'Ant-Man' review: A middlingly enjoyable movie, that could have been better

Rating: ***

Genre: Action

Cast: Michael Douglas, Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll

Director: Peyton Reed

Language: English

Marvel has a new superhero - Ant-Man. While shrinking to the size of an ant might not be everybody's first choice of a superpower, the director (Reed) tries his best convince us of the power of the tiny.

The movie begins in 1989 with Hank Pym (Douglas) leaving S.H.I.E.L.D after a disagreement over the use of his Ant-Man technology, which helps a man shrink to the size of an insect at will. He vows to keep his work a secret for as long as he lives, as the knowledge of it could lead to "chaos".

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The present-day action focuses on Hope (Lilly), Pym's daughter (with daddy issues), Scott Lang (Rudd), an electronics expert just out of jail and avowed to a crime-free life for his daughter's sake and finally, Darren Cross (Stoll), the bad guy trying to replicate Pym's Ant-Man technology for power and profit. What follows is Lang coming into his own as Ant-Man, Hope resolving her issues with Pym and of course, since this is a Marvel movie, saving the world in the end. The movie seems patchy as if it has been put together in a hurry or as an afterthought. A few good performances from the cast help.



Rudd has potential as the not-cocky-yet-funny-guy superhero, which bodes well considering he has a multi-film contract with Marvel. He has screen presence and holds the audience's attention even when he is riding ants and making bridges out of them. Rudd, along with his faithful former cellmate Luis (played by Michael Peña), gets a few good laughs out of the audience. The scenes with Lang, Luis and his friends are easily some of the best moments of the film. Douglas delivers an uneven performance that feels forced in parts, which is a pity. Lilly is competent as the daughter that tries hard to win her father's approval.



Overall, Ant-Man is a middlingly enjoyable movie, that could have been better, with a stronger script and perhaps, more engaging dialogues.

(Pictures from facebook.com/antman/)