Liked and enjoyed it but not as much as I expected to. I really thought based on my own hunches and early word, that it would be a bit better and a lot funnier.
Personally I would put it near square in the middle of their stable of movies.
Rudd in general is just so damn likable and Douglas was surprisingly good. That helped the movie from dipping in my ranking quite a bit.
The writing wasn't as strong as most the others imo, but nothing too heinous. Just some moments that didn't feel real or believable or little things that weren't "rounded off" satisfactorily for me. Like people's behavior during the finally at the house, some of the humor. The way Scott's jail escape and some other things weren't really resolved / answered or explained.
I thought the first half was just too slow all together.
I was surprised and disappointed by the lack of variety and amount of the shrinking effects. My own fault I know, but i anticipated and wanted more "exploration" and "amazement" with it. I was also surprised by how big of a roll the actual ants played. Didn't figure they would be so prominent, but didnt mind them.
The effects were great / fine.
The female co star, whom Im not familiar with, didn't do anything for me good or bad. thought the hispanic buddy got a little obnoxious and tired by the end. Could've used less of him personally.
Really dug yellowjacket. Just a badass looking costume and liked the casting.
Loved the opening and cameos. the falcon cameo was good and unexpected. however it seemed forced to give a much needed action sequence at that point and to tie it in with rest of the mcu.
Liked the first end credit scene alright. Surprised by the second one. liked it, but didn't expect it. Was a big tonal shift. I really expected something Spider-Man related or just something more humorous and think a more light hearted tag would've been appropriate. but they gotta push towards civil war I guess.
???s / gripes... They did a poor job explaining how the suit, tech and "formula" actually worked. And weren't clear on the effects of its use. So why can't hank wear it now? So Scott will just eventually go mad or something? Why was Cross so adversely affected and how exactly so?
Seriously, Scott's arrest and escape was resolved with a bogus "glitch with the security cameras"?
Why do falcon and cap think Scott, or even hank can help with Bucky?
Suddenly hanks cool with his daughter putting on the suit?
The little girl just chillin with the villain in her room. A hostage situation turned active assault and everyone including PD just standing around looking at the house for what seemed like forever.
What kindve explosion was that at the factory? A black hole? Did I miss something?
What was cross' intentions ultimately? What was he thinking? Today I'm giving up everything to be a criminal and go on the lamb with a suitcase full of $$? How was he going continue making the formula? Wasn't he already rich and in charge and in the clear? Was he going to work WITH hydra? Either way, none of it really made sense. I get he was somehow / some reason unstable, but still wasn't clear.
An avenger calling for help with a super powered intruder at avengers HQ and nobody, not even the shield / security personnel guys can get there to help? That fight went on quite a while and took place on their roof and front lawn!
All I can think of for now.
Still a really good and fun movie. I can say though out of all the mcu movies, I see this as the least rewatchable of maybe all of them. Ill buy the dvd but after the first rewatch I see myself fast forwarding any time after that or picking a different one.
I would put this film in a solid B+ film. I wish it was funnier through out. I could have used a bit more humor during the training sequence besides the fight sequence. Having an origin story does kind slow down the movie, and in some ways they do three if you count the Wasp. I think they could used more scenes with Scott's crew during that sequence.
I think one of the reasons this film works is that is so tied to the regular MCU. Hank Pym is a genius maybe he could have stood alone, but Scott Lang place in the universe needs to be established. In order to do that you have to work in the Avengers into the story. Scott Lang is a smart guy who gets a chance to don the suit. You should see he feels small in a place where cities are being saved. He is just a guy trying to get closer to his daughter.
I know there was some complaining about Janet being removed from the founding of the Avengers. Now having seen this movie I love dynamic and the bonding between Scott and Hank because of they are both trying to get closer to their daughters. It hit me during the film know that Cassie grows up to be a hero, and what ultimately happens to her. The bond between Hank and Scott is missing from comics, and the movie did a better job of linking the two together.
As a comic book fan I like them working in both Tales of Astonish, and a redeemable reference into the dialog. And I also like them using the Cap and Bucky on a rocket for Ant-Man and the Wasp. It gives the MCU audience the same mystery of will she come back the same way Bucky stayed in limbo in the comics.
Micheal Douglas as Hank Pym really works. The only thing missing was the tragedy of creating Ultron. I wish they had tied that been sort of worked into his movie. Like Tony using Hank's designs to make Ultron.
EDIT EDIT: 90% of the theater left as soon as the credits started. After the first scene everyone else, except my wife and I, got up to leave. My wife actually yelled out "there's one more!" Two people listened and stayed.
