Based upon the Marvel Comics series created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby
Story by Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish
Screenplay Written by Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish and Adam McKay & Paul Rudd
Directed by Peyton Reed
**** (four stars)
RATED PG 13
Dear readers, I do realize that I am sounding like a broken record. Trust me, I know. But I cannot help it.
Yes, my fatigue with all things sequels, prequels, reboots, remakes, re-imaginings and my Lord, a movie industry that has now relegated itself to producing all manner of those sorts of films plus anything created from a toy, video game, or featuring yet another individual adorned with a costume, a cape and blessed/cursed with superpowers, at the expense of making seemingly anything else has been copiously noted upon Savage Cinema.
And still, I make no apologies in doing so for movies are just too important to me as an art form that contains the ability and vision to encompass a universe of variety, creativity, personal statements and mass entertainments that I get frustrated due to its rapid homogenization. Look, I like big budget movies. Many of them are some of the best films that I have seen in my entire lifetime. Additionally, do trust me when I tell you that I do not profess to hold any sense of "high art/low art" inhibitions towards movies, as I feel a great film is a great film regardless of style or genre. If a filmmaker is able to tell a story in the very best way possible, I will go with that filmmaker all the way.
Even so, all of that leads to my quandary with the current state of superhero movies being released with such alacrity and now filling up film studio schedules for years to come, that I often feel like turning my back on the entire enterprise out of a sort of Quixotian protest. But yet, I continue to attend these films as I haven't seen a truly terrible one in a very long time. Yes, there have been some I haven't liked or have been somewhat disappointed by. But something on the level of Director Joel Schumacher's horrendous "Batman And Robin" (1997)? Not at all, at least since Director Christopher Nolan essentially re-invented the entire genre with his game changing "Batman Begins" (2005) and undeniably with his towering masterpiece "The Dark Knight" (2008).
With regards to the Marvel Comics cinematic universe, which began triumphantly in grand style, classic storytelling and superior wit with Director Jon Favreau's "Iron Man" (2008), I have remained faithful yet albeit with a certain weariness with the assembly line nature of the releases. Again, the Marvel powers-that-be have not made a bad film to date--although Director Alan Taylor's "Thor: The Dark World" (2013) came very close--but even so, I was not really chomping at the bit to see "Ant-Man," the final entry in the studio's self-described "Phase 2" of building-block films, especially as it arrives just two moths after Director Joss Whedon's "Avengers: Age Of Ultron."
All of that being said, and after all of the doubts and trepidation, I entered the film this afternoon as a skeptic and exited a convert as I feel that "Ant-Man" is not only one of the summer's highest surprises, it is one of the most flat-out entertaining films from the Marvel films canon. Do not allow the unfamiliarity of the character stop you for I strongly feel that you will be laughing, cheering and dazzled just as much as I was.
"Ant-Man" stars the ageless Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, a corporate whistle-blower turned well-meaning cat burglar newly released from prison. Taking up residence with his former cell mate, the loquacious Luis (an excellent Michael Pena), Scott attempts to carve out a new life on the right side of the law with the hopes of being able to build up enough cash flow to pay child support to his ex-wife Maggie (Judy Greer), who is now married to police officer Paxton (Bobby Cannavale), and refuses to allow Scott to see his beloved daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson).
After being unable to earn the money and keep a job due to his past criminal record, Luis soon convinces Scott to take part in a new, and possibly final, heist alongside his partners Dave (Tig "T.I." Harris) and Kurt (David Dastmalchian), in which Scott is to sneak into a home and crack the vintage safe, stealing the valuables inside. Scott does indeed break into the safe but only finds what appears to be an old motorcycle suit and helmet, which he does indeed pilfer.
Unbeknownst to Scott, the home, safe and contents therein belong to the legendary Dr. Hank Pym (the inimitable Michael Douglas), a physicist, entomologist and former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who discovered the sub-atomic particles in order to create the original Ant-Man technology and suit, which Scott secretly possesses--or so Scott thinks.
Pym, who was forced out of his own corporation by his former protegee, the nefarious and gradually unhinged Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), as well as estranged from his own daughter Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), finds a kindred spirit in Scott Lang and soon convinces him to become the new Ant-Man in order to steal Cross' "Yellowjacket" weapons technology and suit, itself stolen from Pym's original scientific breakthroughs.
As Scott is mentored in his new role by Pym, and begins his life altering new adventures, he soon discovers that the greatest of his skills, abilities and honor fully arrives when he is physically at his smallest.
Peyton Reed's "Ant-Man" left me flying high and surprisingly so. For my tastes and sensibilities, it provided a potent antidote to the increasingly dark and serious tone that comic book movies have taken recently, making the film feel like the most refreshing tall glass of cinematic lemonade I've had in quite some time. With regards to the Marvel Comics cinematic universe, I have not simply enjoyed a Marvel film this much in years. Moreso than "Avengers: Age Of Ultron" and exceedingly more than Writer/Director James Gunn's over-rated "Guardians Of The Galaxy" (2014), I felt myself immediately caught up, swept away and enormously entertained from start to finish.
