Small hero, big fun.

Rating: 8/10 (14 February 2016)

After a three year stretch in San Quentin, brilliant cat-burglar Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) attempts to go straight, but when he is fired from his job at Baskin Robbins, his criminal pals talk him into a potentially lucrative safe-cracking job that leads to the discovery of a special high-tech suit capable of shrinking a man to the size of an ant while increasing his speed and strength
I grew up reading DC Comics rather than Marvel, but the DC cinematic universe has disappointed me far more than it has impressed: in particular, I found the Nolan Batman films and Snyder's Superman movie overtly serious in tone, visually dreary and consequently rather dull. In contrast, the majority of Marvel's superhero films have been colourful, exciting, and, most importantly, a lot of fun. Despite a troubled production, Ant-man also manages to be all of these things.
It might seem like a minor movie in the MCU when compared to the X-Men and Avengers films, which are far broader in scope, but Ant-man succeeds in delivering the requisite action and spectacle, as well as some much needed humour. The script, from Joe Cornish and Edgar Wright, is full of light-hearted moments that acknowledge the silliness of the whole concept, and director Peyton Reed keeps things moving along at a decent pace. The film also ties in nicely with the Avengers series with a neat scene in which Ant-man meets (and beats) Falcon (Anthony Mackie).
7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for the incredible effects, best of all being the de-ageing of Michael Douglas.