Wait, I thought I read somewhere it's a given (based on studies) that audiences are trained nowadays to remain until the very end with Marvel movies?
M
Most people leave prior to those end of credits scenes, in my experience. I think that's because these are people who enjoy a good popcorn movie and aren't hip to comic books or MCU continuity or Internet chatter about how you need to stay seated so you can catch a two-second glimpse of Thanos. Those end scenes are all fan service but if the casual fan misses them, its no biggie.
Love the MCU is such a big place now that there are so many cameos/nods etc that don't seem forced. The size and death of the MCU makes these thing natural, to the point that it's almost be odd if they weren't there.
Ditto all the love for Douglas, I'm not a big fan in general, but he nailed this.
The Quantum-verse has Dr Strange written all over it.
I'm not sure if I was the only person in my theater who laughed out loud at the "Tales to Astonish" line, because I laughed so loudly that anyone else was drowned out.
I know there are gonna be a quarter-bazillion characters in Civil War, but I really hope the core of the film is the buddy dynamic between Steve and Sam. Anthony Mackie is my favorite of the entire suite of Marvel actors at this point.
EDIT EDIT: 90% of the theater left as soon as the credits started. After the first scene everyone else, except my wife and I, got up to leave. My wife actually yelled out "there's one more!" Two people listened and stayed.
Wait, I thought I read somewhere it's a given (based on studies) that audiences are trained nowadays to remain until the very end with Marvel movies?
M
Most people leave prior to those end of credits scenes, in my experience. I think that's because these are people who enjoy a good popcorn movie and aren't hip to comic books or MCU continuity or Internet chatter about how you need to stay seated so you can catch a two-second glimpse of Thanos. Those end scenes are all fan service but if the casual fan misses them, its no biggie.
Also, I don't know about you guys, but the most unbelievable thing to me in a film about subatomic particles and a man who can shrink to the size of an ant was the tiny charcoal grill in the backyard of that family's nice house w/the pool. Shenanigans! They'd have a propane grill for sure! :wink:
I'm still reading the rest of this thread but I had to cut in here. I noticed the kettle grill too and was happy to see it, as a guy who rocks dinner or a party at my nice family home on the regular with an 18" Weber.
You GRILL food with charcoal. I don't know what you'd call whatever it is that people do to food with propane. Warming maybe? But if you want to spend at least 3-4x as much on your grill, enjoy.. ;)
Also, I don't know about you guys, but the most unbelievable thing to me in a film about subatomic particles and a man who can shrink to the size of an ant was the tiny charcoal grill in the backyard of that family's nice house w/the pool. Shenanigans! They'd have a propane grill for sure! :wink:
I'm still reading the rest of this thread but I had to cut in here. I noticed the kettle grill too and was happy to see it, as a guy who rocks dinner or a party at my nice family home on the regular with an 18" Weber.
You GRILL food with charcoal. I don't know what you'd call whatever it is that people do to food with propane. Warming maybe? But if you want to spend at least 3-4x as much on your grill, enjoy.. ;)
What was cross' intentions ultimately? What was he thinking? Today I'm giving up everything to be a criminal and go on the lamb with a suitcase full of $$? How was he going continue making the formula? Wasn't he already rich and in charge and in the clear? Was he going to work WITH hydra? Either way, none of it really made sense. I get he was somehow / some reason unstable, but still wasn't clear.
And maybe I'm mis-remembering, but wasn't Hope's line about "This isn't you! It's the Pym Particles making you unstable!" delivered when she was off-camera? I had the feeling that the creators involved found it all a bit much as well, and thought looping that line in might help things a little. It didn't, if anything it called more attention to the fact that his plan was totally off the rails.
I could buy him putting on the suit and attacking Scott, since he'd just seen his entire company destroyed, both figuratively and literally. And I just might buy him threatening his family. But prior to that, I'd have preferred him staying a ruthless businessman out looking for acclaim and money. Regardless of what Hydra offered him, I'd imagine a legitimate long-term deal would pay off better in the end. And it wouldn't involve going on the lam.
Overall, I come down with the group that has liked the film. I'd rank it pretty highly among the Marvel slate of films. I don't get all the love for Guardians of the Galaxy, which for me was merely fine, nothing special (that's for probably another thread). Gut reaction: Ant-Man was as fun as any of the other Marvel films. It was a good time at the movies on Saturday, which was what I wanted out of the night. I came into the film with really no experience with the character, just knowing some of the basic history, and I came out a fan wanting to read some of his appearances (both Pym & Lang). So in that sense mission accomplished.
