As for upcoming content, I'll be sharing my updated ranking of the Marvel films once I've seen Ant-Man and the Wasp and will be recapping my favorite and least favorite films of the year so far in a separate post since we recently passed the midway point of 2018. However, there are still a few films I missed out on that I'd like to see before sharing that list. In regards to July reviews, look forward to Throwback Thursday Reviews of Mission: Impossible III, The Equalizer, and Mamma Mia!, Triple-R Reviews for Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, and reviews of new releases Ant-Man and the Wasp, Skyscraper, The Equalizer 2, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, and Teen Titans Go! To The Movies.
'Ant-Man' Review
Reflection- As is the case with nearly every Marvel movie these days, I can recall being quite excited to see Ant-Man when it was being released. My step-sister was working in a cinema at the time (something I wound up doing later on), so I got to watch the film one night earlier than the Thursday night premiere. I hadn't really attended many advance screenings at the time, so that was a really neat experience for me and I was appreciative of the opportunity. Anyways, I thoroughly enjoyed the film then and still do to they very day. It was a refreshing change of pace after another end-of-the-world scenario in Avengers: Age of Ultron and remains to be one of my favorite Marvel origin films.
Review- Ant-Man shrinks down alongside master cat burglar Scott Lang as he's released from prison. Down on his luck and hopeful to see his daughter again, Lang is recruited by Dr. Hank Pym and offered a chance at redemption. Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
Ant-Man was infamously one of Marvel's most troubled productions behind the scenes. Visionary director Edgar Wright had put in years of work intricately planning things out in the pre-production phase before suddenly departing on the basis of creative differences with the studio in early 2014. While Wright's influence over the size-changing superhero can certainly be felt in the visual language of the action sequences and barebone plot structure, it ultimately all wound up under Peyton Reed's jurisdiction. Reed stepped in to steer the ship as an experienced comedy director while star Paul Rudd and comedy writer Adam McKay were enlisted to do some rewrites on the version of the script written by Wright and Joe Cornish. In the end, all four writers wound up being credited in varying capacities.
Though it's a shame we'll never know what Wright's version of the film truly would have been, I'm glad it paved the way for Wright to make Baby Driver a few years later and am more than satisfied with this take on the tiny hero. Reed's sensibilities as a comedic director serve him well here, even if the film's not quite as stylized as it could be. Ultimately, it's difficult to fault Reed for that though as he was recruited very late in the game and had to shoot mere months later.
In spite of a drab aesthetic, Ant-Man remains a fun, pulpy adventure thanks to its inventive action sequences which take full advantage of the shrinking gimmick. Reed really makes the most of the concept and wields it well as both a comedic device and a means to up the intensity of some largely low-stakes fights. The visual effects and miniatures used are actually quite extraordinary in regards to providing a believable sense of scale amidst all the action, as I wasn't ever taken out of the experience by any effects which traversed the uncanny valley. This was especially important for the film's use of computer generated de-aging that's shown up in many Marvel films since 2015.
Speaking of the grander Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ant-Man effectively clings on by incorporating the trademark references and cameos viewers have come to expect. In particular, I quite enjoy the fight against Falcon and how that bridges the gap for Ant-Man to later appear in Captain America: Civil War. However, Ant-Man is also able to effectively carve out its own self-contained corner of the MCU. That plays into Ant-Man's favor though, because as the MCU grew, so did the stakes of each subsequent film. Therefore, it was remarkably refreshing for Ant-Man to scale things down again so the audience could see a superhero story where the fate of the world wasn't at stake.
Ant-Man is also unique in championing the heist genre as a sub-genre like many other Marvel franchises have done (ie. Captain America: The Winter Soldier = political thriller, Guardians of the Galaxy = space opera, etc). It's a tactic that Marvel's cleverly employed over the course of ten years so their varying franchises can each flourish in a marketplace that's becoming increasingly more crowded by other comic-book movie franchises. Christophe Beck implements that line of thinking into his score to create a theme that's pulpy and well-suited for any heist situation. While the score overall is kind-of uninspired in the sense that it mostly reiterates that same theme with generic music filling the gaps, I do really like the sound he discovered for the main Ant-Man theme itself.
Anther way Ant-Man differentiates it from the other superhero-fare is by focusing on the father-daughter relationships between Scott and Cassie Lang and subsequently Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne. That focus on family is wildly different from anything else Marvel's made because hardly any other superheroes in their arsenal are also parents. Hawkeye's probably the only other example that comes to mind, but that was never a defining trait of who he was as a character in the way it's imperative to Lang's identity. The conflict of Scott grappling with doing what's best for his daughter and avoiding a life of crime is a compelling one, and it works because of the relationship between those characters. Then, conversely, Hank is doing what he can to protect Hope which only acts to push her away from him.
The key component to all I just mentioned is undoubtedly the performances. Paul Rudd was well-cast as Lang because he's the first Marvel superhero who's an everyman, and Rudd encapsulates that perfectly. When you look at Rudd, superhero probably wouldn't be the first thing to come to mind and I feel like that's exactly the kind of quality you'd want to see in an Ant-Man. It also helps that Rudd's a funny guy with great comedic timing for all the Marvel quips he's expected to deliver. Rudd even brings an extra layer of humanity to the character in his connection with Cassie. Rudd and Abby Ryder Forston have a sweet rapport which in-turn makes for a convincing parent-child relationship.
Meanwhile, Hank and Hope have a cold, antagonistic relationship that mellows out over the course of the film as the characters come to terms with their situation. Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lily play that to a tee, so you're able to buy into both sides of their dynamic along the way. Additionally, Douglas plays mentor to Rudd while Lily's a love interest of sorts. Both actors handle those accompanying personality traits quite well and the film benefits as a result.
If there's one stand-out from the first Ant-Man though, it's undoubtedly Michael Peña as Luis. Peña has perfect comedic timing and listening to Luis recap events is an absolute delight that I hope to see carried over to the sequel. Filling out the remainder of the supporting cast, T.I., David Dastmalchian, Bobby Cannavale, and Judy Greer each serve their purpose and get a chance to flex their comedic side a bit even if they're are ultimately background players.
Last up, Corey Stoll as Darren Cross is the common corporate baddie we've come to expect. While Yellow Jacket occasionally can be framed as quite intimidating, the character himself is severely lacking. Stoll plays the part well, but is ultimately underserved by the script and falls to the wayside as another disposable antagonist from Marvel.
To size things up, three years have passed and Ant-Man remains one of Marvel's most under-appreciated efforts. The scale, stakes, and scope are all appropriately small, but Ant-Man doesn't let that get in the way of its big heart!
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