"Ant-Man" - A Strange, Yet Well-Executed and Funny Movie

Rating: 7/10 (23 June 2018)

Ant-Man is a great film for fans of superhero movies, or the MCU in particular. It tries very hard to be a funny and remarkable film, which it ultimately succeeds in being. The heroes and villains really put this film in a special place where it becomes more like a thriller than a Marvel movie, but still keeps the vibe you would expect from anything with Paul Rudd in it. It mainly shows the titular Ant-Man, played by Paul Rudd, embark on a journey to save the world, but also prove himself to the people in his life.
However, all this film really does for the superhero genre is cement how an experimental film like Guardians of the Galaxy can become a success both in the box office and with critics. The only thing that doesn't truly make it as great a film as Guardians of the Galaxy was is its by-the-numbers elements. But even with its faults, the good far overshadows the bad. It's a hilarious picture, that uses its overuse of action and bright, blinding colors to its advantage. At times, it's very hard to tell whether you're watching an action film or a comedy. It also does the best with what it has: A semi-popular hero with obscure characters and a small fanbase. Even with such a small interest, it knocks so many other movies from that year out of the park.
Michael Douglas really portrays an older version of Hank Pym like that was the role he was born to play. Truly excellent and honest to the comics. Evangeline Lily does the job of Hope Van Dyne AKA The Wasp, and boy does she do it well. She manages to be a total badass, but still keep her character balanced and level. Corey Stoll plays a maniacal villain. Enough said (although I believe his performance was least convincing, he still did awesome). Abby Fortson was cute and charming, and still keeps her dad going, which is heartwarming and sweet. But no one, I repeat, NO ONE, can forget the star of Ant-Man: Michael Peña's, Luis, the funniest and greatest character in all of Ant-Man. His jokes are the best, and he really gives Ant-Man a buddy-buddy aesthetic. Other great performances were given by Bobby Cannavale, Tip Harris, David Dastmalchian, Anthony Mackie, Wood Harris, Judy Greer, John Slattery, and Hayley Atwell.
Overall, Ant-Man is a charming and funny movie. Even if it's just to introduce Ant-Man into the MCU, it still is a great film for casual or diehard fans. It wants to be a defining picture in its genre, but it really is dragged down by its basic elements, even though I liked it. 8 out of 10!