That said- I would've loved to see Edgar Wright take things to the finish line, having been a big fan of some of his work. Could he have made this material funnier and overall make it work better? We'll never know, but I'm inclined to think maybe so. But that's not always how these things work out, and considering some of the development hell the picture was in, I think the end result being as enjoyable and fun as it was stands to me as a pleasant surprise.
And finally- the Siri joke with the Cure's "Plainsong".. That bit was ALL for my fellow Gen Xers, and so I can say: Brilliant, and thank you Marvel. That was probably my biggest laugh of the film and it had me revisiting "Disintegration" the rest of the weekend, which IMO is one of their peak records.
And finally- the Siri joke with the Cure's "Plainsong".. That bit was ALL for my fellow Gen Xers, and so I can say: Brilliant, and thank you Marvel. That was probably my biggest laugh of the film and it had me revisiting "Disintegration" the rest of the weekend, which IMO is one of their peak records.
Ditto that. One of my favourite Cure albums. I just wish they'd have played the track Disintegration.
What was cross' intentions ultimately? What was he thinking? Today I'm giving up everything to be a criminal and go on the lamb with a suitcase full of $$? How was he going continue making the formula? Wasn't he already rich and in charge and in the clear? Was he going to work WITH hydra? Either way, none of it really made sense. I get he was somehow / some reason unstable, but still wasn't clear.
And maybe I'm mis-remembering, but wasn't Hope's line about "This isn't you! It's the Pym Particles making you unstable!" delivered when she was off-camera? I had the feeling that the creators involved found it all a bit much as well, and thought looping that line in might help things a little. It didn't, if anything it called more attention to the fact that his plan was totally off the rails.
I could buy him putting on the suit and attacking Scott, since he'd just seen his entire company destroyed, both figuratively and literally. And I just might buy him threatening his family. But prior to that, I'd have preferred him staying a ruthless businessman out looking for acclaim and money. Regardless of what Hydra offered him, I'd imagine a legitimate long-term deal would pay off better in the end. And it wouldn't involve going on the lam.
He did kill a guy within 10 minutes of the audience seeing him on screen for slightly raising an objection to his plan. So it wasn't totally out of place that he would go crazy later in the film. What they could have done was tie Hank's erratic behavior with his use of the suit.
Also, I don't know about you guys, but the most unbelievable thing to me in a film about subatomic particles and a man who can shrink to the size of an ant was the tiny charcoal grill in the backyard of that family's nice house w/the pool. Shenanigans! They'd have a propane grill for sure! :wink:
I'm still reading the rest of this thread but I had to cut in here. I noticed the kettle grill too and was happy to see it, as a guy who rocks dinner or a party at my nice family home on the regular with an 18" Weber.
You GRILL food with charcoal. I don't know what you'd call whatever it is that people do to food with propane. Warming maybe? But if you want to spend at least 3-4x as much on your grill, enjoy.. ;)
What was cross' intentions ultimately? What was he thinking? Today I'm giving up everything to be a criminal and go on the lamb with a suitcase full of $$? How was he going continue making the formula? Wasn't he already rich and in charge and in the clear? Was he going to work WITH hydra? Either way, none of it really made sense. I get he was somehow / some reason unstable, but still wasn't clear.
And maybe I'm mis-remembering, but wasn't Hope's line about "This isn't you! It's the Pym Particles making you unstable!" delivered when she was off-camera? I had the feeling that the creators involved found it all a bit much as well, and thought looping that line in might help things a little. It didn't, if anything it called more attention to the fact that his plan was totally off the rails.
I could buy him putting on the suit and attacking Scott, since he'd just seen his entire company destroyed, both figuratively and literally. And I just might buy him threatening his family. But prior to that, I'd have preferred him staying a ruthless businessman out looking for acclaim and money. Regardless of what Hydra offered him, I'd imagine a legitimate long-term deal would pay off better in the end. And it wouldn't involve going on the lam.
He did kill a guy within 10 minutes of the audience seeing him on screen for slightly raising an objection to his plan. So it wasn't totally out of place that he would go crazy later in the film. What they could have done was tie Hank's erratic behavior with his use of the suit.
That's what I totally expected to happen. I thought that would be the explanation for why hank can't/wont wear the suit, his estrangement from his daughter and her resentment towards him. Because it made him aggressive and he ultimately became abusive towards Janet (pun intended).
Another nitpick... Can't say for sure w/o seeing it again, but I could've sworn cross was holding a glock when the ants stopped him from shooting by holding back the hammer on his gun. I also found it ridiculous the hispanic friend supposedly knocked out the guard with one punch. Then if I recal, he was a virtual wimp from then on?
