We got invited to see Ant-Man really early, like three weeks before the general public. The theater is only a mile from our house, I am a huge Marvel fan (not just the movies but the comic books and cartoons as well) and we get free popcorn too. But, when Lisa called me to ask if I wanted to go, I said, “not really.” I told her to ask one of her friends, and after no one else wanted to go, I reluctantly said yes. Why was I so hesitant? Well, it’s called Ant-Man, and he is played by non-super hero Paul Rudd, and it looked from the commercials that he would be riding a bee or something in the trailer. I figured, well why not, it’s a date night with the wife, at the very least.
Ten minutes into the film, I was starting to turn. A cameo with Agent Carter and a young Michael Douglas (Hank Pym). What is going on here? This might be good after all. Then out of the blue, Michael Pena hits the screen, and now I am laughing out loud. Between him and Paul Rudd, this is not only a great Marvel movie, it is funny. Really funny. The special effects are top notch, the story is rocking and I am totally transfixed as the action builds and we meet our villain, a superb Corey Stoll as Darren Cross/Yellowjacket.
But wait…there’s more! A killer nerd out moment. We see the WASP. Original member of the Avengers, and Hank Pym’s assistant turned wife, Janet Van Dyne, and we are treated to deep Marvel lore throughout. Then, a surprise Avengers cameo! This movie is great! Seriously!!!
Once again, the people at Marvel, have made what could have been a disaster into a fun, compelling and completely original film. The only thing wrong with this movie is the title, and for nerds out there that may have their doubts, listen to me on this, I am one of you.
I have enjoyed ALL of the movies that have come out of the Marvel factory. Sure some are better than others, and there are the two Hulk movie’s that are sort of like the Star Wars prequels of the Marvel Universe, but they can’t all be first rounder’s. I consider the first Iron Man to be the best, and it also starred someone who we all thought could not make a believable superhero. I think that both Captain America movies are really well done. Thor takes the impossible to put on screen and makes it believable. The Avengers have brought it both times too. Look, it ain’t Shakespeare, well maybe Thor, a little…but so what. If you’re dropping a few bucks to get in and want to share these movies with the kids, or by yourself, then they always deliver.
The absolute best thing about Ant-Man is that it is by far the least violent of all the Marvel films. You can sit back and not worry about covering their eyes unless they have a super weird fear of seeing giant ants and insects. Our 5 year old was just fine. (Lisa slightly disagrees with this. Check out her review for what she considers the two moments you may want to cover the kids’ eyes.)
Trust me, you will love this film. It is one more puzzle piece in the Marvel Universe, and director Peyton Reed, introduces us to the newest member of the Avengers, while never taking the source material too seriously and letting us all in the fact that just like Paul Rudd. We get that Ant-Man is kind of silly, but when you think about it, no more silly than a giant green Hulk, a super soldier that fights with a shield, or a buff god who swings a hammer. It’s all ridiculous, but in the best way. Ant-Man is fun, and you will be glad you saw it. Stick around for the credits as always, and look out for the giant Thomas the Tank Engine and the ant that is bigger than a great dane!
Want to know more about Ant-Man? Check out Lisa’s 7 fun facts you need to know before heading to the theater to see the movie!
