"...I want you to break into a place and steal some shit."
"...makes sense."
Thief Scott Lang (Rudd) just completed this prison sentence. He wants to start fresh so he can see his daughter Cassie (Fortson), but his criminal record makes it impossible for him to find a job. He is living with his old cellmate Louis (Pena), who hears about a heist job this is perfect for Scott. Scott agrees, and with the help of their friends Dave (Harris) and Kurt (Dasmalchian) they break into the home of Dr. Hank Pym (Douglas) to steal from his vault.
The only item in the vault is a suit and helmet, which Scott takes. When he puts on the suit, he shrinks to the size of an ant, but his strength increases. Dr. Pym wants Scott to wear the Ant-Man suit to infiltrate his former company and destroy the research of his protege Darren Cross (Stoll). Cross is obsessed with the legend of Ant-Man and is looking to replicate Pym's research so he can sell the technology. Pym's estranged daughter Hope (Lilly) still works for the company and monitors Cross' progress. He is getting dangerously close to replicating the Ant-Man serum. Can Scott learn to use the Ant-Man suit in time to stop Cross?
Ant-Man was created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Larry Lieber in 1962. The character was featured as part of another series, before receiving his own beginning in 1963. Since then, four different characters have taken up the mantel of Ant-Man (or his other alter egos).
While Ant-Man is considered an important character for Marvel comics, and appears in most versions of the Avengers, he has not achieved the same popularity as other Marvel characters. The character first appeared on live television in a Saturday Night Live sketch, portrayed by Gareth Morris (who had a cameo in this film). In 2003 writer/director Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish announced plans to make an Ant-Man film. They officially teamed up with Marvel Studios in 2006, but the film was continually delayed.
Ultimately, Wright and Cornish left the project in 2014, prior to filming, due to creative differences with Marvel. Both receive writing and producing credits on the film. Adam McKay was brought in to do some re-writes to the script, while Peyton Reed assumed the role of director.
Despite the turbulence behind the scenes, it is a great movie. Unlike the other Marvel films, this is a heist film. There are stakes, but everything focuses on training for the big heist. The tone alternates between humor and serious moments with ease, fully embracing the ridiculousness of the character and letting star Paul Rudd and Michael Pena show off their comedic range (Pena gets the most laughs). They did some interesting things with the camera perspective to show the difference in Scott's size throughout the film, it is perfectly captured during the final battle between Corey Stoll's Darren Cross and Rudd's Scott Lang.
I wish Edgar Wright's vision for the character (with him in the director's chair) was the final product, but I love the film as it is. Marvel has already announced a sequel for 2018 (after the next Avengers film). The Avenger cameo and final scene set up the first film in Phase 3: Captain America: Civil War, in which Rudd's Ant-Man appears.
This is the final film in Phase 2 of Marvel's Cinematic Universe, following Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Ant-Man (2015) 117 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi action violence
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man
Michael Douglas as Dr. Hank Pym
Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne
Corey Stoll as Darren Cross / Yellowjacket
Bobby Cannavale as Paxton
Judy Greer as Maggie Lang
Abby Ryder Fortson as Cassie Lang
Michael Pena as Luis
Tip "T.I." Harris as Dave
David Dastmalchian as Kurt
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