It also bugged me (another intentional pun) when antman jumped on the barrel of the firing pistol in close up and there was barely a flash or reaction. Missed opportunity imo for a cool effect / moment.
What was cross' intentions ultimately? What was he thinking? Today I'm giving up everything to be a criminal and go on the lamb with a suitcase full of $$? How was he going continue making the formula? Wasn't he already rich and in charge and in the clear? Was he going to work WITH hydra? Either way, none of it really made sense. I get he was somehow / some reason unstable, but still wasn't clear.
And maybe I'm mis-remembering, but wasn't Hope's line about "This isn't you! It's the Pym Particles making you unstable!" delivered when she was off-camera? I had the feeling that the creators involved found it all a bit much as well, and thought looping that line in might help things a little. It didn't, if anything it called more attention to the fact that his plan was totally off the rails.
I could buy him putting on the suit and attacking Scott, since he'd just seen his entire company destroyed, both figuratively and literally. And I just might buy him threatening his family. But prior to that, I'd have preferred him staying a ruthless businessman out looking for acclaim and money. Regardless of what Hydra offered him, I'd imagine a legitimate long-term deal would pay off better in the end. And it wouldn't involve going on the lam.
He did kill a guy within 10 minutes of the audience seeing him on screen for slightly raising an objection to his plan. So it wasn't totally out of place that he would go crazy later in the film. What they could have done was tie Hank's erratic behavior with his use of the suit.
That's what I totally expected to happen. I thought that would be the explanation for why hank can't/wont wear the suit, his estrangement from his daughter and her resentment towards him. Because it made him aggressive and he ultimately became abusive towards Janet (pun intended).
Another nitpick... Can't say for sure w/o seeing it again, but I could've sworn cross was holding a glock when the ants stopped him from shooting by holding back the hammer on his gun. I also found it ridiculous the hispanic friend supposedly knocked out the guard with one punch. Then if I recal, he was a virtual wimp from then on?
It also bugged me (another intentional pun) when antman jumped on the barrel of the firing pistol in close up and there was barely a flash or reaction. Missed opportunity imo for a cool effect / moment.
That one punch knock out was set up from pretty much his first line when Scott got out of prison.
While catching up he said he's still the only one to knockout Peaches in one punch. Knowing the size of Peaches sets up all the other KOs later in the movie.
What was cross' intentions ultimately? What was he thinking? Today I'm giving up everything to be a criminal and go on the lamb with a suitcase full of $$? How was he going continue making the formula? Wasn't he already rich and in charge and in the clear? Was he going to work WITH hydra? Either way, none of it really made sense. I get he was somehow / some reason unstable, but still wasn't clear.
And maybe I'm mis-remembering, but wasn't Hope's line about "This isn't you! It's the Pym Particles making you unstable!" delivered when she was off-camera? I had the feeling that the creators involved found it all a bit much as well, and thought looping that line in might help things a little. It didn't, if anything it called more attention to the fact that his plan was totally off the rails.
I could buy him putting on the suit and attacking Scott, since he'd just seen his entire company destroyed, both figuratively and literally. And I just might buy him threatening his family. But prior to that, I'd have preferred him staying a ruthless businessman out looking for acclaim and money. Regardless of what Hydra offered him, I'd imagine a legitimate long-term deal would pay off better in the end. And it wouldn't involve going on the lam.
He did kill a guy within 10 minutes of the audience seeing him on screen for slightly raising an objection to his plan. So it wasn't totally out of place that he would go crazy later in the film. What they could have done was tie Hank's erratic behavior with his use of the suit.
That's what I totally expected to happen. I thought that would be the explanation for why hank can't/wont wear the suit, his estrangement from his daughter and her resentment towards him. Because it made him aggressive and he ultimately became abusive towards Janet (pun intended).
Another nitpick... Can't say for sure w/o seeing it again, but I could've sworn cross was holding a glock when the ants stopped him from shooting by holding back the hammer on his gun. I also found it ridiculous the hispanic friend supposedly knocked out the guard with one punch. Then if I recal, he was a virtual wimp from then on?
It also bugged me (another intentional pun) when antman jumped on the barrel of the firing pistol in close up and there was barely a flash or reaction. Missed opportunity imo for a cool effect / moment.
Which part weren't you sure on "ants preventing the hammer from striking" or "that Cross was using a glock"? I can confirm the first one, not certain the second.
Here's something about Cross' outburst I didn't get (or missed), Hope stated to Cross it was the Pym Particles that were affecting him...when did he go all Norman Osborne and get heavily exposed to the Pym Particles?
