By Laurie Coker
Rating: B-
“Big things come in small packages.” True of many things and definitely true of Paul Rudd’s titular character Ant-Man. However, although it is highly entertaining, Ant-Man directed by Peyton Reed, is a good deal of what we have already seen in the super-hero genre – eminent world destruction, a reluctant hero, stressed relationships and loads of action.
Rudd brings an enjoyable, quick sense of humor and melds nicely into the hero suit he has to fill. As an ex-con, cat burglar and eventually, super-hero, Rudd offers just the right balance of serious and silly. Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly, in a tense father/daughter relationship works and as a villain, Corey Stall is brilliantly evil. Seamless CGI and vivid action sequences make Ant-Man an easy watch. Nods to the Avengers and a few cameos add to the film’s entertainment appeal.
Perhaps best suited for the more forgiving and tolerant Avengers fan, Ant-Man opens the door for future Avengers involvement for the tiny hero. With the addition of Rudd, I truly don’t think the franchise’s powers-that-be can do wrong. He gets it and he will hold his own in upcoming films. Lilly too, who will most likely return as Wasp, shows promise as a super-woman. I am placing a B- in my grade book. It deserves at least that for its entertainment value and its brilliant imagery.