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When it's on its game, Ant-Man does some of the best stuff ever in a Marvel movie.

Glides us over trouble spots in tone and pacing. The little bastard from Marvel's second-tier gets the job done.

To find a smarter bug-man saga, you'd have to go back to "The Metamorphosis."

You can't have a good Ant-Man movie without a good Ant-Man, and in the genial and charming everyman Paul Rudd, the filmmakers have done it right.

Most Marvel movies are too much. This one is just enough.

The best thing about "Ant-Man" is that, for much of its running time, it doesn't seem like a Marvel Comics superhero movie. The worst thing about it is that it eventually does.

As it dutifully marches toward its special-effects-driven conclusion, Ant-Man has enough charm to be engaging if not particularly memorable once the end credits roll

It's delightful and almost miraculous the way this movie manages to work as a comic heist picture on a huge scale, and with a comic science-fiction picture blended into it...while managing to cohere to the whole, you know, Marvel thing.

The finale is something else - a symphony of comedy and action mayhem that outclasses every single second that comes before it. Nothing else in the movie even comes close.

Like "Guardians of the Galaxy," last year's off-brand Marvel hit, "Ant-Man" dabbles in the bright, playful colors of the superhero spectrum, reveling in moments of cartoonish whimsy and smirky humor.

Ant-Man is, well, OK, and maybe that's enough. I wanted more, and those moments where it looked like I was going to get it, only to have things not quite come to fruition, makes the film as frustrating as it is enjoyable.

The plot's the same old thing. Mad, mad, mad, mad science; imminent apocalypse; parent/child issues; blah blah blaggidy blah. The tone of Ant-Man, however, is relatively light and predominantly comic.

Like all great heroes, Ant-Man arrives in the nick of time ... for an entire genre.

Ant-Man is the first Marvel film - and the first of this summer's pixels-go-kablooey time-wasters - to get better as it goes.

Succeeds well enough as a genial diversion and sometimes a delightful one, predicated on the rarely heeded Hollywood wisdom that less really can be more.

The cast is better than solid. Directed by Peyton Reed, the action is a zippy pleasure. The more Scott shrinks, the bigger the fun. The visual effects are witty, especially when he begins making allies of various ant colonies.

Not just one of the more entertaining Marvel movies - infinitely better than Joss Whedon's overstuffed Avengers: Age of Ultron - but a genuinely fun and clever deconstruction of the genre, too.

Rudd is ideal for Ant-Man's aw-shucks, I'm not into this hero business playfulness. He gleefully riffs on it.

ROTTEN

When your most memorable character turns out to be Thomas the Tank Engine, featured in two hilarious scenes, you know your picture about a tiny superhero has big, big problems.

Ant-Man isn't so much watching, as living through Weekend At Bernie's. Peyton Reed and co. come and parade the soulless and lifeless corpse of an Edgar Wright film.

Half-assed mentions of the Avengers, as well as a few cameo appearances sprinkled both within the feature and in its credits stingers, exude less shame than a crowd-pandering politico.

Ant-Man emerges only as a minor hero - fine for occasional gags and cameos in upcoming Marvel ensembles, but undeserving of all this attention. And his movie feels, not like a well-deserved launch, but a contractual obligation

Even with such a weird concept about a guy who can shrink and then communicate with ants ... there's way too much that feels familiar here.

You can see, especially in that final, hilarious mêlée scene, where Ant-Man could have gone right. (Where it could have gone Wright?) But the film is too timid to fully take the wilder turns, to become its own distinct creature.

Watching it is like channel-surfing between Hot Fuzz, a duff early 90s Michael Douglas drama and the very schlockiest bits of Interstellar.

Serves up jokes that don't land and thrills that don't thrill.

The result is a film not quite sure of itself, like it's wearing clothes a size too big.

The attempts at overt comedy are hit-and-miss. The heist elements are derivative and not nearly as inventive as one might expect given the possibilities. The action sequences are variable and the dramatic moments... the less said, the better.

GAF REACTIONS

Just got back. Really enjoyed it, start to finish. Good laughs, good action, no filler.

Just got back from watching Ant-Man, thought it was great and liked how laid back it felt. While I know they wanted to show something, I think they focused a little too much on a certain thing in 1 shot early in the movie and knew what was going to happen with it eventually immediately.

Just got back from this and loved it. Its a good time, doesn't outstay its welcome, tells its story well. Cast are pitch perfect.

The trailers really didn't do it justice.

Its nice that it doesn't have to be the end of the world for every MCU movie.

Do I like it more than AoU? Dunno, yet. I'll have to wait to swatch them both again on Bluray.

Just got back from it. The first half drags a bit but the second half was really, really fun. So glad I only watched the first trailer.

I might be imagining it but I can see some Edgar Wright-ey bit in this movie.