By that point, from what we've seen, Scott was well more exposed to the Pym Particles (having been using the suit multiple times by that point), then Cross who only just found the formula. It could be argued that he might not have found the Pym Particle Forumla exactly & it might've been a more unstable similar formula...but wouldn't everyone working on it also suffer the effects? By that point, as far as we know, Cross hadn't shrunk anyone.
What was cross' intentions ultimately? What was he thinking? Today I'm giving up everything to be a criminal and go on the lamb with a suitcase full of $$? How was he going continue making the formula? Wasn't he already rich and in charge and in the clear? Was he going to work WITH hydra? Either way, none of it really made sense. I get he was somehow / some reason unstable, but still wasn't clear.
And maybe I'm mis-remembering, but wasn't Hope's line about "This isn't you! It's the Pym Particles making you unstable!" delivered when she was off-camera? I had the feeling that the creators involved found it all a bit much as well, and thought looping that line in might help things a little. It didn't, if anything it called more attention to the fact that his plan was totally off the rails.
I could buy him putting on the suit and attacking Scott, since he'd just seen his entire company destroyed, both figuratively and literally. And I just might buy him threatening his family. But prior to that, I'd have preferred him staying a ruthless businessman out looking for acclaim and money. Regardless of what Hydra offered him, I'd imagine a legitimate long-term deal would pay off better in the end. And it wouldn't involve going on the lam.
He did kill a guy within 10 minutes of the audience seeing him on screen for slightly raising an objection to his plan. So it wasn't totally out of place that he would go crazy later in the film. What they could have done was tie Hank's erratic behavior with his use of the suit.
That's what I totally expected to happen. I thought that would be the explanation for why hank can't/wont wear the suit, his estrangement from his daughter and her resentment towards him. Because it made him aggressive and he ultimately became abusive towards Janet (pun intended).
Another nitpick... Can't say for sure w/o seeing it again, but I could've sworn cross was holding a glock when the ants stopped him from shooting by holding back the hammer on his gun. I also found it ridiculous the hispanic friend supposedly knocked out the guard with one punch. Then if I recal, he was a virtual wimp from then on?
It also bugged me (another intentional pun) when antman jumped on the barrel of the firing pistol in close up and there was barely a flash or reaction. Missed opportunity imo for a cool effect / moment.
Which part weren't you sure on "ants preventing the hammer from striking" or "that Cross was using a glock"? I can confirm the first one, not certain the second.
Here's something about Cross' outburst I didn't get (or missed), Hope stated to Cross it was the Pym Particles that were affecting him...when did he go all Norman Osborne and get heavily exposed to the Pym Particles?
By that point, from what we've seen, Scott was well more exposed to the Pym Particles (having been using the suit multiple times by that point), then Cross who only just found the formula. It could be argued that he might not have found the Pym Particle Forumla exactly & it might've been a more unstable similar formula...but wouldn't everyone working on it also suffer the effects? By that point, as far as we know, Cross hadn't shrunk anyone.
M
Pym explained that his helmet was especially designed to shield against the deleterious effects of the particles.
One can infer that his particle damage took place prior to his implementation of the helmet.
What was cross' intentions ultimately? What was he thinking? Today I'm giving up everything to be a criminal and go on the lamb with a suitcase full of $$? How was he going continue making the formula? Wasn't he already rich and in charge and in the clear? Was he going to work WITH hydra? Either way, none of it really made sense. I get he was somehow / some reason unstable, but still wasn't clear.
And maybe I'm mis-remembering, but wasn't Hope's line about "This isn't you! It's the Pym Particles making you unstable!" delivered when she was off-camera? I had the feeling that the creators involved found it all a bit much as well, and thought looping that line in might help things a little. It didn't, if anything it called more attention to the fact that his plan was totally off the rails.
I could buy him putting on the suit and attacking Scott, since he'd just seen his entire company destroyed, both figuratively and literally. And I just might buy him threatening his family. But prior to that, I'd have preferred him staying a ruthless businessman out looking for acclaim and money. Regardless of what Hydra offered him, I'd imagine a legitimate long-term deal would pay off better in the end. And it wouldn't involve going on the lam.
He did kill a guy within 10 minutes of the audience seeing him on screen for slightly raising an objection to his plan. So it wasn't totally out of place that he would go crazy later in the film. What they could have done was tie Hank's erratic behavior with his use of the suit.
That's what I totally expected to happen. I thought that would be the explanation for why hank can't/wont wear the suit, his estrangement from his daughter and her resentment towards him. Because it made him aggressive and he ultimately became abusive towards Janet (pun intended).
