by Haley Mitchell, online & photography editor
The studios who brought us the beloved ‘Agent Carter’ series and the disappointing ‘Avengers’ sequel have expanded their horizons once again with ‘Ant Man’, another obscure-but-beloved-comic-turned-blockbuster. At first advertised as a more serious hero film, ‘Ant Man’ proves Marvel has found a steady balance between hard-hitting drama and comedy.
Ant Man, aka Scott Lang, is portrayed by seasoned actor Paul Rudd, who seems to be the go-to guy for Hollywood since his first screen appearance in Clueless (1995). Don’t get me wrong–Rudd’s performance as a wisecracking yet lovable burgler is perfect, but the fact that his face hasn’t aged in twenty years is both impressive and disturbing. Anyways. Rudd goes head to head against the Lex Luthor-like Yellowjacket, who unfortunately appears to be a slightly larger, balder, eviler version of Rudd portrayed by Corey Stoll. So we will call him Bald Rudd. Evangeline Lilly and Michael Douglas also headline with this star-studded cast, but while they portray strong characters, they tend to be a bit bland.
Unlike in previous films where the big guys on screen got all the good lines, that beloved Marvel wit comes from the sidekicks of the movie–the guys driving the getaway van and tying up security guards. While Rudd and Douglas do have a few quips, their snark and sarcasm only promotes a chuckle at best.
With plenty of backstory and just enough motivation to make character convictions believable, everyone from Bald Rudd to Dr. Pym to the surprise appearance of returning hero Falcon made this film both enjoyable and easy to follow, even if parts seemed a bit rushed at times.
This film is also noticeably reliable on CGI (Common Gateway Interface), but in the best way possible. Every detail is tediously animated to make the performance of a micro hero in a minuscule environment seem natural. From blades of grass to huge colonies of individually moving ants, Marvel has pulled out all the stops to make sure that the animation in this film is as cutting-edge as possible.
Aside from the occasional stiff-feeling dialogue sequences and pacing issues, Ant-Man is sure to please with action and a dose of laughter.
