly are excellent in their dynamics of a flawed bond, and it's interesting to see how Rudd's character is bound for the same problems, unless he changes gears.
"Ant-Man" makes judicious use of special effects, which help the student move forward and keep the action full of energy. Here's a miniature universe, full of energy and believability, and we finally we see a villain mutate into a creation that is threatening and worth of our admiration. "Yellowjacket" might be gone here, but we sure hope he's brought back in some fashion.
This film doesn't leave me yearning for comic books or wondering why the technology went haywire, killing some of the originality and humanity of the special universe. I'm glad "Ant-Man" is now part of the Marvel Universe and will be joining the Avengers in whatever new enterprise is coming up, and I certainly celebrate Lilly's upcoming turn as the other insect superhero. It's time to celebrate.