ANT-MAN HAS ARRIVED
‘ANT-MAN’ follows The suPerhero forMulA To The BIG screeN
By now, Marvel Studios has perfected a killer formula for making movies guaranteed to print money: Update a classic comic book premise, throw in large dollops of low- to middle-brow humor, lean heavily on CGI, commit to visually incoherent fight scenes, and give the hardcore comic book geeks plenty of verbal and visual clues about future franchise installments that only they can understand.
For most of the past decade, this has been a winning strategy for Marvel/Disney and what is called the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). Sometimes, as in the first Thor, Avengers and both Captain America films, there is a modicum of attention paid to making the story interesting and thoughtful without short-changing the viewer’s lust for comic book action. Most of the time, the formula is implemented as a way to grab as much cash from the table as possible before audiences wake up to how insubstantial the films really are. Upon second viewing, all of the Iron Man films and “Thor: The Dark World” fall into this category.
Last year’s breakout hit “The Guardians of the Galaxy” occupies an interesting spot in the middle of these polarities in the MCU. It featured obscure Marvel characters whose loyalties are to other worlds and priorities — not Earth. It was a worldwide hit thanks to its antic humor and nostalgia-drenched soundtrack steeped in ’70s pop.
Emboldened by “Guardians’” success, Marvel Studios snatched another character from the company’s minor leagues — Ant-Man, one of the founding members of the Avengers in the comic book iteration of the character.
“Ant-Man” is the tale of Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), a master burglar recently released from prison but determined to prove to his exwife that he’s worthy of being in their young daughter’s life.
As child support pressures mount and his job prospects falter, Scott agrees to mount one more big score with his old cell mate Luis (Michael Pena), and two criminal associates.
He breaks into the home of Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), a wealthy scientist who, unbeknownst to him, had once been a superhero whose ability to shrink to half an inch while increasing his strength was regulated by a high-tech suit.
Scott finds the Ant-Man suit in Pym’s vault but no money or valuables. Later he dons the suit and quickly learns that he’s been manipulated by Hank Pym all along. Pym needs someone with Scott’s skills to pull a heist that will prevent dangerous “Yellowjacket” technology from being transferred from his former bio-tech company into the hands of a high-tech criminal syndicate.
Scott is tutored in the use of the Ant-Man suit and its related technologies by Pym and his daughter Holly, (Evangeline Lilly). Their nemesis is Darren Cross (Corey Stall), Pym’s former disciple. Cross is the unstable and ruthless CEO of Pym’s former company.
While Scott is in training to save the world, he’s also trying to maintain connections with his young daughter. He has a rival for her affections in the form of his ex-wife’s new husband, a cop named Paxton (Bobby Cannavale). Paxton is determined to keep Scott out of their lives, even if it means sending him back to prison.
This is the basic setup for “Ant-Man,” a rather pedestrian but moderately entertaining movie that is redeemed by its abundance of special effects.
The best scenes involve seeing the world from ant-level and watching Scott interact with the legions of ants he controls. As super powers go, shrinking and controlling ants isn’t as impressive as repulsor rays or wielding a mystic hammer, but it gets the job done — much like this movie. It follows the formula for success in the MCU perfectly.
Peyton Reed directs “Ant-Man” competently enough, but he allows too many dull stretches to intrude. When Ant-Man gets into a slug-fest with one of the Avengers, the initial thrill is quickly dissipated by the rote quality of the fight. Somehow it feels cheesy and anticlimactic. When the fight is over, it really means nothing.
Still, there is more to like than dislike in “Ant-Man,” although the humor, which is supposed to be its strong suit, is hit-or-miss. “AntMan” is a movie about a tiny superhero with a big heart, even if the movie itself lacks big ambitions. My biggest beef is that Mr. Cannavale, a major talent, is wasted in this film.
As with every Marvel film, stay through the credits for glimpses of what is to come. Two scenes are tacked to the end of “Ant-Man,” so sit tight.