Based on the Marvel superhero of the same name, the comedic heist movie directed by Peyton Reed and written by Edgar Wright and three others ( that’s for another article ) is the story Scott Lang ( Paul Rudd ) an ex-thief gets a suit, allowing him to shrink to micro-size and mind control ants.
WARNING: SOME SPOILERS AHEAD
PLOT:
Estrained Father and ex-con Scott Lang is released from prison and taken home by his friend Luis ( Michael Pena ), his former cellmate who appears to still be an active criminal. There he meets Luis’ two new partners in crime, Kurt ( David Dastmalchian ) a Russian and Dave ( T.I. ). They claim to have a big job going on. Scott refusing, wanting to start a new, crime free life. He visits his young daughter Cassie ( Abby Ryder Fortson ). Scott’s extranged ex-wife Maggie ( Judy Greer ) telling him to leave. She will however, give him a chance if he can manage to get a decent, stable life. Which pretty quickly proves impossible, after getting a job at Baskin Robins, he quickly gets fired after they perform a background check on him.
Scott accepts the job. He robs an old rich guy’s apartment. Using household items in the house to crack open a safe. Where he finds a strange red suit with a weird helmet. He assumes it’s some sort of motorcycle helmet. When home, he tries the suit on. Accidentally shrinking himself ant-sized. Not wanting to ever be in contact with that suit again, he brings the suit back. The police are there. He tries talking his way out of it by saying he’s returning something he stole. Turns out that’s still illegal.
Now he’s in jail-again. He gets a visit from his lawyer, who is actually Hank Pym ( Michael Douglas ) the guy he robbed, giving him some bizarre advice while ants cover the security camera. That night, he finds the suit in his cell. He shrinks down, escaping with the help of some ants. He wakes up the next day in a mansion. Where he finds Hank and his daughter Hope ( Evangeline Lilly ). Scott wants to just go back to jail, the two talk him out of it. Turns out their fans of his, needing him to do a job. Darren Cross ( Corey Stoll ), the new CEO of Pym Particles is working on creating his own shrinking technology. Which he plans on selling to HYDRA. As in the Nazi Agency from Captain America. Remeber Red Skull? Back when he was still played by Hugo Weaving and not that Mark Zuckerberg wannabe from The Walking Dead. Yeah that HYDRA.
To do this mission, Hank and Hope train Scott how to use the suit. In this surprisingly hilarious montage, he learns how to use his shrinking suit, he gets both shrinking and enlarging discs, learns to control ants and learns basic stuff about ants. His first task, stealing from the Avengers. He arrives at the Avengers HQ, where he fights Falcon ( Anthony Mackie ). Oh, and remember that poster of Ant-Man sitting on Iron Man’s shoulder. I thought of that to. Guess they didn’t have 10 million$ left over to pay for his cameo. So they went with Falcon. Worked either way.
Now comes the big mission. Stealing the shrinking technology from Pym Particles. Scott recruits his three criminal friends, Luis, Kurt and Dave. Hank and Pym enter the building and talk with Cross. Who by the way, is one of the most generic villains that have waltzed their way into the MCU. He comes off as the dollar store version of Michael Keaton’s Ray Kroc from The Founder.
I think now would be a good time to mention that the ant-suit shrinking thing is a little inconsistent. Because, when Ant-Man starts fighting Yellowjacket ( Cross ), Hank throws enlargens a tank. Throwing it through the building. Even though when shrinking an object, it keeps it’s weight due to the atoms condensing. In other words, Hank Pym is somehow strong enough to hold a literal tank in his back pocket. Yeah, sounds legit. Also, Ant-Man is able to run on a pistol barrel and it doesn’t even bend in the slightest whatsoever. Also sounds legit. There are however plenty of examples where what would actually happen, happens.
Later, the Pym Particles building literally explodes. Pretty much out of nowhere, destroying all the technology and evidence of it’s existence. Also later, Yellowjakcet and Ant-Man are fighting in a house. Scott wins, but also gets arrested by Maggie’s fiance’, who’s a cop. He gets released and reconnects with his daughter. Also getting along with his ex-wife and her fiance’. The End.
Wait, as always in the MCU, there’s also a post credit scene. Falcon ( Anthony Mackie ) goes to YouTuber Anna Akana to recruit Ant-Man in the Avengers. Captain America: Civil War teaser for ya’.
CONCLUSSION:
Ant-Man was a very enjoyable comedy superhero film. It would have worked wonderfully as a standalone, non-MCU movie. Rudd, Douglas and Lilly all gave off solid performances. In my opinion Ant-Man is one of the most underrated movies in the MCU and Marvel as a whole. It was unique, comedic, fun and overall just an enjoyable movie. Though I still can’t help but think how this film could’ve been if it actually were directed by Edgar Wright, it was still very good. I’d give this film a 7.5/10.
-The Screenwriter
PS, happy birthday to Kirk Baltz