By now, I am certain that you are all familiar with the fact that Writer/Director Edger Wright, the filmmaker responsible for the likes of the groundbreaking features "Shaun Of The Dead" (2004) and "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" (2010), was originally attached to and developed this project only to depart after he and Marvel experienced those ever present "creative differences." I have a strong feeling that a filmmaker as idiosyncratic as Wright and the corporate machine of Marvel just could not mesh well together as his strikingly singular vision would potentially clash with the building block nature of the Marvel cinematic universe. While we can only imagine exactly what an eye-popping, one-of-a-kind feature Wright would have helmed, Peyton Reed, like the character of Scott Lang, has seized upon his appointment as the film's director with sheer vitality and gusto.
"Ant-Man" felt as if Reed, a director of box office hits yet decidedly anonymous films like "Bring It On" (2000), and "The Break-Up" (2006), knew that this film was his one shot for the motion picture major leagues and believe me, he has swung for the fences and cleared the field. The passion, the commitment, the creativity, the ingenuity and the vision are all apparent as Reed has helmed this film with supreme confidence and, most importantly, a hearty playfulness that makes "Ant-Man" stand out proudly from its surrounding Marvel characters and accompanying films.
First of all, Reed has injected "Ant-Man" with a lightness that works as a terrific counterpoint to the palpable seriousness of the previous Marvel film entries, including Director Joe and Anthony Russo's excellent "Captain America: The Winter Solider" (2014), which functions as a 1970's style conspiracy thriller and 21st century cultural/political commentary while also delivering the costumed goods in spades. Comparatively with "Avengers: Age Of Ultron," where you could really feel Joss Whedon straining under the self-imposed weight of keeping all of the narrative threads of the Marvel universe together in addition to the overall heaviness of the story itself, Peyton Reed has utilized "Ant-Man" to truly delve into a story that is purposefully smaller scaled. Yes, the fate of the world is the ultimate endgame and linking Scott Lang up with The Avengers is paramount (and featured in one very funny sequence), but the heart of the film is a very simple and tender two tiered Father/daughter story and is propelled briskly by the fleet-of-foot nature usually seen in caper films and believe me, more often than not, Director Steven Soderburgh's "Ocean's Eleven" (2001) happily sprang to my mind.
In fact, "Ant-Man" is so unassuming that, also like the character of Scott Lang, it is a film so sneaky and deceptively slight that you may not immediately notice the effectiveness of its cinematic slight of hand. Superior credit must go to Paul Rudd (who also co-wrote the final script) whose breezy, seemingly effortless charm makes him the perfect actor to portray this unlikely hero and hands down Michael Pena is the film's M.V.P. as he nearly walks away with the whole film, practically stealing every scene that he is in
But I have to extend my congratulations to Peyton Reed and his team for creating a film that packs on the visual gags that merge beautifully with the word play and overall story telling. Whether through any perceived reverence to Edgar Wright's original vision for the film and/or Peyton Reed desiring to raise his directorial game, Reed has made the rare film in the overblown CGI era where the special effects are indeed special again.
Reed's usage of visual perspective is tremendous throughout. Take Scott Lang's first outing in the Ant-Man uniform where he is forced to survive being washed away inside of a bathtub, evade a hungry mouse and even has to dodge between the dancing footsteps of high-heeled house-partiers. That was a blast just by itself. But Reed never takes his eyes off of the prize as all of the film's fight sequences are beautifully choreographed and executed as Ant-Man shifts his size from large to minuscule over and again. And then, of course, there was the terrific climax where the shrunken Ant-Man battles an equally shrunken Yellowjacket on top of a child's model train set, a sequence which even then plunges into the inter-dimensional, an effect that at least has the audacity to try to become somewhat "Kubrick-ian." But what may have been the most impressive special effect of all was a flashback sequence where Michael Douglas is made to look essentially just as he was during his "Fatal Attraction"/"Wall Street" heyday in late 1987. Truly a "how-did-they-do-that?" moment if there ever was one.
Aside from the special effects themselves, Reed keeps all of the proceedings within "Ant-Man" light and frothy, injecting pathos when it needs to appear and never allowing it to overtake the film. Yet, when the film exists at its most charming it is when Reed just allows the interactions between the characters to surprise us through fast paced dialogue and the beautifully edited comedic sequences, most notably any time Michael Pena is allowed to just ramble onwards and Reed visualizes Pena's thoughts in a most clever and almost 1940's screwball comedy fashion,
How unexpected Peyton Reed's "Ant-Man" was, a film I really had little to no desire to see, and attended more out of obligation than want and how it delivered the goods in an unassuming approach yet was completely fulfilling and re-invigorating. Certainly, there remains this part of me that still wishes to see Edgar Wright's original vision for the character and completely independent of Marvel. That would be spectacular, I am certain (and who knows, at this rate, I'd love to see Wright create a completely original character and blow everyone away with it). But Peyton Reed has heroically grabbed the cinematic baton, bringing Marvel to its second finish line in terrific and purely entertaining style.
Not every comic book feature has to out-do the previous one in terms of bombastic overkill. A terrific script, fueled by strong performances and inventive direction are all you need and "Ant-Man" is one of the most fun comic book escapades I've seen. Like a superhero who saves the world just in the nick of time, Marvel Studios, you pulled it out once again, ensuring that I'll return to my local movie theater one more time as "Phase 3" begins its run,
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