Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll and T.I.
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Release Date: July 17, 2015
The Marvel Universe has one again scored in the superhero genre of films by bringing the viewing audience a dynamic, visually stimulating movie. Ant-Man is just one of a number of box office blockbusters that has rained gold for Marvel Films in the past decade. Thus far Ant-Man has grossed $176,878,846 worldwide which means somewhere done the line there will be an Ant-Man 2.
The movie began with Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) being released from prison. Upon his release his parter in crime Luis (Michael Pena) is there to greet him and convince him to do one more ‘job’. Scott is adamant that he wants to go down the straight and narrow path for his daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson). After taking a job at Baskin Robbins and getting fired, Scott decides to aid Luis in one last money making caper but things don’t go well. He’s arrested and thinks all hope is gone.
His lawyer, who turns out to be fake, is Hank Pym (Michael Douglass) who is the owner of Pym Industries. It turns out that Pym has orchestrated the entire event of Scott being arrested because he wants him to commit a ‘job’ for him which is to steal a prototype suit called ‘The Yellow Jacket’ which in the wrong hands can cause chaos. Pym, who is retired now, left his company in the hands of Darren Cross/Yellow Jacket (Corey Stoll) who will stop at nothing until he finds the formula that Hank invented years ago. That formula allowed Hank to shrink to subatomic levels and therefore he took on the moniker as the original Ant-Man.
Once his diabolical plan has been explained to Scott, Hank introduces him to his daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly) who is working at Pym Industries to bring Cross down from within the company. For the next few weeks Hank and Hope properly introduce Scott to the Ant-Man suit and effectively show him how to communicate with all types of ants that will help him to have a successful mission. While training, Scott suggests bringing in his three ex con buddies to help him in this almost impossible caper which are Luis, Dave (T.I.), and Kurt (David Dastmalchian). Reluctantly Hank agrees and the motley crew of unlikely friends begin their adventure.
Using what Hank and Hope trained him to do Scott penetrates Pym Industries and runs into trouble. He comes face to face with Cross who has now discovered how to make Pym Particles which will allow him to shrink as well. He manages to escape but Scott is hot on his trail. Wanting to destroy Scott, Cross, dressed now in his Yellow Jacket uniform, kidnaps Cassie and waits on Scott to come rescue her, upon which he does. This leads to a most epic battle between good and evil.
Ant-Man was indeed a pleasant surprise. Most people wouldn’t have thought that one of the most obscure characters of the Avengers would get their own movie and it be this successful. Ant-Man is scheduled to appear in the new Captain America: Civil War movie which is scheduled for a May 2016 release which means that Ant-Man is a bonafide hit within the Marvel Universe. Ant-Man receives 8 stars out of 10 stars.