Ant-Man is the type of movie I could watch over and over and over again. As a matter of fact, I have. I’ve just completed my fourth viewing with my son last night.
So, why the repeats? Don’t I have anything better to do? Yes, I do. The problem is that this is the best superhero movie made to date! I feel obligated to watch it over and over. I do have my reasons for this irrational viewing schedule and here are 4 of them (in no particular order):
1.) This is a breakout performance for Paul Rudd:
I’m a fan of Paul Rudd. Not a huge fan, but a fan nonetheless. He is remarkably funny and seems to be riding the rocket to fame due to his...well....funniness. So, when I saw that he was cast in this, what I perceived to be, serious part I thought the movie was doomed. Sure, there are superheroes that have made funniness the keystone of their popularity (such as Deadpool), but Ant-Man isn’t one of them.
I’m thrilled to report that I was dead wrong in thinking he was a poor decision.
Although the brilliant writers for this movie inserted many a humorous spot in the movie, Paul Rudd made them all the more funny. Then, adding the antics of Michael Peña, you had what turned out to be a fantastic duo. Who’d have guessed? Apparently, the casting crew did. Paul’s performance seems to have increased the variety of roles he can play in future movies.
2.) The Special Effects:
This reason has an exception to it. I was impressed by all the special effects in the MOVIE. The odd thing is that the worst special effect was the movie PHOTO they are using for iTunes:
It looks great from far away, but as you step closer it looks doctored.
The head looks like it was photoshopped onto the body. Now, whether it was or it wasn’t isn’t the point. The point is it LOOKS like it was. Some of you may disagree, but it leads me to wonder why they would spend so much time and money on special effects only to have a promo photo look crappy. Anyway, let’s get away from the negative and focus on the positive.
The special effects in this movie are only rivaled by those used in Guardians of the Galaxy.
Whether Paul was riding an ant, floating on a raft of ants, or having Thomas the Tank Engine jettison from his second floor window, these were easily some of the best special effects I have ever seen.
(Thomas the Tank Engine was played by this little boy in the movie. It’s hard to see the little boy in this picture because of the superb tailoring of the costume, but if you squint a little bit you can kind of see him.*)
All kidding aside, my hat is off again to Paul Rudd, and all the actors and actresses, who had to do their parts with nothing else on the set but blue screen. In interviews with actor and actresses that have done parts such as this they all say how difficult it can be not only in speaking, but also in having the proper head and eye movements and appropriate body positioning.
3.) Anyone can enjoy this movie:
The overall view of comic books, and the stories therein, has changed dramatically since I was a kid (and that’s a long time ago, you know...when rocks were still soft.) Comic books weren’t so mainstream and they weren’t easy to come by. You saw them in the corner pharmacy or market, but there were no stores that handled ONLY comic books. It was also a time where comic books were meant for kids only. The only time you ever saw an adult with a comic was if they were bringing it home for their kid(s) (or at least that was their excuse). So, if a comic book movie came out back then it would be attended strictly by parents who were 'taking their kids'. Nowadays it’s different. With ComicCons, adult storylines, advanced special effects, many new characters, etc. it’s no longer just a kids thing.
In this day and age there are kids and adults who have their favorite characters, with each generation wanting to see the movies for different reasons. It’s also a great way for parents to hang out with their kids. The point is, even if you aren’t a fan of superheroes, this is a great movie. Consider also the fact that this movie is really a standalone movie. In other words, you don’t have to see ANYTHING else than this movie to understand it; there’s no cliffhanger ending that forces you to see the next one or a vague beginning where you had to have read 10 comics to understand where Ant-Man came from. It’s just a great movie all by its lonesome.
4.) Ant-Man is Cool! (I’d say “Again” but I didn’t think he was cool to start with..):
Ant-Man was introduced in Tales to Astonish #27 in January of 1962 (hence the humor when, in the movie, there was a reference to Ant-Man not being some fictional “Tale to Astonish”, but I’m sure you caught it.) He was just basically a guy who could shrink. Big whoop. He could talk to ants. Another big whoop. In addition, the other person who played Ant-Man in the comics was Hank Pym who was a mental train-wreck, a genius, and a wife-beater. Sure, he was a co-founder of the Avengers, but his star wasn’t rising anytime soon. Ant-Man was just not interesting or ‘heroic’.
In comes the movie.
Paul Rudd, as stated before, does an outstanding job playing Ant-Man. His supporting cast is amazing. The special effects and the costume designed for him were incredible. Most importantly, he showed WHY Ant-Man is a superhero that can take on the likes of the Falcon and Yellowjacket. It’s a transformation that had Marvel give him his own comic book, appearances in several other titles, people dressing up as him at ComicCons and the making of another Ant-Man movie.
Now the real question is, “Is the bandwagon big enough to hold all the Ant-Man fans?”. Personally, I love it. Anyone starting to enjoy comic books and their characters is welcome in my home. The part that gets me, though, is the person who says, “Ant-Man was always my favorite superhero.” Ummm, yeah, OK. I think it’s great that you have a newfound love of Ant-Man (as I do too) but let’s not go overboard. I’ve been collecting, buying, selling and appraising for the better part of 45 years and, prior to the movie, I had never heard ANYONE even put Ant-Man in their top 50 favorite heroes.
All that being said, I’m a convert. The movie was EXTREMELY well done and broke through all the mental barriers I had about Ant-Man. And, to all of you who have found a place for Ant-Man in your collections, or you just love the movies, I’m glad you did/do. There’s always room for another comic book/comic character fan. I hope to meet you one day.
Oh, one more thing, was I the only one who thought of a list of jobs for the ants around my house? Fixing the screen door, folding the laundry, cleaning the bathrooms, getting rid of the ants in my kitch....
* - I was kidding. There was no little boy playing Thomas the Tank Engine in the movie and there is no little boy in this photo either, so stop squinting.
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