Ant-Man (2015) Movie Review

Synopsis:

Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) recruits former convict Scott Lang (Paul Rudd). With Hank’s guidance, Scott dons the Ant-Man suit. This grants him the ability to shrink and communicate with ants.

Review:

In a similar case to Iron Man (2008), Ant-Man could have been successful or fell by the wayside.

Jon Favreau’s direction and Downey Jr.’s memorable performance made Iron Man a success.

Whilst not as impactful or engaging as that film, Ant-Man is still fun and creative.

Most of this movie’s most creative moments involve the use of visual effects.

As Ant-Man is a character whose main ability is to shrink, the CGI had to display this in an appropriate context.

These visual effects are well-integrated, leading to some imaginative action sequences.

With Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, he brings charm and likability to this role.

Rudd’s acting abilities are in the scenes with Scott’s daughter, Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson).

These are some of the central focal points here and are a joy to watch.

Yet another casting decision that often works is Michael Douglas. He portrays Hank Pym in the film.

As a seasoned actor, Douglas portrays this character well. This is further demonstrated through his interactions with Paul Rudd’s Scott.

Also, making her first appearance in this universe is Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne. Her character is Hank’s daughter.

For context, Hope is a supporting character. Despite this, her interactions with Hank elevate her impact on the story.

As a whole, these emotional scenes are well done. It's a shame that they're often interrupted by out-of-place comedy.

There is, for instance, an important moment that occurs. It's soon interrupted by an unnecessary joke.

Marvel Studios has a track record of interjecting humor into most of their movies. This has proven to have mixed results.

This humor also applies to Scott’s friends, such as Luis (Michael Peña).

Ant-Man's main antagonist, Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), also required improvement. His characters' motives are never well-developed or interesting.

It also does not help that he isn’t very well-written either. This makes him yet another generic MCU antagonist.

Conclusion:

As a whole, Ant-Man remains a fun, light-hearted entry in the MCU franchise.

It also has some creative action scenes, improved through its visuals. Having an uninspired antagonist and out-of-place humor are Ant-Man's main flaws.

Regardless, the movie still comes recommended for Marvel fans.

Sam’s Action Reaction score:

Characters - 7/10

Story - 6/10

Action - 7/10

CGI and visuals - 7.5/10

Soundtrack - 6.5/10

Overall score: 6.8 out of 10