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    Ant-Man

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    WARNING: This review is hidden because it reveals the content of the film.
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    “Marvel” is more than a comic book name at this point; it’s a brand name that promises higher-than average flicks. For that reason, I think “Ant-Man” is slightly disappointing…but that’s because we’re putting it in the same category of some of the best action films of the past 10 years. It’s still a lot of fun with creative action, top-notch special effects, interesting characters and some good humor. It’s just a little uneven. Well-meaning cat burglar Scott Lang (Paul Rudd, looking great in the part) leaves prison and is recruited by Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to take up the mantle of Ant-Man, a pint-sized superhero who packs power kicks and punches thanks to a suit that allows him to shrink while increasing his density and strength. Hank believes that his protégé Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) is about to perfect a shrinking suit of his own and is offering to sell the technology to the highest bidder. It’ll take a super powered thief to infiltrate the high-tech facility in which the technology is stored and prevent it from falling in the wrong hands.

    This movie is appealing to me because we’ve seen a lot of different superhero movies, but none that blend the action and heist genre like this one. This movie is all about the big job. Recruit the guys, get the info, set up the plan, get the tech, break in, dodge the obstacles, and get the Macguffin. This isn’t a normal heist though because it brings in a lot of superhero/sci-fi elements to the heist, as you might have guessed. The two key elements to making this caper unique are Ant-Man’s powers. The first is that he is able to shrink and grow. Sounds pretty straightforward right? You’re saying: I’ve seen that done before in “The Incredible Shrinking Man” or “Honey I Shrunk the Kids”! But you’d be wrong. This film takes shrinking and growing in a way that you haven’t seen before because it’s not about Scott getting scared by giant bugs or getting accidentally trapped in someone’s sandwich and nearly devoured. It’s about a guy that gets past the locked door not by picking it, but by climbing through the keyhole. It’s about a guy that can evade the cameras; sneak in through the drain pipes, all with the help of his unique allies, which is the second unique piece of tech Ant-Man brings to this game. The reason he’s called Ant-Man is that he has the ability to communicate to ants. Once again, not anything to get excited about right? I mean what kind of power is that compared to super speed, or a metal suit that can fly? Hold on and I’ll tell you. Ants on their own aren’t really impressive but when you see how the insects are utilized to bypass obstacles, communicate information, or help transport objects unique to Ant-Man, they become a formidable force. I was surprised by how ingeniously utilized the little drones were. This is more of a great heist movie than it is a superhero film where he has to hide his secret identity, get into the big fight with the bad guy and all that. The idea here is NOT to get spotted by the bad guy and fighting is a last resort. If you think you’ve seen everything superhero movies can do, think again.

    “But what if I like superhero movies? ” well, then I have some good news for you. Like the previous Marvel films, “Ant-Man” is very much set in this universe that’s been unfolding movie after movie. You don’t necessarily need to know or have seen every “Iron Man”, “Captain America” or “Thor” to get what’s going on here, but it helps. It’s a richer experience when you’re in the know about who The Avengers are because this is a movie that addresses the fact that there are other superheroes out there, ones that are very different from our new hero here. There are also some aspects, what I would call the “money shots” of superhero movies that are present in this origin story; it’s done in a fresh way.

    There are many other aspects to get excited about. I particularly enjoyed the back-and-forth between Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne and Paul Rudd. Michael Douglas is a delight to see as well. I really enjoyed the dynamics of these three characters as Scott learns to become a super-powered thief. As far as visuals go, the film’s got some truly impressive scenes. Without giving anything away, there is a moment towards the end of the film that on the big screen and in 3-D were as striking to me as some of the trippy sights at the end of “Interstellar” or “2001: A Space Odyssey”. This film does a lot more to dazzle you than just show a big close-up of a carpet or a fingernail. I thought the acting was good, with some nice subtle moments, particularly between Paul Rudd and young Abby Ryder Fortson. There are a lot of little details throughout the film, like the way that Scott’s family is handled or the sheer creativity in some of the insect/tiny person stuff that got me really excited. I also think that this is one of the better 3-D action movies I’ve seen in a while.

    If I haven’t really talked about the humor of the film, it’s because this is where it’s uneven. There are jokes consistently throughout. I’d say 50% of them are chuckles, 25% are big laughs, and the rest fall completely flat. A quarter doesn’t seem like much, but I felt like it brought the movie down just enough that it missed that last little inch it needed to get to that next plateau of truly great films. It’s still good, very good in fact but I can’t help but think that it’s not quite there and that’s a disappointment because it could have been.

    I never thought that Ant-Man would be the type of character that could hold his own movie. I was wrong. After seeing this film, I’d be very excited to see a second chapter, particularly with the way the characters evolve and the potential that it has to be its own unique take on the superhero genre. While the film will be compared to “Guardians of the Galaxy” because it introduces new heroes and villains, is the beginning of a promising franchise and takes a more humorous approach to things, “Ant-Man” isn’t on the same level. You’re going to have to lower some of your expectations before you check it out. If you may excuse the pun, those are small issues. When you consider that “Ant-Man” is inventive, original, features some really strong special effects, exciting characters and solid performances, I think you’ll be able to get over the unevenness of it all. And make sure you stick all the way to the end credits because there’s more than one segment you won’t want to miss. (3-D Theatrical version on the big screen, July 29.2015)

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    adamwatchesmovies@  1.8.2015 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

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