Another nitpick... Can't say for sure w/o seeing it again, but I could've sworn cross was holding a glock when the ants stopped him from shooting by holding back the hammer on his gun. I also found it ridiculous the hispanic friend supposedly knocked out the guard with one punch. Then if I recal, he was a virtual wimp from then on?
It also bugged me (another intentional pun) when antman jumped on the barrel of the firing pistol in close up and there was barely a flash or reaction. Missed opportunity imo for a cool effect / moment.
Which part weren't you sure on "ants preventing the hammer from striking" or "that Cross was using a glock"? I can confirm the first one, not certain the second.
Here's something about Cross' outburst I didn't get (or missed), Hope stated to Cross it was the Pym Particles that were affecting him...when did he go all Norman Osborne and get heavily exposed to the Pym Particles?
By that point, from what we've seen, Scott was well more exposed to the Pym Particles (having been using the suit multiple times by that point), then Cross who only just found the formula. It could be argued that he might not have found the Pym Particle Forumla exactly & it might've been a more unstable similar formula...but wouldn't everyone working on it also suffer the effects? By that point, as far as we know, Cross hadn't shrunk anyone.
M
Pym explained that his helmet was especially designed to shield against the deleterious effects of the particles.
One can infer that his particle damage took place prior to his implementation of the helmet.
What was cross' intentions ultimately? What was he thinking? Today I'm giving up everything to be a criminal and go on the lamb with a suitcase full of $$? How was he going continue making the formula? Wasn't he already rich and in charge and in the clear? Was he going to work WITH hydra? Either way, none of it really made sense. I get he was somehow / some reason unstable, but still wasn't clear.
And maybe I'm mis-remembering, but wasn't Hope's line about "This isn't you! It's the Pym Particles making you unstable!" delivered when she was off-camera? I had the feeling that the creators involved found it all a bit much as well, and thought looping that line in might help things a little. It didn't, if anything it called more attention to the fact that his plan was totally off the rails.
I could buy him putting on the suit and attacking Scott, since he'd just seen his entire company destroyed, both figuratively and literally. And I just might buy him threatening his family. But prior to that, I'd have preferred him staying a ruthless businessman out looking for acclaim and money. Regardless of what Hydra offered him, I'd imagine a legitimate long-term deal would pay off better in the end. And it wouldn't involve going on the lam.
He did kill a guy within 10 minutes of the audience seeing him on screen for slightly raising an objection to his plan. So it wasn't totally out of place that he would go crazy later in the film. What they could have done was tie Hank's erratic behavior with his use of the suit.
That's what I totally expected to happen. I thought that would be the explanation for why hank can't/wont wear the suit, his estrangement from his daughter and her resentment towards him. Because it made him aggressive and he ultimately became abusive towards Janet (pun intended).
Another nitpick... Can't say for sure w/o seeing it again, but I could've sworn cross was holding a glock when the ants stopped him from shooting by holding back the hammer on his gun. I also found it ridiculous the hispanic friend supposedly knocked out the guard with one punch. Then if I recal, he was a virtual wimp from then on?
It also bugged me (another intentional pun) when antman jumped on the barrel of the firing pistol in close up and there was barely a flash or reaction. Missed opportunity imo for a cool effect / moment.
Which part weren't you sure on "ants preventing the hammer from striking" or "that Cross was using a glock"? I can confirm the first one, not certain the second.
Here's something about Cross' outburst I didn't get (or missed), Hope stated to Cross it was the Pym Particles that were affecting him...when did he go all Norman Osborne and get heavily exposed to the Pym Particles?
By that point, from what we've seen, Scott was well more exposed to the Pym Particles (having been using the suit multiple times by that point), then Cross who only just found the formula. It could be argued that he might not have found the Pym Particle Forumla exactly & it might've been a more unstable similar formula...but wouldn't everyone working on it also suffer the effects? By that point, as far as we know, Cross hadn't shrunk anyone.
M
Pym explained that his helmet was especially designed to shield against the deleterious effects of the particles.
One can infer that his particle damage took place prior to his implementation of the helmet.
Pym or Cross?
M
Pym. We don't know how long he played with the particles before he realized there was a problem and built the helmet.
Cross didn't know about the problem, and thus had not designed any safeguards.
What was cross' intentions ultimately? What was he thinking? Today I'm giving up everything to be a criminal and go on the lamb with a suitcase full of $$? How was he going continue making the formula? Wasn't he already rich and in charge and in the clear? Was he going to work WITH hydra? Either way, none of it really made sense. I get he was somehow / some reason unstable, but still wasn't clear.
