by Jon Partridge
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) continued its relentless assault on the box office earlier this year with The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron, entertaining many and bemusingly drawing some overly harsh criticism. Granted, the swelling roster of characters and stories has led to each new film released becoming a servant to more than the story at hand.
Ant-Man marks the introduction of yet another new character; wisely Marvel approached it as more of a standalone feature, a more intimate look at redemption paired with an entertaining heist plot. With a troubled shoot, notably the departure of Edgar Wright from the project, and an unfamiliar protagonist who seems more at home in a Twilight Zone episode than a comic book, this entry seemed the most likely thing to derail the Marvel train; but then, this is the studio that made a talking raccoon one of the greatest characters of 2014, so write them off at your own peril.
Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is an ex-con determined to go straight and make amends with his estranged daughter, who now lives with his ex-wife (Judy Greer). As he struggles to adapt to life outside prison he falls back into old habits and helps with a heist, breaking into a house belonging to former S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist, billionaire, and hero Hank Pym, who orchestrated the robbery as an audition for Scott to take his high-tech suit that grants him the ability to change size and command an army of ants.
Paired with Pym’s daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly), he is promised help reconciling with his daughter if he breaks into his own company from where he was ousted by his former assistant Darren Cross (Corey Stoll). After burying his shrinking technology for decades for fear it would fall into the wrong hands, Cross has finally rediscovered its secrets and plans to merge it with a armor technology codenamed “Yellowjacket” and sell it to the world’s highest bigger starting a new arms race. It’s down to Scott, his criminal talents, and newly acquired role as Ant-Man to foil his scheme.
The MCU has often used its films and characters to explore various film genres: think political thriller in Captain America: The Winter Soldier or pulp sci-fi in Guardians of the Galaxy. Ant-Man plays off the familiar beats of a heist movie while weaving its way through a sci-fi picture. It’s a great device that allows for some great character moments as well as clever set pieces.
The film is well structured, easing you into the incredulity of the story and attributes of the titular character, cleverly spending time detailing the actual species of ants in the film and how they each contribute to the mission as well as building up the history of the original Ant-Man and Hank Pym through some well-realized flashbacks. It’s a relatively simple plot, one that may not be out of place in a Bond film or 80s caper with some of the humor used, but the fantastical abilities remind you this is straight out of the pages of a Marvel comic.
The changing size of the hero is a gold mine for the filmmakers, with size changes used to maximum effect for both comedic and action scenes. The CGI is superbly realized and playfully executed. And you know what, the 3D did not suck, actually adding depth to many of the scenes of shifting perspectives. Rather than match the scale of Ultron‘s finale with it’s floating city, it uses the shrinking concept to turn this on its head, bringing things to a conclusion in a little girl’s bedroom, where an innocuous toy train is thrown into a different dimension as the centerpiece for a final showdown. It is this change in scale that proves the greatest asset to the film, not just for the miniaturization aspect but by reducing the stakes. Ant-Man being (initially) less competent, self-deprecating, and setting smaller stakes (in a sense) makes for a far more accessible protagonist and greater emotional connection with his personal travails than the last few MCU outings.
This is all enhanced by the savvy casting of Paul Rudd in the lead, who is just so ruddy likable. Douglas adds a genuine air and a dry foil to the silly premise of this superhero as a complement to the sardonic wit of Rudd’s Lang. Evangeline Lilly spends the first act being moody and mysterious, but once she gets the chance to react with Rudd the chemistry shows and her character opens up. In fact, stick around during the credits for a little glimpse of her future in a sight that made me cheer not just for her but the future Marvel films in general.
Corey Stoll probably has the hardest task with a somewhat one-dimensional bad-guy, free of any ambiguity, but the Yellowjacket persona does provide a great counter to Ant-Man for the thrilling clash towards the end of the film. A special mention must be made for Michael Peña, whose comedic talents provide nearly sufficient reason alone to recommend the film. One point of chastisement: Ant-Man continues the Hollywood trend of criminally underusing the wonderful Judy Greer. Enough already — give her something worthy rather than these tiny background roles.
Credit must go to director Peyton Reed for pulling the project together; the departure of Edgar Wright — who penned the initial story, cast many of the roles, and was set to direct — spelled a doomed project to many. Reed handles the comedy as expected from his previous efforts Bring it On and Down with Love, but he also demonstrates a great knack with handling the action elements of the film. It also builds well, with no premature peaking like other Marvel films. What is most welcome is the more grounded feel; there are big stakes, yes, but it feels more intimate as a whole. It’s a refreshing step back from the grand spectacle of Age of Ultron and Thor 2. This is likely due to the focus of the film being as much about the redemptive arc of two fathers trying to reconnect with their daughters as it is about the crazy action-heist element.
While the overall film impresses, it is not without its flaws that largely stem from its curious development. The clever action pieces are where the film asserts itself, confident and planned impeccably. The connecting strands feel like a mishmash. Comedic elements differ in tone, with some visual gags contrasting sharply with humor that would feel more at home in a Judd Apatow-style comedy. This is likely due to the influence of Adam McKay who, along with Rudd, was brought in to do rewrites after Wright’s departure.
While probably not discernible to the casual viewer, Wright’s DNA is very much woven into the fabric of this film. Special applause goes out to ant training scenes with sugar cubes that, if a leftover from Edgar Wright’s tenure on the project, are a fantastic nod to the nutty educational spoof show Look Around You, which aired on the BBC back in 2002 and featured Wright as a research technician.
Thanks ants. Thants!
Reed delivers a snappily cut film which just lacks a tightness in editing; it’s something like an impression of Wright’s style. To be frank, the directorial work outside of the Wright-esque sequences feels rather perfunctory, which together with a script that seems a little cobbled together tonally, leaves the film feeling rather patchy at times.
Wright would have shaken things up a little, and you can’t help but feel the Marvel films have become a little too boxed in, in service to too many masters with their growing, overlapping universe. With Ant-Man Marvel does cut loose, at least as loose as they can be within their tightly planned framework, and while it ended up being a good film, perhaps with an unchecked director with a vision at the helm it could have been something great. Funnily enough, they had one and let him walk away.
Overall Ant-Man is a fun romp that for the most part casts off the restrictive shackles of a ever-burgeoning Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, some minor issues and the looming specter of what could have been means it falls short of greatness.
It’s a film that never fails to entertain, though; a charming cast paired with inventive and exciting action set-pieces make for a refreshing and welcome addition to the super-hero genre.
Thants!