There is no better community on the web than ComicBookMovie! With that being said, we would like to introduce a new series of articles where we discuss the movies and news that we love to cover! In each article we will ask five questions of the CBM editors on different topics ranging from movie reviews, casting decisions, movie stills, leaked information, why Josh Wilding is called the "Human Torch" and much much more. We look forward to bringing the community new perspectives and different ways to enjoy the news that comes out for comic book movies and allow the users to learn more about our editors. The future holds some great things for CBM (Hint Hint.... Nudge Nudge)! In this round table edition we ask the editiors about Marvel's ANT-MAN movie and what they thought about it.
Warning: Possible spoilers could be ahead!
1. What did you like most about the movie?
Nathan Best,
@Nathan_Best: I really liked the fact that the movie was smaller (no pun intended) than Marvels more recent films. It was a lot more personal and you get to know the characters, their backgrounds and what motivates them. It's probably the funniest Marvel movie to date as well, which I'm sure is thanks in part to Adam McKay and Paul Rudd helping out in the writing department.
Josh Wilding, @Josh_Wilding: I like that it's proved everyone wrong. As soon as Edgar Wright left, the naysayers were claiming that Ant-Man would be terrible and doomed to fail without him, but it's great. It's definitely Marvel's best origin story movie and right up there with Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Avengers as one of their very best. Specifically though, I loved how different this one felt and how they've managed to take a character like Ant-Man and made me want to see an Ant-Man 2 more than most of the other Phase 3 movies!
Mark Cassidy, @RorMachine: Probably the humor. Marvel has a tendency to overuse/over rely on comedy in their movies and it can offset the drama at times, but in Ant-Man is was balanced just right and there were some genuinely hilarious moments. A great tone for a film like this, and even a few seriously bonkers moments that recalled some of the gags in Guardians of the Galaxy (my 2nd favorite Marvel movie).
Rohan Patel, @KingPatel7 As a fan of Ant-Man, it was nice to see him finally come to life. As for what I liked most, I'd say the parallels in the relationships between Scott & Cassie and Hank & Hope were the strongest elements of the film. The scene where Hank reveals to Hope what actually happened to Janet was well-acted and probably the strongest scene in the entire film. His speech to Scott earlier in the film was also a highlight. Additionally, the final battle being held in Cassie's bedroom really raised the stakes and it was great to see Scott, after defeating Cross, "earn that look of a hero" from Cassie.
Manny Camacho,
@EmanuelFCamacho: How it utterly worked as a stand-alone film and had very subtle connections to the MCU from the concepts of the enemies and issue 'Within' as opposed to the direct connection to the cosmic universe which poses the opposite issues in the MCU with the enemies 'without'.
2. What did you like the least about the movie?
Nathan Best,
@Nathan_Best: Wow, that's a tough one! There was very little that I had issues with in the film... A little bit more background on Scott Lang's family would have been nice. Did they get divorced because of his Robin Hood antics? Was it something else? More flashbacks to see the orginal Ant-Man (Hank Pym) would have been nice as well and helped build the attachment and feelings towards Janet van Dyne. DEFINITELY would have liked to see more of her/Wasp! I don't think the one scene with her really did the character justice. Hopefully we get to see her in a sequel!
Josh Wilding, @Josh_Wilding: This is a tough one to answer. I probably could have lived without Scott's crew, but as they had some of the best lines - Michael Peña in particular - it's hard to complain too much about those guys. A little less time spent with them would have potentially given Darren Cross some more screen time though which I think was needed. There's nothing I
really disliked about the movie to be honest!
Mark Cassidy,
@RorMachine: Another by the numbers plot with hardly any surprises, and another bland, interchangeable villain at its center. Corey Stoll was fine in the role, but Darren Cross is probably one of Marvel's least memorable bad guys - and that's saying something! I appreciate that they attempted something different by making the hero a crook, but even that was hamstrung by giving him a Robin Hood-like excuse for his crimes. Marvel make very entertaining movies in general, but I wish they took more chances.
Rohan Patel, @KingPatel7 No Wasp! Janet Van Dyne is an awesome character and it would've been great to see her in the MCU. Although, after watching the film and the first post-credits scene, I'm very excited to see Hope suit up in the next installment, if not sooner. Also, Marvel really needs to work on developing stronger villains. Corey Stoll was good in the role, but Darren Cross/Yellowjacket just wasn't a memorable villain. I'm now somewhat concerned about how they'll handle Spider-Man's villains, who are some of the best villains in the entire Marvel universe. Hopefully they can make it work. Also, after Ant-Man & AOU, Marvel's marketing team needs to cool it on the TV spots cause they are revealing just a little too much. I mean it would've been nice if they had at least kept the whole Falcon reveal under wraps. Marvel has to realize by now that their name alone and 30 or so spots, instead of their usual 60, would do them just fine.
Manny Camacho,
@EmanuelFCamacho: Evangeline Lily was very awkward throughout the entire film. Her hair looked fake, she was wooden in her performance and she felt like she had multiple people directing her as she changed throughout the film.
3. What did you think of Paul Rudd as the ANT-MAN?
Nathan Best,
@Nathan_Best: I LOVED Paul Rudd as Ant-Man! Marvel has really done a great job in casting their lead characters and heroes and they didn't let us down with Ant-Man. Paul Rudd steps up to bat with Roberty Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth and knocks his character out of the park.
