'Ant-Man' is proof that Marvel Studios still know how to tell a good origin story.

Rating: 7/10 (20 July 2015)

Former burglar Scott Lang is enlisted by former SHIELD scientist, Dr. Hank Pym, to help steal a shrinkable battle suit developed by his former company. Desperate to win back his daughter, Lang breaks his vow to never steal again and accepts his offer. In the process, he takes on the role of Ant-Man – a role once held by Pym himself.
And for those of you who want to know, 'Ant-Man' contains TWO end- credits scenes.
Despite it not being as epic or memorable as some of the other MCU origin tales (Iron Man, Guardians of the Galaxy), Ant-Man is still a wildly entertaining film in its own right. It is funny, touching, and packed with pulse-pounding action scenes never before seen in the superhero genre.
Paul Rudd proves that he is more-than-capable in portraying the miniature protagonist. Much like Chris Pratt and Robert Downey Jr., Rudd bursts out onto the scene with his own unique style and likable personality. Even during his more serious moments (and action scenes), Rudd manages to keep his performance consistent. There was not a moment in this film where I wasn't cheering for his character to succeed.
Both Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly both give strong supporting performances as Dr. Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne, respectively – and should only strengthen the incredible cast of characters already in this universe. The film's villain, Darren Cross, is unfortunately wasted as he comes across as one-dimensional and just plain forgettable. Despite Corey Stoll's best efforts, his character just wasn't given enough development.
The script by Edgar Wright and his team speaks volumes to how much effort they actually put in giving a proper introduction to one of Marvel's more obscure heroes. Unlike some of the studio's other ham- fisted efforts, Ant-Man is perfectly balanced with its drama and humour; there are very few times in the film when moments would be ruined because one side crossed the other at an inappropriate time. The story is also fairly straightforward and tightly focused – no need to worry about Infinity Stones or anything else that doesn't have to do with Scott Lang becoming Ant-Man. The film also contains a number of unexpected instances that will have you and the audience burst out laughing, especially during the action scenes.
I only wonder how this film would have turned out if Wright had directed it instead.
Although I don't exactly consider Ant-Man to be one of the MCU's 'A- class' titles, I can safely say that it ranks far above a majority of its predecessors. Ant-Man truly is a film that almost anyone can enjoy.