And maybe I'm mis-remembering, but wasn't Hope's line about "This isn't you! It's the Pym Particles making you unstable!" delivered when she was off-camera? I had the feeling that the creators involved found it all a bit much as well, and thought looping that line in might help things a little. It didn't, if anything it called more attention to the fact that his plan was totally off the rails.
I could buy him putting on the suit and attacking Scott, since he'd just seen his entire company destroyed, both figuratively and literally. And I just might buy him threatening his family. But prior to that, I'd have preferred him staying a ruthless businessman out looking for acclaim and money. Regardless of what Hydra offered him, I'd imagine a legitimate long-term deal would pay off better in the end. And it wouldn't involve going on the lam.
He did kill a guy within 10 minutes of the audience seeing him on screen for slightly raising an objection to his plan. So it wasn't totally out of place that he would go crazy later in the film. What they could have done was tie Hank's erratic behavior with his use of the suit.
And that felt very out of place as well. And I don't recall that character interacting with anyone else in the film, so I wondered if that was added as well to get the audience to buy the change.
I'm not one of those who thinks Edgar Wright would have necessarily turned out a great film - I think he's okay, but I"m not a huge fan - but I do feel like little things like Cross using cuddly animals like sheep to test the Pym Particles would have played out better under his hand, and we might have gotten a film where a Cross was just bughouse nuts, but it worked within the universe established in the film.
Comments
Personally I would put it near square in the middle of their stable of movies.
Rudd in general is just so damn likable and Douglas was surprisingly good. That helped the movie from dipping in my ranking quite a bit.
The writing wasn't as strong as most the others imo, but nothing too heinous. Just some moments that didn't feel real or believable or little things that weren't "rounded off" satisfactorily for me. Like people's behavior during the finally at the house, some of the humor. The way Scott's jail escape and some other things weren't really resolved / answered or explained.
I thought the first half was just too slow all together.
I was surprised and disappointed by the lack of variety and amount of the shrinking effects. My own fault I know, but i anticipated and wanted more "exploration" and "amazement" with it. I was also surprised by how big of a roll the actual ants played. Didn't figure they would be so prominent, but didnt mind them.
The effects were great / fine.
The female co star, whom Im not familiar with, didn't do anything for me good or bad. thought the hispanic buddy got a little obnoxious and tired by the end. Could've used less of him personally.
Really dug yellowjacket. Just a badass looking costume and liked the casting.
Loved the opening and cameos. the falcon cameo was good and unexpected. however it seemed forced to give a much needed action sequence at that point and to tie it in with rest of the mcu.
Liked the first end credit scene alright. Surprised by the second one. liked it, but didn't expect it. Was a big tonal shift. I really expected something Spider-Man related or just something more humorous and think a more light hearted tag would've been appropriate. but they gotta push towards civil war I guess.
???s / gripes...
They did a poor job explaining how the suit, tech and "formula" actually worked. And weren't clear on the effects of its use. So why can't hank wear it now? So Scott will just eventually go mad or something? Why was Cross so adversely affected and how exactly so?
Seriously, Scott's arrest and escape was resolved with a bogus "glitch with the security cameras"?
Why do falcon and cap think Scott, or even hank can help with Bucky?
Suddenly hanks cool with his daughter putting on the suit?
The little girl just chillin with the villain in her room. A hostage situation turned active assault and everyone including PD just standing around looking at the house for what seemed like forever.
What kindve explosion was that at the factory? A black hole? Did I miss something?
What was cross' intentions ultimately? What was he thinking? Today I'm giving up everything to be a criminal and go on the lamb with a suitcase full of $$? How was he going continue making the formula? Wasn't he already rich and in charge and in the clear? Was he going to work WITH hydra? Either way, none of it really made sense. I get he was somehow / some reason unstable, but still wasn't clear.
An avenger calling for help with a super powered intruder at avengers HQ and nobody, not even the shield / security personnel guys can get there to help? That fight went on quite a while and took place on their roof and front lawn!
All I can think of for now.
Still a really good and fun movie. I can say though out of all the mcu movies, I see this as the least rewatchable of maybe all of them. Ill buy the dvd but after the first rewatch I see myself fast forwarding any time after that or picking a different one.
All I can think of for now.
3 out of 5 stars
I think one of the reasons this film works is that is so tied to the regular MCU. Hank Pym is a genius maybe he could have stood alone, but Scott Lang place in the universe needs to be established. In order to do that you have to work in the Avengers into the story. Scott Lang is a smart guy who gets a chance to don the suit. You should see he feels small in a place where cities are being saved. He is just a guy trying to get closer to his daughter.
