15 Jul Nerdy for Thirty #17: Ant-Man

ANT-MAN

dir. Peyton Reed, starring Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, and Corey Stoll

Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

Starring Paul Rudd as the titular man of ant, the story is catered to Rudd’s comedic sensibilities, allowing him to unleash his full powers of charisma and brilliant timing. In an established career as one of Hollywood’s goofiest men, Rudd doesn’t disappoint, charming the audience as well as Evangeline Lilly’s Hope van Dyne. The relationship Scott has with his daughter Cassie is the heart of the film, with Scott’s every action an attempt to get one step closer to her. Rudd pulls off this desperation of a father wanting to be in his daughter’s life convincingly; for all his antics and nonsense, he works the dramatic angles just as well. Rudd and actress Abby Ryder Forston work amazingly well together, feeding off each other’s goofy energy, a trait that would continue on to the second movie.

Evangeline Lilly also stars as Hope van Dyne, Scott’s love interest and Hank Pym’s daughter. Lilly takes back seat to Rudd’s shenanigans but manages to balance the story out nicely with her gravitas. Hope is determined to pull off the mission, her driving force in the film with that intensity being slightly off-putting at the outset. As Scott and Hope’s relationship deepens and Hope warms up to Lang’s nonsense, Lilly’s performance becomes richer, creating one of the most underrated relationships in the MCU. Lilly’s contentious chemistry with Michael Douglas is also a high point in the film. While the MCU is often highlighted for complicated father/son relationships (Tony and Howard, Thor and Odin, Star-Lord and Ego, etc), Ant-Man subverts this with Hope and Hank’s prickly pairing. The two work well together, and just as Hope and Scott build together, as does Hope and Hank, proving that of all the MCU franchises, Ant-Man might be the best at character building.

Directed by Peyton Reed, Ant-Man was initially received with some skepticism after the replacement of fan-favorite director Edgar Wright. Wright, known for his fun, dynamic movies full of clever editing and cheekiness, was all but guaranteed to deliver on a zany heist film featuring Marvel’s smallest hero. Due to that all-encompassing phrase ‘creative differences,’ however, Wright was let go with Reed selected to take the helm. Reed, known mostly for his rom-coms, brought a refreshing outlook to Ant-Man, proving he’s adept at directing action as well as developing character relationships. Reed (and his cadre of screenwriters) manages to develop character through action, showing Scott Lang’s quick wits and creativity throughout. Cinematographer Russell Carpenter (Titanic, Avatar: The Way of Water) is one of the films unsung heroes. Carpenter’s ability to capture the action in entertaining ways that’s easy on the audience’s eye makes this one of the better comfort watches of the MCU.

Overall, Ant-Man is a refreshing palette cleanser after the loud messiness of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Capping off Phase 2 with a breezy, fun family adventure, the Ant-Man movies continue the MCU’s quest to entertain audiences using varying genres of storytelling. Anchored firmly by Peyton Reed’s direction and Paul Rudd’s leading man affability, the series takes the most lighthearted approach possible while still keeping a foot in the comic book world and the shared universe. A low stakes heist that’s full of laughs and heart, Ant-Man delivers on all fronts.

Review by Darryl Mansel