I was intrigued with much of the plot in Ant-Man, the atomic research and the
technology of shrinking a human into a tiny creature. That thousands of these ants could band together to
perform amazing feats is both comical and satisfying from the standpoint of the
power in numbers. That they would
need inside and outside control from humans fits nicely into the paradigm. The point about the dangers of weapons
being in the hands of unscrupulous or self-serving characters is painfully
relevant to the real world of today.
We see Scott Lang (Rudd), a mechanical
engineer, being released from prison, and gradually hear his story about being
a whistle-blower for noble reasons, his using some poor judgment, and his
determination not to get involved in any kind of illegal activity again. A bit of comedy is provided by his
friends in crime who welcome him with open arms and already have jobs up their
sleeves for him.
Scott’s
life is complicated in that he is not allowed to see his young daughter until
he gets a job and an apartment and starts paying child support. But that is easier said than done when
he has a criminal record.
The other path of the story is about a wealthy
inventor, Dr. Hank Pym (Douglas) and his grown daughter Hope (Lilly), from whom
he is estranged. Pym has a formula
that he has withheld from everyone else because it is so powerful he thinks
chaos would result if it were in the wrong hands. It has to do with an adult putting on a suit and acquiring
the ability to transform into a tiny ant that can easily slip into spaces and
that, despite its size, has the power of the adult. And moreover Pym has recruited various species of ants to
follow the bidding of The Ant-Man. His former protégée Cross (an apt name,
played by Stoll) is infuriated because Pym won’t share the formula with him,
and he has subsequently taken over his company by influencing Hope, the
chairman of the board, to help him displace Pym. But when Cross is about to work out the formula on his own
and sell the technology to men whose motives are untrustworthy, Hope gets
worried and consults with her father.
Through Pym’s machinations, these two stories
come together because he wants Scott to be the one to wear the suit. Hope is not happy about this at all,
because she has clamored to do that herself; but her father refuses because it
might endanger her life. A plan is
ultimately worked out, and most of the film is about the struggle between the
Cross and Pym camps—Pym trying to thwart Cross’s attempts to gain the
technology and Cross desperately wanting to close the deal with the buyers.
The Marvel/Disney produced film directed by
Peyton Reed is visually beautiful (cinematographer Russell Carpenter) and the
special effects a delight to see.
A sequence of Scott Lang going into sub-atomic levels is particularly
impressive. Paul Rudd (who had a
hand in the script) is perfect for his role, and of course Michael Douglas
brings gravitas to his. The supporting
cast of Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, and Michael Pena help
bring additional humor, romance, and excitement to the plot.
As with most action movies, I think having the
male characters engage in fistfights over and over is just absurd. In this one, even the scientists take
ridiculous swipes at one another, and the filmmakers obviously take great
satisfaction in wrecking property.
I’m curious about why these two action sequences give some people such a
thrill.
Paul Rudd brings sensibility to an
action movie.
Grade: B By Donna
R. Copeland
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