Summer Movie Reviews: Now With 100% More Ants

Ant-Man 3.5/5

Let us get something out of the way. I am a comic book fan boy, and even I had my doubts about Ant-Man. However, this a legitimately good movie.

It won’t light the world on fire, but if we’re ranking single-hero movies (aka not Winter Soldier, Guardians or Avengers), this is the best Marvel flick since Iron Man.

It doesn’t feel like a “big, dumb action CGI” movie as much as it does feel like a heist movie with a ridiculous concept. Some of my favourite movies are heist movies (Oceans 11 & 13 and The Italian Job come to mind, both classic and modern versions). This is a comic book heist movie.

The concept is ridiculous. A man who talks to ants and can shrink to ant size. But it is taken seriously and it is executed well. The shrinking effect looks good and lets you know what is happening on screen. The fighting makes sense.

The villain (Yellow Jacket/Darren Cross) does his job well and it makes for the best mirror villain (ie. Iron Man vs Iron Monger, Cap vs Red Skull) we’ve probably had in a Marvel movie.

The plot is what it is. It moves along, makes you want to see the next scene and provides you with enough reason to go “Yeah, my belief is suspended.”

I also enjoyed the little easter eggs to Ant-Man “lore” and how they may have foreshadowed Giant-Man. The history of Hank Pym makes sense and where they are taking it with concern to the Avengers and Civil War is exciting.

I have nothing bad to say. It isn’t dumb. It builds steam throughout the movie. And it was nice to see a movie that, while there were big repercussions at stake, didn’t feel like the world/galaxy was at stake.

Just go watch it! 🙂

Previously:

• Avengers: Age of Ultron
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• San Andreas
• Entourage
• Jurassic World
  
• Terminator: Genisys
• Ted 2
• Inside Out

To come this summer/year:

• Trainwreck, July 17
• Fantastic Four, August 7
• Straight Outta Compton, August 14
• Hitman: Agent 47, August 28
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens, December 18

Maybe to come this summer/year:

• Pixels, July 24
• Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, July 31
• Goosebumps, October 16