In July of 2018, I reviewed the then-released Ant-Man and The Wasp, which I gave a fairly positive review. In that review, I gave a basic overview of Ant-Man’s history in comics, so I won’t have repeat that. Going into some production history, development of an Ant-Man movie began in 2006 with filmmaker Edgar Wright set to direct. Along with writer Joe Cornish, the two spent the next few years working on various drafts, completing three in 2011. After taking time off to work on The World’s End, Wright was set to go in October 2013. Unfortunately, he left the project in 2014 due to creative differences, and directing duties were handed to Peyton Reed. Wright received producing and writing credits, though star Paul Rudd and writer Adam McKay did some rewrites. After all was said and done, 2015 finally saw the release of Marvel’s Ant-Man.
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Former technician turned thief Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has been released from prison and wants to end his criminal activity. Unfortunately, his record prevents good employment, so he reluctantly goes for one last heist with his friend Luis (Michael Pena). They break into a home to steal from an old vault, only Scott finds a strange motorcycle suit. Curious, Scott tries on the suit, and he presses a button that makes him shrink, much to his shock. After returning the suit and getting arrested, Scott is visited by Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) who let Scott steal it. Turns out Pym’s old assistant Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) is close to replicating Pym’s shrinking tech and weaponizing it. Much to the chagrin of his daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly), Pym trains Scott in how to become the Ant-Man. With his new ant friends, Scott must stop Cross before he can wreak havoc.
Given that Edgar Wright was the original director, part of me wonders what his original vision would’ve been like. Whether or not it would’ve been good or bad, it might’ve been a slight improvement over what we got. Just to be clear, this is by no means a terrible movie or even a weak MCU entry. As a whole, this is definitely more of a filler movie that’s just ok, not bad but not great. Part of what makes it work is the above average cast, especially Rudd, Douglas, and Lilly. Rudd’s inherent likability makes Scott a very relatable hero, and Douglas brings gravitas to the role. Lilly does a great job, and she does have good chemistry with Rudd, even if the romance isn’t all there. Along with the typical superhero action, there’s also elements of a heist film thrown in for good measure.
Pena and his crew are certainly the comic relief, and they can be slightly irritating, but in an endearing way. Though he’s a good actor, Corey Stoll is unfortunately another stereotypical superhero villain, always acting angry and cartoonishly ruthless. It may have been intentional to make some ridiculously evil, but it comes across as trying to hard. While Peyton Reed’s direction isn’t bad, the film doesn’t have much of a style all to its own. It comes across as a very typical Marvel superhero movie, but it’s done fairly well for the most part. Admittedly, during the final fight between Ant-Man and Yellowjacket, there is some fun stuff done with them shrinking in size. The best way to sum this movie is that there’s fun moments sprinkled in a fairly average superhero film. Overall, Ant-Man‘s strong cast and fun-size action help elevate the average material.