Overall it's exactly what I expected. Good start to phase 3.

Just came back home from a screening.

It was ridiculously good. One of the best MCU movies and probably one of my favorite movies of the whole year so far. Struck all the right notes and was a good mix of action and comedy without shoehorning in too much other stuff.

Just came back, thought it was pretty good. I don't know if it has the right ingredients to be a box office monster though, the scope was too small and the stakes didn't seem high enough.

But that will always be a problem with Ant-Man. How do you make big, epic set-pieces when everything is tiny.

I also thought the comedic timing was slightly off, and it made me wonder how Edgar Wright would have directed it.

Just got back. It was surprisingly good. The jokes were more natural than those in AoU.
And the fightings, I thought they would be boring, but I was totally wrong.
The two post credit scenes were surprises, especially the second one.

I saw this last night with my partner. I went in with expectations in check, but it far exceeded them. I'd only seen the initial teaser and first trailer and thought it looked confused tonally, but Ant-Man was fun and didn't take itself too seriously. It's not the best Marvel Studios film, but I thought it was refreshing and far more enjoyable than Age of Ultron. Marvel nailed the casting, the characters were memorable and believable. I hope to see them continue to make appearances throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

I was really surprised with how much I enjoyed this movie, it was a ton of fun. Enjoyed the humor in it a lot and the action was great.

Like Guardians, there's a ton of comedy packed into the movie, and I think most of it works... to say the least. It's an incredibly funny film, with a lot of standout and memorable moments. James Gunn tweeted that it was his favorite since original Iron Man and obv Guardians, and I have to follow him there, I'd say it's up there with those two, at the top.

Paul Rudd was the perfect casting choice, he delivers in being sort of an anti-hero, but also nails the emotional core as [very mild spoiler]

Spoiler

the relationship with his daughter feels very authentic and real. Every scene with her is very touching.

Lily is also pretty good and Douglas is great as Pym. The comic relief characters work well and are more hit than miss.

Action scenes are very clever, and even the climax relies heavily on comedy, and again it all worked.

I'm definitely going to see it again, and a treat after the disappointment that was Ultron.

If you're curious about anything else, shoot.

Oh and eeeh [MCU spoiler]

Spoiler

there's a Spider-man shout out!

About post credits scenes:

Spoiler

there's a mid credit one, and one at the very end.

Just came back from a screening tonight, and wow. The theater wasn't full like the GotG screening I went to last year, but it was a good number and the entire audience loved it.

The Michaels rock. Michael Douglas is great and yes, you only afterwards have to remind yourself that they had to digitally rejuvenate Douglas' face for the opening sequence, it's that good. The best de-aging ever done in a movie.

And Michael Peña is hilarious. Not 100% of the jokes land in the movie, but that still leaves a ton of laughs in the theater.

The ants rock, and they play a MUCH larger part that I expected or what the trailers showed. The "heist movie" aspect is indeed good, and not just "for a Marvel movie good."

Yes, the

Spoiler

Ant-Man team (Hope, Hank and Scott) infiltrate the new Avengers facility in upstate New York and run into Falcon, who is able to detect Ant-Man thanks to his new high-tech visor. Great fight ensues, although it does feel like that sequence was placed there in order to comply with the MCU continuity.

And the f

Spoiler

lashback about what happens to The Wasp is heartbreaking but cool in that, it really makes you want to see a prequel with Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne's adventures. They seemed to be kicking ass back in their days as SHIELD's top superheroes and quasi-Avengers.

Overall on the favorite MCU movie scale:

GoTG
CA: TWS
Avengers/Ant-Man
Iron Man
AoU
Iron-Man 2
Cap 1
Thor 1
Iron Man 3
Hulk
Thor 2

Ignore the order of the bottom 6 or 7, pretty much they're all the same to me.

Just got back from seeing it. It's a pretty fun marvel heist flick, whilst at the same time having some really nice tender moments.The action was great. They used the Shrinking ability to great affect in the fights. Made for some really inventive and funny fight sequences.
Paul Rudd did a pretty good job as the Ant Man in this. The Ants were also pretty cute and they did a good job in making me become attached to them.

Spoiler

Was a lot of fun seeing them help with the main heist.

I'll also join in with the above in saying that Michael Peña was way more funnier than I was expecting. He had some of the funniest scenes in the film along with the

Spoiler

"wombats"

of course heh.
The villain was so so. Nothing really outstanding there, though Corey Stoll did a decent job with what he was given.
If you want to see a fun Marvel heist movie with a pinch of heart, this is the film for you.

 

[Dysun]

I was expecting something in the 60-70 range, looks like it's doing better than that.

 

[RPGamer92]

Better than I expected it to be tbh.

