Thing 1: SPOILERS!! Duh
Thing 2: I was supremely ambivalent about this movie when I heard they were making it. I believe my exact words were "Seriously? They're making a movie about Ant-Man? Before Hawkeye or Black Widow get theirs?" I was not pleased. But it's part of the Marvel universe. I have to watch it. But I wasn't expecting much.
So. Here goes.
I actually really liked this movie.
Two reasons. First, the humor. Second, the plot.
The humor is what saved this movie. I think Marvel knew that no one was going to take this movie seriously. So they couldn't either. I won't say it was especially sophisticated humor, but it wasn't low-brow either. There were some legitimately funny moments, and more than just what the trailer showed. And especially some that were completely unexpected. I've seen enough movies that I can usually predict certain beats, especially the end. And yeah, I predicted much of the ending. But there were also moments that went against type.
More importantly, though, this is not an origin story. There isn't a long explanation of how Ant-Man came to be. He just is. And while there's a bit of the redemption, zero to hero stuff, it's not heavy handed. Ultimately, this is a heist movie. This is what I've been wanting replicated from the comics. A mostly regular guy just living his life, and occasionally being a hero. This is what happens when you stop something before it gets to the planet-saving stage.
There really weren't many superfluous characters. A few got lost in the shuffle. I recently saw Jurassic World, and the resemblance between Bryce Dallas Howard and Evangeline Lilly was unsettling. Fortunately there was some difference in personality. They didn't waste time on non-plot points, but it didn't feel systematic, either. Not much "We have to do A so we can get to B." It was very organic.
Moments I loved:
Thing 2: I was supremely ambivalent about this movie when I heard they were making it. I believe my exact words were "Seriously? They're making a movie about Ant-Man? Before Hawkeye or Black Widow get theirs?" I was not pleased. But it's part of the Marvel universe. I have to watch it. But I wasn't expecting much.
So. Here goes.
I actually really liked this movie.
Two reasons. First, the humor. Second, the plot.
The humor is what saved this movie. I think Marvel knew that no one was going to take this movie seriously. So they couldn't either. I won't say it was especially sophisticated humor, but it wasn't low-brow either. There were some legitimately funny moments, and more than just what the trailer showed. And especially some that were completely unexpected. I've seen enough movies that I can usually predict certain beats, especially the end. And yeah, I predicted much of the ending. But there were also moments that went against type.
More importantly, though, this is not an origin story. There isn't a long explanation of how Ant-Man came to be. He just is. And while there's a bit of the redemption, zero to hero stuff, it's not heavy handed. Ultimately, this is a heist movie. This is what I've been wanting replicated from the comics. A mostly regular guy just living his life, and occasionally being a hero. This is what happens when you stop something before it gets to the planet-saving stage.
There really weren't many superfluous characters. A few got lost in the shuffle. I recently saw Jurassic World, and the resemblance between Bryce Dallas Howard and Evangeline Lilly was unsettling. Fortunately there was some difference in personality. They didn't waste time on non-plot points, but it didn't feel systematic, either. Not much "We have to do A so we can get to B." It was very organic.
Moments I loved:
- Breaking into Hank Pym's house.
- The initial Ant-Man test run.
- Breaking into Avengers HQ.
- Falcon.
- The heist itself.
- The train battle.
Annoying factor: the ants! Having spent the better part of early and late summer for the past five years killing the numerous carpenter ants that make their way into my apartment, I have no desire to feel sorry for the little buggers. But darn it if this movie didn't make me feel sad about a freaking ant!
Anyway. Was it my favorite Marvel universe stand-alone movie? Probably not. But I did enjoy it as a one off.
And that's where its greatest strength becomes its greatest weakness. This character is not made for sequels. Bit parts in other films to solve specific problems and then disappear? Sure. But honestly, Hank Pym is more useful for his brain than Scott Lang is for his suit. Now, having The Wasp around makes it a little more interesting. But this was always the comics' greatest struggle. What needs can these characters meet that aren't already accounted for?
As far as I know, there aren't any specific plans for a sequel, though they set it up in the mid-credits scene. I just don't know if they can come up with a compelling storyline that maintains the needed separation from all the other superhero movies.
So let's turn our attention to the post-credits scene.
I squealed. Audibly. I really don't want to spoil it. You can probably find it online somewhere already. But I think I'm going to be more excited for Civil War than I was for Age of Ultron. I just have to wait until 2016 for it.
Next question: Is Fantastic Four going to fit into the established Marvel 'verse? If so, how? Look, I like getting the whole band together. But spending even two minutes with each one makes for a very long montage of establishing shots. No wonder Infinity War needs two movies! The first one will probably have to be devoted to introducing everyone to each other.
And what happens when Marvel's planned run is ended? Will we be super-heroed out? Or does Howard the Duck get his turn? Will that still be before Hawkeye and Black Widow?
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