ANT-MAN REVIEW

Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

Starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, and Corey Stoll

Directed: Peyton Reed

Written by: Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Adam McKay, Paul Rudd, Stan Lee (comicbook), Larry Lieber (comic book), Jack Kirby

  The Avengers movies were gigantic. The Iron Man movies were colossal. The Captain America and Thor movies were huge. Now enters “Ant-Man,” featuring one of the tiniest super heroes around. While Ant-Man might be small, can "Ant-Man" accomplish big things in theaters?

Not to take anything away from Paul Rudd, who plays Scott Lang/Ant-Man, but I honestly was concerned about him playing a super hero. Sorry, but I just didn't see it. Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, and Chris Evans seem to fit their roles at first glance. Well, I was wrong because Paul ends up playing the part just right. I thought he would take it too far in the comedic route, but he handles the seriousness and action scenes with no problems.

  Actually, the entire cast fills their roles just perfectly. How can you go wrong with Michael Douglas, who plays Dr. Hank Pym? Evangeline Lilly, who plays Hope, proves she has come a long way since 'Lost.' Corey Stoll plays the villain, Darren Cross/Yellowjacket. He does an excellent job of giving the audience a villain they can hate more and more as the movie progresses. And not to be lost in the shuffle are Scott's gang of con men, played by Michael Pena, David Dastmalchian, and T.I. All three, but particularly Michael, deliver the perfect well-timed humor.

While there isn't a shortage of humor, this is a super hero movie, so where's all of the action? Well that's the biggest complaint I have with it. Being the first in this apparent franchise, the audience has to sit through the typical set up of how the regular guy becomes the super hero. Don't get me wrong it's not boring. It just would have be nice to see another action scene or two earlier on. Maybe replace one of the continuous ant training scenes with action somewhere else.

However they make up for any perceived lack of early action by super sizing the ending action. The audience finally gets to witness the show down between Ant-Man and Yellowjacket. There's plenty of fighting, a giant explosion, and a few surprises. One of the best parts is when miniature Ant-Man and Yellowjacket are fighting on a Thomas the Train play set. It's hilarious when the camera pans out and the audience gets to view the train set almost as if a ghost was playing with it. Another great trick they do through out the movie is having Ant-Man change from big to small, and small to big in a flash.  

This couldn't be a Marvel movie without a tie in to another super hero movie! There's a terrific scene where Ant-Man and Falcon come face to face for the first time. While Ant-Man tries to play the "I'm a super hero too" role, Falcon isn't buying it. The two square off in an exciting fight that will leave the audience waiting for round 2! While Ant-Man isn't part of the Avengers yet, he still has his own team. He has an army of ants, each able to do something unique in order to help him with his mission. The most fun is watching him fly on one of their backs.

"Ant-Man" turns out to be a welcome addition to the current Marvel roster. No, it's not at the gigantic level some of the other films, but it does enough to hold it's own. Paul Rudd proves that he can play a super hero. The entire cast plays their roles perfectly. While it might have been nice to see a little more action early on, they end it with a super sized bang! It will be fun to see how Ant-Man is incorporated in the upcoming Marvel movies. With that said, I give it 4 stars!

  HorrO

***There are 2 post credit scenes so stay until the very end***