I know there was some complaining about Janet being removed from the founding of the Avengers. Now having seen this movie I love dynamic and the bonding between Scott and Hank because of they are both trying to get closer to their daughters. It hit me during the film know that Cassie grows up to be a hero, and what ultimately happens to her. The bond between Hank and Scott is missing from comics, and the movie did a better job of linking the two together.
As a comic book fan I like them working in both Tales of Astonish, and a redeemable reference into the dialog. And I also like them using the Cap and Bucky on a rocket for Ant-Man and the Wasp. It gives the MCU audience the same mystery of will she come back the same way Bucky stayed in limbo in the comics.
Micheal Douglas as Hank Pym really works. The only thing missing was the tragedy of creating Ultron. I wish they had tied that been sort of worked into his movie. Like Tony using Hank's designs to make Ultron.
...until the kids making too much noise were kicked out, then I could enjoy the film. I hate going to the cinema during school holidays.
Liked it!
The "Milgrom Motel" nice touch..
The reference to Spider-Man was at the end right? "we got a man who crawls.."
"who swings.. "
I liked both credit scenes, pushes Civil War into focus
Love the MCU is such a big place now that there are so many cameos/nods etc that don't seem forced. The size and death of the MCU makes these thing natural, to the point that it's almost be odd if they weren't there.
Ditto all the love for Douglas, I'm not a big fan in general, but he nailed this.
The Quantum-verse has Dr Strange written all over it.
I know there are gonna be a quarter-bazillion characters in Civil War, but I really hope the core of the film is the buddy dynamic between Steve and Sam. Anthony Mackie is my favorite of the entire suite of Marvel actors at this point.
M
You GRILL food with charcoal. I don't know what you'd call whatever it is that people do to food with propane. Warming maybe? But if you want to spend at least 3-4x as much on your grill, enjoy.. ;)
I could buy him putting on the suit and attacking Scott, since he'd just seen his entire company destroyed, both figuratively and literally. And I just might buy him threatening his family. But prior to that, I'd have preferred him staying a ruthless businessman out looking for acclaim and money. Regardless of what Hydra offered him, I'd imagine a legitimate long-term deal would pay off better in the end. And it wouldn't involve going on the lam.
That said- I would've loved to see Edgar Wright take things to the finish line, having been a big fan of some of his work. Could he have made this material funnier and overall make it work better? We'll never know, but I'm inclined to think maybe so. But that's not always how these things work out, and considering some of the development hell the picture was in, I think the end result being as enjoyable and fun as it was stands to me as a pleasant surprise.
And finally- the Siri joke with the Cure's "Plainsong".. That bit was ALL for my fellow Gen Xers, and so I can say: Brilliant, and thank you Marvel. That was probably my biggest laugh of the film and it had me revisiting "Disintegration" the rest of the weekend, which IMO is one of their peak records.
He did kill a guy within 10 minutes of the audience seeing him on screen for slightly raising an objection to his plan. So it wasn't totally out of place that he would go crazy later in the film. What they could have done was tie Hank's erratic behavior with his use of the suit.
Another nitpick...
Can't say for sure w/o seeing it again, but I could've sworn cross was holding a glock when the ants stopped him from shooting by holding back the hammer on his gun. I also found it ridiculous the hispanic friend supposedly knocked out the guard with one punch. Then if I recal, he was a virtual wimp from then on?
It also bugged me (another intentional pun) when antman jumped on the barrel of the firing pistol in close up and there was barely a flash or reaction. Missed opportunity imo for a cool effect / moment.
While catching up he said he's still the only one to knockout Peaches in one punch. Knowing the size of Peaches sets up all the other KOs later in the movie.
Here's something about Cross' outburst I didn't get (or missed), Hope stated to Cross it was the Pym Particles that were affecting him...when did he go all Norman Osborne and get heavily exposed to the Pym Particles?
By that point, from what we've seen, Scott was well more exposed to the Pym Particles (having been using the suit multiple times by that point), then Cross who only just found the formula. It could be argued that he might not have found the Pym Particle Forumla exactly & it might've been a more unstable similar formula...but wouldn't everyone working on it also suffer the effects? By that point, as far as we know, Cross hadn't shrunk anyone.
M
One can infer that his particle damage took place prior to his implementation of the helmet.
M
Cross didn't know about the problem, and thus had not designed any safeguards.
I'm not one of those who thinks Edgar Wright would have necessarily turned out a great film - I think he's okay, but I"m not a huge fan - but I do feel like little things like Cross using cuddly animals like sheep to test the Pym Particles would have played out better under his hand, and we might have gotten a film where a Cross was just bughouse nuts, but it worked within the universe established in the film.