You'll Believe A Man Can Shrink

Rating: 8/10 (26 July 2015)

Going into Ant-Man, I didn't know what to expect. Coming out, however, I was left pleasantly surprised. Ant-Man isn't the tightest or most well-made film in the MCU, but still manages to be quite entertaining. Deftly mixing humor and action, Ant-Man largely succeeds because of its leading man's performance, as well as its more personal and intimate focus, which reminds the audience that not every superhero/comic- book movie needs to end with a bombastic finale.
First off, Paul Rudd delivers a charismatic performance that elevates the whole film which cements him as Scott Lang. Rudd makes the role his, proving the naysayers wrong by demonstrating that no one else could've been better for the role. Michael Douglas also shines in his role as Dr. Hank Pym, the creator of the Ant-Man suit and tech. Decades since his big-screen debut, Douglas continues to be an enjoyable presence in the films he stars in. Pym's daughter, Hope van Dyne, is played by Evangeline Lilly, who is quite solid and manages to be one of the better leading ladies in a Marvel production. The rest of the cast is also quite enjoyable, especially Michael Peña as Lang's former cellmate Luis, who manages to steal almost every scene that he is in.
Although the supporting cast is solid, some of the characters feel underdeveloped, namely Corey Stoll's Darren Cross/Yellowjacket. Stoll's performance is actually quite solid, and he manages to make Yellowjacket a better villain than say, Christopher Eccleston's Malekith from Thor: The Dark World. However, as is the case for the majority of the films in the MCU, Yellowjacket simply doesn't compare to the rest of the film. His motivations for evil are murky at best and he deserved some more development to prevent him from feeling one- note.
However, Yellowjacket is partially redeemed for the role he plays in one of Ant-Man's best aspects: its action sequences. Inventive and playing off of Ant-Man's powers wonderfully, these sequences help Ant-Man avoid the cut-and-paste feeling that now plague action movies and are genuinely captivating, despite the film's smaller scope. The action sequences also help the film establish its distinct identity in the ever-expanding MCU and it will be interesting to see how Ant- Man's powers are shown in future installments.
The plot, which has been described as Marvel's first heist, is straightforward and simple, but not to the film's detriment. Instead of being bogged down by backstory and mythology, the film manages to keep its focus clear until its finale. The heist aspect manages to keep the film fresh compared to the other films in the MCU, and the actual heist is exciting to watch. The film wouldn't work quite as well as it does, however, if it weren't for its comedic side. Sure, not all the jokes land, but the majority do and there are quite a few laughs to be had during the two hours the film lasts. The balance between action, comedy, and drama struck by director Peyton Reed works very well.
Being a fan of director Edgar Wright, I still do question how Ant- Man would've turned out if he had stayed in the director's chair. Reed does a nice job, but if Wright had stayed on board, I wonder if the film would've challenged Guardians of the Galaxy for the top spot in my rankings of the films in the MCU. Alas, Ant-Man manages to impress due to the strength of the performances, its inventive action, and its witty sense of humor.