"Ant-Man" is a nice change of pace from all the Marvel Universe movies that we have been getting in this 2010s. Instead of being a serious movie, or one packed with superheroes fighting against yet another city that is falling on their heads, it centers on a very simple idea: a heist. And it does a good enough job in making it fun, but it also has a very uneven tone and doesn't make any sense throughout the whole movie.
Dr. Hank Pym was Ant-Man many many years ago, but decided to give up and hide his suit behind a safe in his house. But when his former pupil Darren Cross comes close to creating something similar with a new suit called Yellowjacket, he knows he has top Cross. And he decides to get the help of Scott Lang, a former convict, to steal the new suit. Will Scott Lang help Dr. Hank Pym and become the new Ant-Man? And will they be in time to stop Darren Cross?
The movie follows the 101 heist book from beginning to the end, but mixed with the superhero formula. You have the rag-a-tag team of losers that helps the hero, the old person with the info and the mission, the other one that wants to be the hero (in this case Dr. Hank Pym's daughter Hope)... It is not very original, but it is fast-paced enough that you won't even notice. And the acting is good enough (even if the direction comes and goes). The plot development is OK, and as it doesn't have so much overlap with other Marvel movies, it can stand on its own two feet without much problems. And it tries to be funny (too much), and has some nice jokes to keep things easy and not very serious.
On the other hand, it makes no sense whatsoever (it looks as it had a half-baked script), and as said, as the direction come and goes, it falls into some empty moments that distract from the movie. The worst sin, though, it is its over-reliance on special effects, especially in the third act, with way too much CGI that wasn't necessary. It is a problem many of the superhero movies seem to have: an overlong third act with just explosions, punches and things flying around. At least this time they put some humour, but it is still way too long.
All in all, not the greatest superhero movie ever, but one fun and totally enjoyable.
Dr. Hank Pym was Ant-Man many many years ago, but decided to give up and hide his suit behind a safe in his house. But when his former pupil Darren Cross comes close to creating something similar with a new suit called Yellowjacket, he knows he has top Cross. And he decides to get the help of Scott Lang, a former convict, to steal the new suit. Will Scott Lang help Dr. Hank Pym and become the new Ant-Man? And will they be in time to stop Darren Cross?
The movie follows the 101 heist book from beginning to the end, but mixed with the superhero formula. You have the rag-a-tag team of losers that helps the hero, the old person with the info and the mission, the other one that wants to be the hero (in this case Dr. Hank Pym's daughter Hope)... It is not very original, but it is fast-paced enough that you won't even notice. And the acting is good enough (even if the direction comes and goes). The plot development is OK, and as it doesn't have so much overlap with other Marvel movies, it can stand on its own two feet without much problems. And it tries to be funny (too much), and has some nice jokes to keep things easy and not very serious.
On the other hand, it makes no sense whatsoever (it looks as it had a half-baked script), and as said, as the direction come and goes, it falls into some empty moments that distract from the movie. The worst sin, though, it is its over-reliance on special effects, especially in the third act, with way too much CGI that wasn't necessary. It is a problem many of the superhero movies seem to have: an overlong third act with just explosions, punches and things flying around. At least this time they put some humour, but it is still way too long.
All in all, not the greatest superhero movie ever, but one fun and totally enjoyable.