Marvel's ANT-MAN - What Are The Critics Saying?

For a film forged under difficult circumstances (Edgar Wright developed the movie for nearly a decade before leaving the director's chair just before filming), Ant-Man emerges fairly unscathed. Free of the bloated running time we've come to expect from summer movies, it's a hugely entertaining superhero comedy that's a refreshing break from Marvel formula. [4*]

Besides being a breezy superhero heist movie, Ant-Man is the latest in a succession of shrinking-people movies which have shown off state-of-the-art effects at the time of production — worthy successor to the likes of The Devil-Doll, The Incredible Shrinking Man and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. In brilliantly realised moments, Ant-Man clings to the grooves of a vinyl record, feeds a drop of water to his favourite ant, explores the infinitely small (a genuinely cool 3D trip) and has a climactic confrontation with an equally miniaturised baddie in an out-of-control Thomas The Tank Engine tabletop layout which seems huge and dangerous to them, though a witty shot pulls back to show the frenetic action-movie fireworks just boil down to a toy train falling over. A science-fiction, action-heist, superhero comedy soap opera, this straddles as many genres as the Avengers films have characters but manages to do most of them pretty well. Extremely likable, with a few moments of proper wonder. [4*]

Ant-Man may have been the Marvel movie that was seemingly made because it was already promised seven years ago when the Marvel Cinematic Universe looked much different, but its relative come down in size and purpose represents something of a breath of fresh air in today’s context. It is an important film in the sense that it shows how Marvel can diversify not just in terms of different superheroes and different genres, but also in terms of scale. Ant-Man is their smallest film yet, and I mean that as a compliment.

It’s Ant-Man, not pants, man. Marvel passes its biggest test in years with flying critters… plus wit, flair, top-notch casting and some good, gratuitous size gags. Your move, Cap. [4*]

Ant-Man may not have reinvented the formula for Marvel, but unlike it’s name it doesn’t come up small. It delivers big time on laughs, action and overall enjoyment. They’ve only gone and done it again. [4*]

Marvel delivers another strong standalone film with Ant-Man. As is typically the case with the more effective of the studio’s offerings, Ant-Man works within the framework of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, but also delivers a streamlined, fast-paced, lively and – frankly – utterly charming story. [8.7]

Marvel’s “Ocean’s Eleven” meets “Iron Man” mélange does have its fleeting pleasures, but is ultimately a minor, milder MCU effort. Size may not matter in this diminutive story, but the film's slight, disposable quality hardly qualifies it as an essential tale to astonish. [C+]

Everything funny and mischievous about Rudd has been tamped down and turned into processed cheese here, just like what “Jurassic World” did to Chris Pratt. (Speaking of which, “Ant-Man” is the second movie this summer that takes the vibrant, talented Judy Greer and wastes her as a fretting mom.) The preview audience around me hooted and hollered throughout, particularly when there were any shout-outs to the other Marvel movie or TV properties, so no doubt fans of the “gotta-see-‘em-all” bent will eat this one right up. As someone who has liked a majority of these Marvel adaptations, I can only hope that “Ant-Man” represents a temporary dip that’s not the beginning of a slippery slope.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe can be an awfully big, noisy and repetitive place to spend your time and money, but at its best, it can also allow for humor, whimsy and lightness of spirit — all qualities that come into play in “Ant-Man,” a winningly modest addition to the ever-expanding Disney/Marvel family. Though we can mourn the more stylish and inventive stand-alone caper we might have gotten from director Edgar Wright (who left the project over creative differences and was replaced by Peyton Reed), this enjoyably off-the-cuff franchise starter takes a cue from its incredible shrinking protagonist (played by a game Paul Rudd) and emerges with a smaller-scaled, bigger-hearted origin story than most comicbook heroes are typically granted.