STACK #130 Aug 2016

CINEMA

REVIEWS

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RELEASED: Now Showing DIRECTOR: Peyton Reed CAST: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly RATING: PG

ANT-MAN

Size doesn't matter.

Originally intended to go into production with Shaun of the Dead 's Edgar Wright as writer and director, Ant-Man finally hits the screen with Bring It On 's Peyton Reed at the helm. But that's not a bad thing; while Wright's version would probably have looked a lot different (and featured Nick Frost), Reed's background in comedy combined with Wright and Joe Cornish's witty screenplay (with star Paul Rudd as a co-writer) give Ant-Man its own distinct identity as well as slotting it neatly into the Marvel movie universe. Casting an established comedy actor as a hero worked for Guardians of the Galaxy and similarly, the genial Paul Rudd helps introduce Ant-Man. As cat burglar Scott Lang, who stumbles upon a suit that can miniaturize its wearer whilst robbing the home of scientist Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), Rudd is the kind of guy who can deliver the line "I'm Ant-Man" with the levity it deserves. Lang is recruited by the doctor and his daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly, looking great in a black bob wig) to stop Pym's power-mad protege (Corey Stoll) from selling the atom-separating technology to Hydra, resulting in

a frequently hilarious mash-up of superhero and heist film tropes with Honey I Shrunk the Kids / Innerspace micro-world wonder. There's also a trippy descent into a subatomic realm that pays homage to The Incredible Shrinking Man . The film, like its protagonist, is small by Marvel's standards, eschewing the ubiquitous destruction of cities for a low key caper comedy with an emphasis on humour and character. So how super can a hero the size of an ant be? When it comes to infiltrating Avengers HQ or slipping into a computer mainframe to sabotage a server, size does matter. Lang also has the ability to control an army of ants, whose CGI realisation would have benefited from a tweak in post-production. between Ant-Man and wasp-like villain Yellowjacket plays out on a Thomas the Tank Engine playset, and the suit's ability to also enlarge objects is used for some great sight gags. Ant-Man is a welcome addition to the Marvel fold, and the traditional post- credits coda promises he will return. As if there was ever any doubt? Scott Hocking The visual effects offer plenty of laughs, too – a confrontation

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