Movie Review: Ant-Man

If you’re looking for philosophical political debate on whether appropriate steps were taken to save lives and secure our assets in Benghazi, you’ll have to wait until early next year.

If you want big thrills from the safety of the D-BOX and experience what it may have been like to walk a high wire between the twin towers of the World Trade Center or scale the summit of Mt. Everest, you’re going to have to wait until later this year.

But if you want a few laughs and a few “Wow! That looked cool!” moments, then “Ant-Man” may suffice. Paul Rudd may not be anyone’s idea of an action hero. He certainly wasn’t mine. But if Tobey McGuire can play Spiderman, who’s to question Rudd’s ability to don an atom changing suit that renders him the size of an insect? Plus he doesn’t have McGuire’s annoying voice. Or face. (Who am I to judge? My face is annoying and I’m not a movie star. But I have a most excellent voice!)

 

 

Rudd plays a recently released from prison high stakes smash and grab artist. (Wow that was a mouthful. I had to take a knee typing it. Please grab a breath and continue.) What does he get for paying his debt to society? A front counter gig at Baskin Robbins. His interaction with a customer with a lower than average IQ and, more particularly, his fast food manager are possibly my favorite laugh out loud moments. Rudd’s partner in crime (literally) also provides some comic relief. But his schtick gets a bit tired as the tale progresses.

The thing that’s great about the Marvel franchises is that familiar and surprising faces show up. Ant-Man has a particularly great cameo by Roger Sterling from Mad Men at the beginning of the film. But there’s some new faces along for the ride as well. Okay, recognizable faces but new to the action genre. I wanted to step onto the screen and compliment Evangeline Lilly (Lost’s Kate) on her new haircut. It looks AWESOME. But she’d probably look awesome with MY haircut.

 

 

 

Can I go on the record and just say that I LOVE Michael Douglas? There’s no boiling bunnies in this outing but it’s nice to have someone with such a distinguished cinematic pedigree along for the ride. If you take away the glasses and the awful facial hair, he’s starting to look A LOT like his dad Kirk. Particularly Kirk from that crappy “Saturn 3” from the 70’s. Maybe that’s why the glasses and the awful facial hair. Now that I think of it, Michael is way older than Kirk was in “Saturn 3.” So, he’s a better version of pops.

 

 

Kirk Douglas age 63

Michael Douglas age 70

 

I rest my case.

 

By the way, Kirk Douglas is still kickin’ at 98. Huh. I thought he died in the mid-90’s.

Anyway, I’m babbling. The plot? It had something to do with tech that can shrink guys to the size of ants. Or yellow jackets. But the yellow jacket guy is bad and must be stopped. By the ant guy. Does it really matter? The movie’s worth seeing for the battle on the model train set alone. But I liked the Baskin Robbins part better.

What parents are probably asking is, “Can I take my kids?” Sure. They’ll hear a couple of s-words. So, don’t say I didn’t warn you. But other than that, there’s absolutely nothing objectionable.

I’d give it 2.5 out of 4 stars.