I wanted to wait a couple of days before I posted this article, to avoid any unintended spoilers that I may have created. But I have waited long enough-a whopping two days after I brought my eight-year old with me to watch an early Friday showing of Ant-Man in 3-D.
At first I told you that I was worried about Ant-Man. Then I told you that Ant-Man was beginning to grow on me. And now, I am here to tell you that I really enjoyed the movie.
Where does it rank amongst the rest of the MCU?
Although the film is a hilarious, action-packed treat, I don’t rank it with the “Big Four” MCU entries to-date: Iron Man, Marvel’s Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy.
However, I do rank it in the second tier of highly entertaining Marvel origin films, superior to the Incredible Hulk and right there with Captain America and Thor.
And there’s no shame in that.
Why did I like the film so much?
As I stated in a previous post on the film, the film delivered on its self-awareness. That is, it played like a comedic heist film (think a superhero-themed version of Ocean’s 11) in the trailers, and it delivered on that in the movie.
There was no fake-out. When you cast Paul Rudd as the lead, you do not try to turn him into Leonardo DiCaprio. You embrace what he brings to the movie, and that’s his uncanny comedic timing and wit.
I also liked the fact that the filmmakers realized that it couldn’t go full comedy. Although the MCU is known for its one-liners and playful banter, the best of these films are laced with character development and emotional dialogue.
Enter: Michael Douglas. I don’t know if it’s fair to call him an underrated actor, because he’s had his fair share of accolades, but his intensity juxtaposed nicely with Rudd’s quick wit. And he even delivered some humorous one-liners to further display his acting range. For me, he was the key to the film.
Douglas embodied the wise mentor (Hank Pym) schooling his mentee (Scott Lang) on what it takes to not only make a difference in the world at large (in this case potentially saving it) but also in the world at home (i.e. through Lang’s relationship with his daughter).
In fact, the ties that ultimately bound Pym and Lang were their relationships with their daughters. On one hand, Hank Pym with all of his ingenuity and power, spent most of the film pushing his daughter, Hope Van Dyne, away, although his intentions were good (to keep her out of harm’s way).
On the other hand, Scott Lang, the ex-con, spent most of the movie trying to get closer to his daughter, who he’s been separated from by the failed relationship between he and the young girl’s mother. The irony is that Lang’s attempts to get closer to his daughter ultimately put her in danger as he becomes the protagonist to the film’s villain, Darren Cross/Yellowjacket.
Ultimately, the interplay between Rudd and Douglas made the film for me, buoyed by the nice subtext of the film, which centered around two “heroes” really just trying to protect and ultimately save their daughters. What’s not to like about that?
End Note: I think the second end-credits scene was the best one that the MCU has delivered since we saw Mjolnir at the end of Iron Man 2.
