Review: “Ant-Man”

Tiny hero is a Marvel to watch.

In the ever expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, which gave unto us all The Avengers, oddballs and oddities are bound to peek their heads from the shadows. Guardians of the Galaxy showed this to perfection, giving audiences heroes not of this world, but emotionally bound to us all. On Netflix, the Daredevil series grounded things a bit, with a setting all too familiar and yet still fantastical. These comic book projects might be the very definition of film miracles. Under any other set of circumstances, they shouldn’t have worked out as well. But, here we are, billions of dollars later.

The latest from the studio, Ant-Man, is most assuredly a gamble. Having switched directors just before production, and shot very quickly, it appeared that this would be the first critical bomb after a string of success stories. And considering the hero at the center of all this isn’t exactly as well known as Thor… Thankfully, it all came together well. Very well. Shockingly and surprisingly, it’s a movie that’s so charmingly weird and carefree that it ranks, personally, up there with my favorites from this universe.

The prolific Paul Rudd plays an ex con, ex Robin Hood style burglar who, struggling to make ends meet, is presented with a chance to potentially save the world from chaos. He’s given access to a suit that allows him to shrink in size and grow in strength — things that a thief would find advantageous. In a continuity shared with Iron Man, he poses the most obvious solution in an attempt to avert self harm: “Let’s call in The Avengers”. Not that the famed team couldn’t handle this situation, but it would be too easy and not as fun for them to take on something smaller scale (pun intended).

Subatomic realms, communications with insects, brilliant visual action gags involving toys and a villain as out of his mind as few have ever been, Ant-Man is a near revelation. It’s a story that understands the thrills and dangers without being too wound up to enjoy the follies and silliness of it all. Things get very playful very often, within such a confined environment. This confinement, a small corner of this Marvel Universe, is part of the appeal. It’s a side story that’s part of a larger story, but still feels integral and important. It’s all rather refreshing, to say the least.

I’ve seen so many movies about disasters and collateral damage that I just want to see something scaled back to good guy vs bad guy showdown. To mission vs threat. To comedy paired with drama. Ant-Man scores on each of these marks, being a simple tale told more cleverly than normal. Being a supplement to other franchises while crafting something prominent on its own. Being earnest and whole heartedly satisfying. Being miraculous.

4 / 5