The most unconventional superhero movie ever made.

Rating: 10/10 (24 July 2015)

Ant-Man tells the story of Scott Lang/Ant-Man(Paul Rudd). Scott is an ex-convict who has been freshly released from prison. Scott has a degree in electrical engineering but, due to some unavoidable circumstances, ended up becoming a skilled cat burglar. Enter Dr. Hank Pym(Michael Douglas). Pym gives Scott a chance to redeem himself by advising him to don a special suit, that enables the wearer to shrink to the size of an ant but, increase in strength & speed. Hank Pym tells Scott to embrace his inner hero & become the Ant-Man. Now, it is up to Scott with the help of Dr. Pym & his daughter, Hope van Dyne(Evangeline Lilly) to plan & pull off the perfect heist & save the world from the power hungry, Darren Cross/Yellowjacket(Corey Stoll) & his diabolical plans.
Ant-Man is the most unique, hilarious, weird(in a good way) & self-deprecating superhero film ever made. It's fantastic(pun intended)! The special effects are surreal. The CGI ants look extremely lifelike. The 3D has been put to great use throughout the film. The sequences where Ant-Man shrinks down to the size of his namesake are a treat for the eyes & make for some super fun & exciting set pieces. The constant switching of camera angles between our point of view & how the world looks from the point of view of an ant is one of the highlights of the movie. You can't help but laugh at how insignificant the fisticuffs between Ant-Man & Yellowjacket look like from a human being's point of view especially in the climactic showdown which also involves the beloved, Thomas the Tank Engine toy train. That's the charm of this movie. The film doesn't shy away from just how ridiculous its premise is & takes digs at itself from time to time. Another refreshing aspect of Ant-Man is that it's not just a superhero movie but also, a heist movie. Scott Lang is the first superhero in cinematic history to have a daughter. Cassie Lang(Abby Ryder Fortson) is adorable. Scott's relationship with his daughter forms the emotional core of the film. I loved the fact that they saved Ant-Man's alter ego, Giant Man & Wasp for future films & concentrated solely on the origin story of the titular character. The scene involving Sam Wilson/Falcon(Anthony Mackie) is brilliant. Other than that scene, I was impressed that they kept the Avengers references to the minimum. However, producer Kevin Feige, director Peyton Reed & company make sure to keep reaffirming the viewer that this movie is very much a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As always, Marvel's casting choices are bang on target. Paul Rudd, who has mainly acted in comedy movies thus far, is spectacular as Scott Lang/Ant-Man. Rudd is perfect as the slightly awkward, down on his luck cat burglar, whose life changes after he meets Hank Pym. Michael Douglas is amazing as Dr. Hank Pym. It's super cool to see an acting legend like Douglas, star in a Marvel movie. Evangeline Lilly is brilliant as Hope van Dyne. Lilly is the most feisty of all the Marvel women, including, Peggy Carter(Hayley Atwell), Pepper Potts & Jane Foster. Corey Stoll is excellent as Darren Cross/Yellowjacket. Bobby Cannavale is good as Paxton. Anthony Mackie is great as Sam Wilson/Falcon. Judy Greer is impressive as Maggie Lang. Abby Ryder Fortson is unbelievably adorable as Cassie Lang. Michael Pena is hysterical as Luis. David Dastmalchian & T.I. are effective as Kurt & Dave. Hayley Atwell, John Slattery & Martin Donovan are awesome as Peggy Carter, Howard Stark & Mitchell Carson respectively. Stick around till the very end of the credits for 2 incredibly important scenes. According to me, Ant-Man is on par with Captain America: The Winter Soldier(2014) for the title of the best standalone Marvel movie ever made. An absolute must watch on the big screen, especially in 3D.