Let’s see…the Marvelverse streak is now 12 and this makes them the new champs. There were doubts since Ant-Man is more obscure than the B-list Avengers who have joined this Spring. I on the other hand remember, this character was a founding member in the traditional Marvel Universe. The movie had also been delayed due to rumors of Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) didn’t want to integrate into the overall universe via style or plot. At least he received credit with star Paul Rudd in writing the core story.
My biggest concern was how this appeared to be Iron Man redux in the trailers. Somebody has a big corporation being hijacked by another person who prefers to sell weapons to the highest bidder. The hero is a scoundrel on the road to redemption along the way. Instead of missiles or armored suits, it’s the ability to shrink while maintaining the same mass. Well, it was the same arc, the execution was just different in a few areas, mostly through humor.
I enjoyed how Ant-Man didn’t exist in a bubble. When Dr. Pym tells Scott about what’s at stake, Scott says, “Call the Avengers!” It’s the answer most people would give if they lived in such a universe. They never explain how ants come into play though; Pym is likely to be a Physicist, Entomology is an offshoot of Biology; I know, it’s just a movie. The writers did their homework on the species, namely how they utilized the Texas scourge…fire ants. Not for their painful bites but their ability to ball up into a raft to travel (I saw a documentary showing they’re originally from the Amazon, not a desert).
There’s plenty of surprises during the movie; the trailer didn’t eat them all up. Sit tight through the closing credits for the two surprises. The first pertains to Ant-Man 2 (Marvel aficionados know) and the second covers next year’s Captain America: Civil War. Ant is safe enough to take kids, the violence is cartoonish.
Alamo Extras: Space Ghost C2C gag involving ants; scenes from the fake movie Mant used for Matinee; Fantastic Voyage trailer; Pee-Wee Herman bit involving ants getting loose in the playhouse; Empire of the Ants trailer; ant scened from Honey…I Shrunk the Kids; snippets of the cartoon Inch-High Private Eye; For Y’ur Height Only trailer; a dumb Thai kid putting ants in his drawers; the failed Army Ants toy; finally…Alamo Drafthouse being mentioned in the comic book Ant-Man #1.