 

[Shaanyboi]

The finale is something else - a symphony of comedy and action mayhem that outclasses every single second that comes before it. Nothing else in the movie even comes close.

My director was really talking up the third act when he saw it. I'm even more excited now.

 

[Pancho]

Sweet, I'll go watch it after opening weekend, when the crowds get a bit smaller.

 

[Ganzlinger]

Great to see it doing well. Count me in.

 

[ItIsOkBro]

Came for this gif, leaving satisfied.

 

[Dr. Malik]

Sweet, I'll go watch it after opening weekend, when the crowds get a bit smaller.

I dont think you have to worry about crowds with this one

 

[maxcriden]

Sounds pretty good from the sound of it. I seem to tend to like the less universally-praised Marvel movies more than the critics so maybe this bodes well for me. (Didn't care for AOU, GOTG, or TWS at all.)

I dont think you have to worry about crowds with this one

No? Is it not expected to do all that well?

 

[anaron]

really hope the comparisons to IM1 land for me. I want something fresher and to actually like this, especially after feeling kinda burnt by AoU

 

[xxracerxx]

Can't wait for all the bickering over this film.

 

[Oersted]

Originally Posted by Jason Gorber - TwitchFilm

Ant-Man is, well, OK, and maybe that's enough. I wanted more, and those moments where it looked like I was going to get it, only to have things not quite come to fruition, makes the film as frustrating as it is enjoyable.

Originally Posted by Michael Phillips - Chicago Tribune

The plot's the same old thing. Mad, mad, mad, mad science; imminent apocalypse; parent/child issues; blah blah blaggidy blah. The tone of Ant-Man, however, is relatively light and predominantly comic.

Thats how positive sounds these days. Rosenbaum was right I guess.

 

[guek]

Can't wait for all the bickering over this film.

What's wrong with the right side of that gif

 

[xxracerxx]

What's wrong with the right side of that gif

It exists in the internet dimension.

 

[Game4life]

Sounds pretty good from the sound of it. I seem to tend to like the less universally-praised Marvel movies more than the critics so maybe this bodes well for me. (Didn't care for AOU, GOTG, or TWS at all.)



No? Is it not expected to do all that well?

AoU has a lower RT score than this one. Anyways I am very weary of this film and I was precisely concerned about this

Alonso Duralde - Serves up jokes that don't land and thrills that don't thrill

Marvel humor is mostly a miss these days and after AoU I dont want to get fooled again. The humor in the trailers seemed pretty terrible. Will wait for some of my friends to see this one before giving in.

 

[SephCast]

Where is the RT link on this OP?

 

[EroticSushi]

What's wrong with the right side of that gif

tumblr

Where is the RT link on this OP?

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/antman/

 

[Schweinehund]

I told my friend I'd go see it if it hits 75% or above. Looks like it's hitting it, unless it dives before the weekend.

The % isn't the end all though, the average rating sits around where most marvel movies are at.

 

[maxcriden]

AoU has a lower RT score than this one. Anyways I am very weary of this film and I was precisely concerned about this.

Weird. My mistake. I didn't realize AOU scored less than this. Well, I suppose critics might be tiring of the Marvel formula as well.

 

[guek]

Damnit, moments after I post this thread, the RT goes up to 79%

oh well

Where is the RT link on this OP?

It's the first image

 

[thecouncil]

How many negative reviews are butt-hurt over Edgar Wright?

I bet so many of them mention him.

 

[Obliterator]

Have a feeling this movie is gonna be hugely divisive despite the solid reviews.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

How many negative reviews are butt-hurt over Edgar Wright?

I bet so many of them mention him.

By my count, reviewer followed by number of Wright mentions:

Mike Ryan - 8
Richard Lawson - 7
Matt Singer - 6
Ethan Alter - 4
Catherine Shoard - 4
Andy Lea - 4
Tim Grierson - 3
Jake Cole - 2
Alonso Duralde - 2
David Jenkins - 2 (His review is written as a letter to Edgar Wright, no joke)
David Ehrlich - 1
Stephen Whitty - 1 (just mentions that he's credited as a writer)
Joanna Langfield - 0
Fred Topel - 0


All the "Rotten" reviews as the moment.

 

[Discotheque]

Holy shit you're counting them, sounds like some of you are more butthurt about people mentioning him than the reviewers are about this tbh

Anyways the positive and even negative reviews make this sound a lot more interesting than avengers 2 tbh, I might matinee this maybe. Disappointed we didn't get what wright gave us but it seems it will be worth watching for my curiosity and hopefully some remnants of his work too

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

Holy shit you're counting them, sounds like some of you are more butthurt about people mentioning him than the reviewers are about this tbh

Ironic thing, I'm one of those people. I have zero interest in this movie since Wright's departure and won't be seeing it. He asked, and I found it interesting enough to spend the five minutes counting.