Josh Wilding, @Josh_Wilding: Absolutely perfect. I've been a big fan of his for a long time now and was overjoyed when it was first revealed he was in talks for the role. Paul makes Scott extremely likeable, and this performance gave him a chance to show off what a fantastic actor he is away from just solely comedic roles (though he's still hilarious in this movie). As great as it will be to see him in Captain America: Civil War next year, I need to see Rudd back as Ant-Man in a sequel as soon as possible...
Mark Cassidy,
@RorMachine: He is very good. He was funny and charismatic - though at times he seemed a bit muted or something, like he wasn't completely engaged with the material. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more of him in the future though.
Rohan Patel, @KingPatel7 Phenomenal. He was very likeable, charismatic, and brought with him a very relatable quality. I've always been a bigger fan of Marvel's more down-to-Earth characters like Spidey, Wolverine, & Cap, so it was good to see a normal guy like Scott overcome unbelievable odds and more or less become an Avenger by film's end. Before watching, I was a little worried about how much Marvel would actually let Paul Rudd be Paul Rudd and I was glad to be wrong. He was his usual hilarious self and he brought to Scott Lang what Robert Downey Jr. brings to Tony Stark. Very cool addition to the MCU. As someone who's seen nearly everything Rudd's ever been in, his contributions to the script were not only fairly obvious, but also very welcome. Hoping to see more of him sooner than later.
Manny Camacho,
@EmanuelFCamacho: He was fantastic and endearing as the character, believable and interesting.
4. What was your favorite character in the movie?
Nathan Best,
@Nathan_Best: I would have to go with Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly). She's the most qualified person and sitting right in front of her father the entire time, but he refuses to use her. You can feel her impatience and anger up until the scene when Scott tells her WHY he's the one doing it. He's "expendable" and she's not. The scene when she and her father both finally reconnect is one of the best scenes in the film.
Josh Wilding, @Josh_Wilding: Probably Scott because of the great journey he goes on throughout the movie. However, I thought Michael Douglas' Hank Pym was terrific, as was Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne. I loved all of them, though Scott stands out...he reminded me of Steve Rogers in the sense that he's both extremely heroic as well as incredibly likeable and relatable. Oh, and ANTony of course!
Mark Cassidy,
@RorMachine: Everyone's gonna say Michael Pena's Luis, so I'll go with Michael Douglas' Hank Pym. I thought he was superb in the role, and the character was developed very well. The scene in which Pym explains what happened to his wife to Hope was very emotional, and not overly cheesy (which let's face it, could be expected!). I hope Pym returns before the inevitable Ant-Man 2.
Rohan Patel, @KingPatel7 Scott Lang, but I think I went into enough detail on him above, so I'll list other characters I liked. Luis, Dave, and Kurt were a fun trio to watch, glad to watch their camaraderie with Scott. Hank was also very good, and Hope was much better after she loosened up a bit during that scene in the car with her and Scott. Also, last but not least, I have to give an honorable mention to Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter, who are my two favorite MCU characters. Always glad to see Chris Evans & Hayley Atwell pop up.
Manny Camacho,
@EmanuelFCamacho: Scott Lang.
5. What is your favorite scene from the movie?
Nathan Best,
@Nathan_Best: I have to go with the Thomas the Tank Engine/final fight. It absolutely goes crazy when Yellow Jacket starts shooting the place up and Scott throws his discs around to shrink and grow things! Yellow Jacket looked great and the back and forth of the battle was well paced. Yellow Jacket's demise (is he dead?) was a little creepy too. I still laugh about the "crazy dog" running around at the end!
Josh Wilding, @Josh_Wilding: Another tough one. There were so many! As a fan, that Spider-Man reference gave me chills all over...focusing on Ant-Man though and I think my think my favourite scene had to be the fight between him and The Falcon. Again though, there were tons. The Wasp flashback, the mid-credits scene, the S.H.I.E.L.D. prologue, the final battle, all those shrinking sequences...this movie is just awesome from start to finish.
Mark Cassidy, @RorMachine: It'd have to be the Falcon fight. I knew he was going to show up, but I had no idea we'd get a proper action set piece with him so that, at least, was a nice surprise. It was executed very well by all involved, and Scott's reaction upon meeting him was priceless.
Rohan Patel, @KingPatel7The Ant-Man/Falcon fight was great, but the scene where Scott shrinks to subatomic size and enters the quantum realm was quite a visual treat. The final scene where Luis tells Scott that Sam is looking for him was also funny and it was super cool to hear the Spider-Man reference. Also, after slacking on most of their Phase 2 post-credits scenes, Marvel finally delivered on not just one, but two amazing post-credits scenes in this movie.
Manny Camacho,
@EmanuelFCamacho: The fight sequence between Ant-Man and Falcon was great to see and was a lot of fun.
Want more
ANT-MAN? Check out these reviews from our editors!
Nathan Best: REVIEW: Is Marvel’s ANT-MAN The Best Marvel Film To Date?
Josh Wilding: ANT-MAN IMAX 3D Review; "[It's] Even Better Than AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON!"!
Mark Cassidy: ROR REVIEWS: Marvel's ANT-MAN Falls A Bit Short
Manny Camacho: REVIEW: EF's In-Depth Take On Marvel's ANT-MAN