Not the best of Marvel films, but certainly one of the most fresh & fun instalments yet. By fresh, I really mean fresh. You're seeing settings & action sequences like never before. And fun, I really mean fun. An exciting main lead, some humour & action along the way...and then there's these three hilarious trio - associates of Scott Lang - who I find to be more entertaining than I thought they'd be.
First of all, we got to talk about this being fresh & new. Ant-Man has a really unconventional superpower to begin with, but Marvel did it so well, and instead plays around with aspects & mediums that we have never seen before in cinema. To have action sequences set in a child's bedroom, in vents, scale models, etc is just a sight to behold. And then when it switches to a human view...hilarious. There's just a lot of fun & laughs in these action sequences. And not just that, they really make the action cool in utilizing the swift changes in size...from big to small, to big again. And then there's the ants...some ants that fly, some that make bridges...and by the end of this film, I'd dare say that Ant-Man may yet be one of the most powerful Avenger, in certain situations.
A lot of people are expecting comedy & humour in this film, based on the cast, trailers, etc - and yes, we get a lot of that. With a main lead like Paul Rudd, its also to be expected, but more than that...he's so likeable in this film. My surprise came with his three buddies...who I initially disapprove for appearing to just be the film's comedic relief. And while for the most part they were...towards the end they have been more than entertaining. I burst out laughing at this one scene (when they reverse their van - those who've seen it will know), and I really enjoyed those three characters.
There was some drama...not a lot of it, but some very important character moments. I can't spoil it here, but Hank Pym's character has one touching flashback (not the one in the first scene, though). And then there's a similar kind of thing happening with Scott Lang towards the end. The plot feels very straightforward for the most part, but I like the details that go with the narrative, and more importantly, is how they weave this new character as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe so seamlessly. It's like a new film...but is already immediately part of the MCU.
The film isn't perfect, though. While the villain looks badass in his Yellowjacket form...his human counterpart lacks the flair & threat. He still looks quite cool in battle, with the lasers and all...unfortunately, the bar had been set high by Marvel with the likes of Loki, Ultron, etc. And then, apart from some comedic moments, most of the first half of the film is quite dull & slow-paced. You get them trying to build-up the moments & events, but in the midst of it, I just kept hoping for something exciting to happen...which didn't, until somewhere in the middle of the film.
Otherwise, it is a very solid entry yet again in the MCU. Very fresh, very fun, and very much a great introduction of a new Avenger for the MCU. Oh, and something that I finally get to enjoy again (as with most Marvel films) which I didn't get with Age of Ultron...an awesome score/soundtrack! Well done to Christophe Beck for that...the music during the heists are just exciting & brilliant. And finally, hats off to Peyton Reed, but I enjoy his directing style...with 2 scenes (not to be spoiled yet) in particular.
VERDICT: 8.0
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