First Take: Ant-Man- No Edgar Wright? No problem.

SYNOPSIS:

Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, cat burglar Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

Yes, Age of Ultron wasn’t Marvel’s finest hour, but ultimately a few sacrifices have to be made when it comes to film quality- however, Ant-Man is a very fun way to wrap up Phase 2 as we head towards next year’s Civil War.

Peyton Reed is in charge of the film, and while he isn’t the perfect choice to direct the film (everyone was rooting for Edgar Wright to make this one), he is able to create another uniquely character driven piece, and with a script from Wright, Joe Cornish, Adam McKay and Paul Rudd, the comedy is certainly there, and the pacing is very tight. Providing the score is Christophe Beck, and behind the camera, Russell Carpenter creates some absolutely genius work- the tech side is very well handled.

That brings us to the performances, and Paul Rudd is just bang on. His comic timing is on form, and he is able to show two sides to his character: the family man, and the Ant-Man, and working with some heavy hitters like Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña and a few names who I can’t spoil due to the film’s plot, this cast are able to take a film which like Guardians of the Galaxy had little potential, and make it work.

THE VERDICT

Ant-Man is yet another daring leap for Marvel, introducing another character to the fold and making it feel unique- and sure, this may be a rehash of the first Iron Man film, but my word the direction the character is heading is something I am very excited to see going forward.

Rating: 5/5