Entertaining and yet underwhelming with a side of predictability

Rating: 7/10 (6 September 2015)

Ant-Man (2015) Reviewed August 15th, 2015 - 1st viewing (IMAX 3D) Marvel Studios / Disney - Directed by: Peyton Reed
Entertaining and yet underwhelming with a side of predictability
From the beginning, I was thrown off kilter by the uncharacteristic opening, lacking the Marvel theme with the logo. It opens with a comedy of sorts which kind of felt like they were trying to blend the humor and wit of Guardians with the seriousness of the Cap films, but it fell flat for me. The slow beginning served to take me out of the film, wondering when it would pick up. It all felt like it'd been done before to a point, and a lot of the humor was lost due to scenes being present in the trailer.
For months I have been trying to figure out how Paul Rudd got cast, but now I see the character he plays is in line with his usual roles. Despite wanting to like the film, he was just lacking in charisma. Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly were captivating, and stole the show in my opinion. I was more interested in their dynamic than anything going on with Scott. I mean, let's face it—the wayward father who wants to make his little girl proud has been done before. I know they were trying to make it feel modern, but it falls short. The villain is you can call him that was so two-dimensional, predictable, and boring. I can't help but feel the writers hoped to rely on the comedic relief to carry the film over the plot hurdles instead of developing the character more.
Although I appreciated the Discovery Channel-style dialogue regarding different species of ants, Scott learning how to use the Ant-Man suit and work with the ants felt a bit rushed. The scene with Hank and his daughter Hope was moving, but lacked the degree of emotional depth required to truly draw us in and feel what they felt. (I didn't even tear up even though I wanted to). To be fair, it did evoke some emotion from me in that I laughed in places, but I just couldn't help feeling as though the writers did not take the time to polish this one out enough. It is also largely lacking in dynamic locations and a dramatic score, instead opting for more contemporary songs. This model can of course work as in Guardians, however everything in this film is entirely too disjointed to feel like the well-oiled machine it was intended to be.
You're left with a sneaking suspicion that the writers and The First Avenger and Guardians attempted to collaborate ideas for the direction of the film, and had to agree to disagree. It seems very disjointed at times, floating between you being expected to take it with a grain of salt to imploring deep emotion from you that just seems altogether forced. I expected the 'revelation' for what became of her mother—you could see it from a mile away, as well as the post-credits scene, but at least with Red Wasp, we'll have a more dynamic character to look forward to.
So while the film does leave you feeling entertained, it fails to provide the power, emotion, and scale we've seen in previous Marvel productions. (This marks the first Marvel film I only saw once in theaters.)
FINAL VERDICT: Humorous and entertaining, albeit a bit predictable and forced. Even though it was still a decent film with its own moments, in my estimation, it is the least memorable from Marvel Studios to date.
6.5 of 10.0
Rant: Falcon in the trailer! Come on Marvel! Talk about a cheap shot to try to gain box office numbers. I will not be tolerating any of that nonsense for Civil War. That is a reveal that should've only been earned by the fans who went to see it Advance/Opening Day.