Paul Rudd is charming as the Ant Man. He is not too broad which he has a tendency to be, but plays it just right. He is Scott Lang a master thief who has lost custody of his daughter due to his attraction to all things criminal while Michael Douglas plays the not so mad scientist, Dr. Hank Pym, who rescues Rudd from his wayward ways by turning him into the Ant Man. Marvel Studios' brings a founding member of the Avengers to IMAX 3D and the flying ants have never looked so good. Dr Pym who created the Avengers, guards the secret behind the Ant Man suit from Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) Mr. Evil, who is intent on destruction of most of the universe. Hope played by the perfectly beautiful Evangeline Lilly is effective as Dr. Pym's daughter who initially is ambivalent about Rudd's ability to don the spectacular ant suit invented by her father. This inventive suit of great retro design reduces ones size yet increases ones strength. But it is Rudd's final heist that must go smoothly to save the world.
Michael Douglas explained on a recent talk show that there were four set ups for each shot and the fourth was shooting from the perspective of the ant. He found working in the environment of CGI fascinating and went on to explain that while Marvel has gone big big big, it was time to go small as this was the only way left to go.
Michael Pena as one of Rudd's partners in crime plays a bumbling burglar with panache. Pena does not miss a beat with his lines and expressions. The dialogue written by Stan Lee, Paul Rudd, Joe Cornish, Edgar Wright, Adam Mackay is snappy but could have been a bit wittier. Buzz words with an over the top hipness were few. But who's kidding, the CGI made Ant Man. Douglas himself was in awe of the special effects team with whom he worked. But stunning special effects can not resolve the problems in this Marvel wonder. Peyton Reed directed at a fast pace and predictability was kept at a minimum but overall, the story lulled in parts and ultimately was a snore. Yawning was kept at a minimum, but the excitement that a Marvel creation normally creates was sadly missing. .
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