Antman
Synopsis: Armed with the amazing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang joins forces with his new mentor Dr. Hank Pym to protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from the ruthless villains! With humanity’s fate in the balance, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a daring heist against insurmountable odds.
Rating: PG-13 For Sci-Fi Action Violence.
Run Time: 117 Minutes
Director: Peyton Reed
Dvd Extra’s: Making of an Ant-Sized Heist, Let’s go to the macroverse, WHIH News Front, Deleted and Extended Scenes, Audio Commentary.
Nudity Factor: None
Of Note: When Paul Rudd told his nine-year-old son he was going to be Ant-Man, his son said, “Wow, I can’t wait to see how stupid that’ll be.”
Recommendations:
I first watched Ant-Man when it was released, and to be honest, I wasn’t expecting much. But I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Now, several years later, I decided to watch it again—this time with higher expectations. And while it still holds up, a second viewing did make some of its flaws more noticeable.
The story follows Scott Lang, a former systems engineer and well-intentioned thief recently released from prison. His crime? Stealing millions from a corrupt company and returning the money to its customers. Noble, sure—but not exactly a resume builder. Scott struggles to reintegrate into society. He can’t hold down a job, he’s estranged from his daughter, and his ex is now dating a cop who wants nothing to do with him.
Things go from bad to worse until Dr. Hank Pym, a brilliant (and somewhat secretive) scientist, enters his life. What follows is a series of fast-paced adventures involving Pym’s incredible shrinking technology, a strained father-daughter relationship between Hank and Hope, and a former protégé, Darren Cross, who’s more interested in profit than principle.
The story itself is solid and entertaining. It has that signature Marvel mix of humor, heart, and heroism. But some aspects do require a healthy suspension of disbelief—even by Marvel standards. For instance, it’s a bit of a stretch that a world-renowned scientist would choose an ex-con to be the one person he trusts with his life’s work. Also, Scott’s ability to master the Ant-Man suit and combat skills in what seems like a weekend feels… generous. But hey, it’s a superhero movie.
Despite these nitpicks, the movie flows well, though there are a few slow spots. And one standout element is the villain: Corey Stoll as Darren Cross (aka Yellowjacket) is fantastic. He’s instantly unlikable in all the right ways and fully commits to the role.