 

[Discotheque]

That's five minutes you could have spent complaining about this instead like I'm doing

 

[Raonak]

Hyped for paul rudd!

 

[Neoxon]

Nice use of gifs.

Also, the movie's at 79%.

 

[guek]

Nice use of gifs.

Also, the movie's at 79%.

Yeah it updated moments after I posted the thread >_<

 

[Neoxon]

Now it's back at 78%.

 

[guek]

Now it's back at 78%.

I blame you. How could you, Neoxon

 

[NomarTyme]

Going to watch in the weekend. I love Marvel movies.

 

[Servbot24]

Even the fresh reviews sound pretty underwhelmed by it.

 

[hal9001]

Sadly this could have been Marvels Dark Knight in terms of critical acclaim if they had kept Edgar Wright onboard. However there is still potential for it to still be a decent film.

 

[Shaanyboi]

Sadly this could have been Marvels Dark Knight in terms of critical acclaim if they had kept Edgar Wright onboard. However there is still potential for it to still be a decent film.

I adore Wright and all but... huh?

 

[Toa TAK]

Cool. Not unexpected, but I don't think I'm in any rush to see this one. I'll probably hit it Monday.

 

[Gonzalez]

I hope Trainwreck(94% RT) steps all over Ant-Man this weekend.

 

[ratcliffja]

Sadly this could have been Marvels Dark Knight in terms of critical acclaim if they had kept Edgar Wright onboard. However there is still potential for it to still be a decent film.

As much as I like Edgar Wright movies, this makes absolutely no sense. His movies never do all that well commercially and a movie about a very minor Marvel character was never going to leave the cultural imprint that The Dark Knight did.

 

[Zeyphersan]

I hope Trainwreck(94% RT) steps all over Ant-Man this weekend.

I should go see a double feature of these two, thanks for the reminder

 

[Neoxon]

I hope Trainwreck(94% RT) steps all over Ant-Man this weekend.

I'll probably get around to watching Trainwreck this weekend (can't do Friday, Splatfest is a thing), but the biggest competitor for Ant-Man for its opening weekend is Minions.

Of course, if there's a double-feature for both Ant-Man & Trainwreck, I'll gladly go for it.

 

[T'Zariah]

Sadly this could have been Marvels Dark Knight in terms of critical acclaim if they had kept Edgar Wright onboard. However there is still potential for it to still be a decent film.

Hell no.

You know what movie could've easily been Marvel's Dark Knight?

Age of Ultron, had they made Ultron menacing and scary instead of a fucking jokester Tony Stark lite AI.

Fucking Whedon and his need for snark.

 

[Dalek]

I hope Trainwreck(94% RT) steps all over Ant-Man this weekend.

I hope Amy Schumer is swallowed up by a sinkhole, never to be seen again.

Hell no.

You know what movie could've easily been Marvel's Dark Knight?

Age of Ultron, had they made Ultron menacing and scary instead of a fucking jokester Tony Stark lite AI.

Fucking Whedon and his need for snark.

Sadly I agree. Colossal misfire with Ultron's personality.

 

[Bigfoot]

I hope Trainwreck(94% RT) steps all over Ant-Man this weekend.

Come on! Ant-Man is going to destroy Trainwreck based on the Marvel name alone. Long term sure Trainwreck "could" come close, but Marvel could put out a movie with a RT score of 0% and Marvel fanboys will still hit opening weekend in droves.

 

[StoopKid]

I hope Amy Schumer is swallowed up by a sinkhole, never to be seen again.



Sadly I agree. Colossal misfire with Ultron's personality.

Lol.

I'm already tired of Amy Schumer. Feels like the media is pushing her like crazy.

 

[Dalek]

Lol.

I'm already tired of Amy Schumer. Feels like the media is pushing her like crazy.

They sure are. Every site-it's enough already.

I get it. She's proud of not being glamorous, and she says gross stuff. Wonderful.

 

[ratcliffja]

I've never seen anything with Amy Schumer nor have I heard of Trainwreck. I guess this is what happens when you don't have cable for years.

 

[richiek]

I hope Trainwreck(94% RT) steps all over Ant-Man this weekend.

The R-rating will guarantee that this will not happen.

 

[Discotheque]

As much as I like Edgar Wright movies, this makes absolutely no sense. His movies never do all that well commercially and a movie about a very minor Marvel character was never going to leave the cultural imprint that The Dark Knight did.

He said critical acclaim and he's right. He would have injected this genre with some much needed personality and all of his movies have reviewed great too

 

[Crud]

Yaay! Why yall talking about trainwrek doe, what's that have to do with Antman?

 

[Shaanyboi]

Yaay! Why yall talking about trainwrek doe, what's that have to do with Antman?

Opening same weekend