A Welcome Change for Marvel

Rating: 7/10 (29 July 2015)

While the last few Marvel movies have been worthwhile, they've also steadily destroyed the sense of wonder I once felt when the fad was still fresh during 2012's "The Avengers". Being entertaining is never a problem when it comes to these movies, but being somewhat familiar is increasingly recurring. How many times can Captain America & Co. face a foe that seems unbeatable, "surprisingly" destroy him, and cause major damage to a nearby metropolitan city along the way? I hate to be a cynical critic, but I'm not so sure I can watch another "Iron Man" movie without liquidy bitterness swirling around in my psyche, castrating any fun to be had. Marvel has become so big, so stake-less, so predictable. I'm not necessarily asking for a blockbuster that calls for the death of the hero; I'm asking for a blockbuster that presents us with something big and predictable but also, cough cough, new-ish.
So when the trailers for "Ant-Man" mandatorily began to adorn cinema screens earlier this year, there wasn't a feeling of antipathy nor excitement; I figured it would be nothing more than yet another chance for Marvel to make some more dough and introduce a character that contributes nothing new to the already crowd-attracting assembly line of high- budgeted dazzlers. I wasn't planning on seeing it in theaters, but what do you know: on this hot summer afternoon, I purchased a ticket and found myself dumbfounded. "Ant- Man" is an abnormally fun 'hero-based actioner that presents us with something we haven't seen before (while, there I go again, also remaining big and predictable).
I suppose it has something to do with Paul Rudd, a charming actor playing a hero who finally isn't a wunderkind but an everyman attempting to redeem his wrongs. When we first meet Scott Lang, he is being released from prison (back in the day, he acted as whistleblower to his massive corporate company and slyly burgled some goods), barely able to make ends meet. He wants to be a success for his daughter, who lives with his ex- wife (Judy Greer) and her humorless fiancée (Bobby Cannavale), but, unable to pay child support, is shut out. So he turns back to his thieving ways, aided by his former cellmate (Michael Peña) and crew.
His first robbery comeback takes a strange turn when the house targeted does not contain a safe full of money but a safe than contains a mysterious super-suit; Lang, hardly thinking, grabs it in a hurry. He comes back home, tries it on, and finds himself shrunk to the size of an ant — as it turns out, the home did not belong to some random bystander but to Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), the original Ant-Man. Pym, you see, has been watching Lang for years, figuring he would be a fitting successor. The position is in dire need to be filled, considering Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), the new head of Pym's company, has designed a similar suit being planned to be used for, you guessed it, evil. Like all men in his position, Lang is reluctant — danger comes fast and hard, after all — but he's at a point in his life where he has nothing to lose; he can either become the new Ant-Man or face more jail time. It's hardly a question which option he chooses.
While watching "Ant-Man", I found myself pleased with how small in scale it is. Gone are the GIGANTIC BATTLES, the HULK SMASHES, the OUTRAGEOUSLY POWERFUL VILLAINS; since Ant-Man is, you know, the size of an ant, most of the action takes place (with lovable playfulness, I might add) on, in, or around water pipes, toy train sets, carpets, and ant colonies — the visual changes from "The Avengers" and its cousins are enormously refreshing. And isn't it great to bask in the company of a villain not a robot nor a Shakespearian fool but simply a corporate head honcho hungry for control? The film is an assembly line of lightweight thrills, and it's a change worth celebrating. It's nothing new, but at least it's attempting to do things differently this time around.
I would assume an "Avengers 3", probably including Ant-Man, will come around sooner than a sequel; but I hope it doesn't end up that way. I've had enough of Tony Stark and Bruce Banner (though it'd be more accurate to say I need a break). More of Scott Lang and his cohorts will do just fine — it's time to make some room for transition, and it's a relief that Marvel seems to be headed in the right direction.