Minor Marvel, but still good Marvel

Rating: 7/10 (30 May 2016)

Having enjoyed a vast majority of Marvel's superhero output (more so than most) without worshipping them, 'Ant-Man' is a minor effort from them but there is still a good amount to like about it.
'Ant-Man' manages to be a better film than expected. The character is not exactly a household name and is always tossed aside in favour of other superhero characters like Spiderman that have had longer longevity and perhaps have more compelling origins and stories, hence why they are adapted more. Also wasn't sure what to make of the trailer, which made the film out to be rather bland and too reliant on humour.
Seeing it for myself finally a year on, 'Ant-Man' could have been better. While the humour mostly works wonders, there are a few instances where it's not so funny and not very well placed, like in emotional scenes that are actually quite poignant and then interrupted by a joke that is not only forced and unfunny but also not belonging in the scene. The family scenes are a mixed bag, sometimes they are sweet and touching while at other times they're a little flat and predictable, contributing towards a few rare dull stretches. Corey Stoll also goes through the motions as the rather generic and under-characterised villain.
On the other hand, 'Ant-Man' is a great looking film, it's beautifully shot, very atmospheric, is very slick and the special effects, mostly the rapid size-changing and with the ants, are clever and of the usual high-quality Marvel standards. The music avoids being over-bearing, one-note, too quirky or too bombastic, fitting well tone, mood and pace-wise. Direction is more than competent, keeping the story going at a solid pace and the telling of it interesting enough, though maybe a little more flavour may have been more welcome. While the action is not as much as most Marvel films, it is fun, thrilling, nicely choreographed and tautly shot and edited, especially towards the end. Admittedly there are a couple of cheesy parts towards the end too, but kind of in an endearing rather than jarring way and it doesn't jar with the rest of the film.
There is some very smart and hugely entertaining scripting and dialogue here in 'Ant-Man' too. While it doesn't work completely seamlessly, 'Ant-Man' is one of Marvel's generally consistently funniest films, and the film doesn't take itself too seriously or too much of a joke either, instead not being afraid to embrace the silliness and humour while ensuring still that the subject matter is treated with respect. It is especially good with the title character's deadpan quips and Luis' fast-talking patter. The story is mostly diverting, it's narratively simpler than most Marvel outings and less risks here are taken than most Marvel films but it always makes sense, moments of dullness and jarring are few (while not being completely absent either), it's fun and it doesn't try to do too much or try to insert too many characters while not playing things too safe either.
While not complex as such, the characters are mostly engaging and are not too one-dimensional, only the villain could have had more done with him. Paul Rudd is a strong and hugely entertaining lead, while Michael Peña's hilarious in a role that could have been really annoying. The seasoned support of Michael Douglas adds hugely too, and Evangeline Lilly gives the film some much needed heart. Anthony Mackie is good too.
Overall, minor Marvel but good Marvel. Well-made and a lot of fun, but there is a personal preference to the Marvel films that took bigger risks with more and often richer characters, bigger bolder action and more going on in the story. 'Ant-Man' executes a vast majority of its components really well indeed, just that Marvel has done even better before and since. 7/10 Bethany Cox