Ant-Man

Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has just been released from prison, having served his time for a Robin Hood-style hacking, and is trying to rebuild his life and reconnect with his adorable daughter. However, work is considerably hard to find for an ex-con, even with his mechanical engineering expertise. Desperate for a score, his old accomplices bring him in for a burglary and safe-cracking.

The job turns out to have been a test set up by the man who owned the house: Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). Hank is a brilliant scientist who developed a special particle allowing a person to shrink and grow in size (as well as a hearing aid that lets him control insects), and in the past worked for SHIELD to perform covert operations as the superhero Ant-Man. Pym's former protege, Darren Cross, is getting close to replicating Pym's results in the form of Yellowjacket, which could be mass produced and fall into the wrong hands, and so he needs Scott to become the new Ant-Man, break in and steal the Yellowjacket.

At first, this movie seems to be on (literally) a much smaller scale than previous Marvel Cinematic outings, when it's more accurately a small superhero in a large world. There's also an underlying theme of redemption and second chances. Scott is trying to atone for his past crimes and be the father his daughter Cassie deserves. Hank Pym has to atone for allowing Cross into his life, as well as what happened to his wife/sidekick Janet/Wasp. Like Scott, he also has to make things right with his daughter, Hope (Evangeline Lilly). She's perfectly capable of doing the task herself, Hank doesn't want to risk her life.

As is expected with a Marvel movie, we get some great cameos and continuity nods. Obviously we have the advertised appearance of the Falcon, who gets into an amusing fight with Scott. (I'd like to assume this was why he wasn't in the Age of Ultron climax, but the timeline doesn't really synch up, unfortunately). A gracefully aging Peggy Carter shows up in the prologue, and there's the inevitable post-credits scene that I'm not going to spoil.

The scenes of Ant-Man in action are a real treat, and we see how shrinking can be used in combat (conveniently, the subject retains his normal-sized strength). We see a training montage inside an anthill, a climactic battle in a child's bedroom, and a thrill ride through electronic circuitry.

Unlike some previous films (Thor: Ragnarok, Iron Man 3, Captain America: The Winter Soldier), we have some legitimate reasons to keep the other heroes out of this. While the movie is overall great, it does feel somewhat disjointed. The transition from humor to drama doesn't feel quite as smooth here as in other Marvel films, although there is plenty of both to go around and it blends amazingly in the climax. The villain is underwhelming, but nonetheless threatening. Like Obadiah Stane and Justin Hammer before him, he reflects the hero(es) in some way, but unlike them, his actions are rather thinly justified. Stane and Hammer were after money and power, and while Cross is after these things, these desires take a back seat to a desperate desire for Hank's approval. It's one thing to want to get even with mentor who spurned you, but it's something else to still be seeking their approval at the same time. He doesn't really feel like a threat until the climax.

Perhaps had Edgar Wright worked on the movie himself instead of backing out in the middle of production, the tone of the film might have flowed a bit better, but at the end of the day it's still a fun movie with great characters and wonderful superhero sequences. I look forward to seeing Scott Lang in more Marvel movies, be it on his own or as an Avenger.