Ant-Man (2015) - Review

With Ant-Man & The Wasp hitting theatres this week, I thought I would take a look back at the first silver screen iteration of Marvel's biggest/littlest hero.

In Ant-Man, hard-luck convict Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is released from prison with the hopes of re-connecting with his estranged daughter. After taking a final con-job to earn money, Scott meets brilliant scientist Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and his daughter Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) who recruit Lang into becoming the Ant-Man. Their goal: stop Pym's former protégé Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) by stealing the dastardly Yellowjacket project.

The main cast is the film's best asset. Rudd is likeable and sympathetic as Lang, and while he lacks the bona fide star power of his Avengers co-stars, he is perfect for the unassuming, reluctant hero. Michael Douglas is possibly my favourite casting in the MCU films. The legendary actor adds so much gravitas to Pym, one of the forefathers of SHIELD as we know it in the MCU, and a legendary comic book character in his own right. Lastly, Evangeline Lilly is an underscored highlight. Hope is a narrative driving force in the film, with a lot of the plot being set in motion by her decisions, which Lilly portrays well. Strong, intelligent and sexy in a non-sexualized way, Hope is one of the better female MCU characters.

Corey Stoll is the films weakness, but I cannot blame him outright for the performance. Written poorly, Yellowjacket is a one-note, static villain. Seemingly evil for evil's sake, Cross is motivated solely by greed and jealousy, but not in a relatable way like the best villains with those particular motivations. His comic book dialogue during the third act feels early 2000's especially coming off of tremendous villains within the MCU up to that point like Loki and Alexander Pierce. I wonder if part of the under development was due to the change in director (from Edgar Wright to Peyton Reed) that happened shortly before the film's principal photography. Wright's villains tend to be over the top (Simon Skinner in Hot Fuzz, Bats and Buddy in Baby Driver), so perhaps the hokey dialogue is a left over before his departure.

The supporting cast is also of note. Michael Pena, T.I. and David Dastmalchian are gold together as Scott's criminal crew. I would love to see a future spin-off comedy focused on them and their antics (maybe on the Disney streaming service).

The idea of using a heist as the main set piece in this film is a great idea. With Ant-Man becoming a superhero due to technology in the midst of literal super powered beings running around New York, fighting off an evil army would be a little passé and hard to believe. Instead, we get a self-contained story. I remember this being a welcome change in 2015, coming off the somewhat over-stuffed Avengers: Age of Ultron. While upon re-watch Ant-Man is not as fresh, it does still hold up due to its concise nature.

My favourite feature of Ant-Man is the connectivity it offers to the larger MCU series. The opening prologue scene with the original heads of SHIELD, the name drops of Iron Man and Captain America, and the fight with Falcon at Avengers HQ all help tie-in Ant-Man into the lore, while still keeping its distance as a solo outing.

An often underappreciated installment of the MCU, Ant-Man is notable for its strong casting, its uniquely small-scale (pun intended) story, and the connectivity it offers to the larger Marvel narrative. Despite a weak villain, the film is a quality addition to the superhero genre. Worth a MATINEE watch!