The Many Faces of Ant-Man

Avengers Assemble has both Hank Pym and Scott Lang as characters. The above image is of the Hank Pym version.

Ant-Man Review

Ant-Man is one of Marvel’s finest films. Filled with humor, heart, and a heist, Ant-Man delivers on all fronts and brings plenty of surprises along for the ride.

Ant-Man is one of the forgotten properties of Marvel. Making his first appearance in the 60’s, Ant-Man was one of the founding members of the Avengers. With the ability to shrink to the size of an ant and communicate with his name sake, Ant-Man was kind of a strange hero to sell. A morally grounded scientist with absurd powers. However, we are talking about a group of heroes with an egotistical billionaire in a suit, a Norse God, an assassin, an expert archer, a super soldier, and a scientist who has anger issues, Ant-Man really doesn’t seem all that strange when put into perspective.

Where the movie succeeds is not over explaining Ant-Man’s powers. Hank Pym, the creator of Pym particles and Pym Technologies, discovered a way to shrink the distance between atoms, decreasing the objects size. The technology was going to fall into the wrong hands so he hid it for years. Until someone else discovers it and now he must stop them from selling the technology to the highest bidder. That’s the generally plot of the movie. Nothing terrible original but the way it is presented is unique and unexpected. However, the movie is not bogged down in the science, but in the story of Hank Pym and Scott Lange, two of the Ant-Men.

Hank and Pym are both tragic characters, trying to do good in a world that just won’t let them succeed. Both have families they are trying to save, both for themselves and from themselves. Rather than the big spectacle like Iron Man or Captain America, Ant-Man hits closest to home, with family and redemption being the central theme. Everyone deserves a second chance. While Hank Pym’s story is more heart-breaking than Langs, we feel for both characters and want them to return to the family they used to know.

The ants are a highlight of the movie. Each species gets a great introduction in a montage while Ant-Man trains to fight and control the suit. They are as much as a character in the movie as Pym and Lang. They are presented as cute but formidable and make the most enduring chirping noises.  They are believable and the special effects are phenomenal.  It may turn some people off from the movie but the ants literally save the day!

There are plenty of surprises along the way, which I won’t spoil here. The humor was spot on, breaking tension and diffusing emotional scenes. It is one of the strongest aspects of the movie and sets it on par with Guardians of the Galaxy. It was refreshing after the heavy hitter that was Ultron, and yes, we don’t forget about those events in this movie.

Stay for themed credits scene.

Stay for the post credits scene.

Overall, Ant-Man is a triumph. It is easily one of my favorite Marvel movies and I cannot wait for Scott Lang to make an appearance in Civil War. Bigger is not always better and Ant-Man proves that a good hero with a good hear and ant friends can save the day, whether it be for the whole world or a single family. Go see Ant-Man on July 17^th!

I highly recommend it in 3D!

LEGO Ant-Man

In just a few short weeks, Ant-Man will be hitting movie theatres and we are super excited. As we wait for that day, he's a little peek at the LEGO set from the film.

Notice who the characters are?

Seems like the other Ant-Man products are calling Hank Pym "Blackout" Ant-Man. Is this the first major spoiler about the final battle from the film?

Here are all the pieces. The ant measure 9" long. That's a big ant!

Yellowjacket

Scott Lang as Ant-Man

There are three figures that come with the set, including Yellowjacket, Hank Pym as Ant-Man, and Scott Lang as Ant-Man.

It looks like a great set and retails for $19.99. The set will be released on July 5. 

Ant-Man Trailer 1 - Sweet like a honey ant!

The second Ant-Man trailer was released today! This time around we get a much better idea of the tone of the film and get to see more of the characters.

Let's start with my favorite thing about this trailer - the ants. I'm already a fan of the Formicidae, but it was way cool to see different species of ants get starring roles in this trailer. What looked like red, black, and potentially honey ants will grace the big screen in July. Something like this probably hasn't been seen since Them! (Kill one and two take its place!) in the 1950s. The red ants even exhibit rafting behavior to protect Scott!

Yellowjacket is seen in all of his gold and black glory. The suit he wears is way cool for a villain. Not only tech but has a very arthropod look and feel to it. Yellow jackets are mean insects to begin with and this villain seems no different. It appears that we have a man who does not understand power, but craves money and respect above all else, no matter the cost.

I'm really excited about the fight sequences, too. Changing size in the middle of a punch, running up a gun barrel, it all seems fresh and new and will hopefully be as astounding and fun as we see here. 

We also get a good sense of the tone of Ant-Man. It's fun and quirky, much like Guardians of the Galaxy, but still retains a serious tone about powers and what that means for the individual and for the public. Powers like these must be used responsibly. Especially after Age of Ultron hits, it'll be a different MCU.

I also love the color palette in this film, the reds, blues, and yellows. We also get to see more of Hank Pym and Hope Van Dyne. I really like seeing Michael Douglas as Pym. He brings a lot of wisdom to the role that seems to have been learned through mistakes. Evangeline Lily as Hope Van Dyne appears to be quite the ally and she alludes to being Wasp perhaps? I mean, she does seem to know a lot about the suit and its powers.

Overall, great trailer and I am beyond excited for this film that will end Phase 2 of the MCU!