Sharply written and more of a comedy than anything else

Rating: 8/10 (17 April 2016)

If there's one thing that Marvel has been really good about with their "cinematic universe," it's that they don't pigeon-hole any of their characters in to a specific genre. Super Heroes come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and Marvel gives their movies enough room to be more than just costumed crusaders punching each other.
Such is the case with Ant-man, a movie that knows how ridiculous its concept sounds, and plays with that in fun, funny ways. It kind of reminds me of the original Iron Man movie in a way, as it sort of comes out of nowhere to blindside you with an undeniable charm and a sense of humor you weren't really expecting.
And, unlike most other super hero movies, this one doesn't concern itself with "the fate of the world" or even the fate of a city. Perhaps more than any of Marvel's other movies, this movie keeps its feet surprisingly grounded in normal human drama. Sure, yes, okay, there's technically a villain who is gearing up to do something big and villainous, but that almost takes a back seat to a deadbeat dad trying to get control back of his life.
And that, I think, is the secret to Ant-man's success, and Marvel's success with these movies as a whole: they aren't ABOUT the super heroes, they're about the people inside the costume, and what really matters to them when they aren't saving the world. Ant-man makes that clearer than ever before.