Ant-Man
(2015/Marvel Studios/Disney Blu-ray 3D w/Blu-ray 2D)
3D
Picture: B+ 2D Picture: B Sound: B Extras: B Film: B-
In
the Superhero genre, some characters are more in a comedy zone than
others, especially when their powers are not what you get from most
of the big names in the genre from The Shadow, to Batman, to
Spider-Man and the worlds they conjure. In Peyton Reed's Ant-Man
(2015), you have a character who can shrink to mere millimeters in
size, increases in super strength and the like incidental, so it
literally adds a whole new world and dimension to the narrative.
Take Reed, add this character and then make it from a screenplay that
started with Edgar Wright (who almost directed) and Joe Cornish with
their own comic and otherworldly sensibilities and you get a
blockbuster that is trying something very different not just from the
genre, but blockbuster moviemaking in general.
The
underrated Paul Rudd is perfectly cast in what becomes the title
character, but we first meet him as simply Scott Lang, a down on his
luck divorced guy with a young daughter, whose ex-wife (Judy Greer)
is dating a cop (the always great Bobby Carnivale) who does not like
Scott and a lack of employment is stopping Scott from making the
child support payments he badly wants to make to take care of his
daughter and se able to see her like any real father (or real man)
would. However, having just been released from jail for the reason
he got his divorce, he's excellent at heists and thieving, it is hard
for him to get such legitimate work.
However,
a good-if-sometimes 'unconventional friend' Luis (a fun turn by the
very talented Michael Pena of American
Hustle
and The
Lincoln Lawyer)
has heard about a sure thing, something a reluctant Scott (after just
losing his new job) takes on. However, it is not what he expects and
suddenly, he finds a strange outfit that he thinks it for bikers (ha,
ha!) yet turns out to be much better and much more.
Enter
an unbelievably amazing performance by Michael Douglas as Dr. Hank
Pym, a scientific genius whose behind the suit and Scott suddenly
finding himself in jail. Of course, the imprisonment last very
briefly and the story really kicks in. Dr. Pym has done what he
could to stop his innovations from getting into the wrong hands, even
if it meant not letting S.H.I.E.L.D. use it or worse, but his
one-time ward Darren Cross (another fine performance by Corey Stoll,
with a perfect balance of energy, joy and villainy) has hijacked his
ideas enough to create a deadlier suit for angrier, morally
irresponsible, high-profit means (in echoes of Verhoeven's original
Robocop),
both with the power to shrink.
So
why the mixed response and box office that was solid, but not
massive? Because it was (and all the makers clearly knew this) a
curve ball in the Marvel Universe that is not totally separate from
main superheroes as Guardians Of The Galaxy was and is,
Ant-Man becomes much like counterparts like Shazam!, Plastic Man
(both from defunct comic companies, but with uniquely healthy senses
of humor) and even his DC Comics counterpart The Atom in being so
different that an almost separate world emerges for their adventures
in conjunction with, but not totally part of the superhero world
because the characters and their circumstances are so different.
Thus,
the look of the film never changes much, yet the narrative offers
three subdivisions of approach: the normal street world (emphasized
by Scott's fun, loyal trio of friends), the superhero world (informed
by references to The Avengers, the Stark Family, et al) and a third
world of sub-atomic science fiction new to the Marvel cinematic world
in the shadow of the sci-fi classics like Dr. Cyclops, The
Incredible Shrinking Man and its imitators. That is plenty to
juggle for anyone, even a talented director like Reed whose had his
share of overrated work (Bring It On, ironically his biggest
hit until this film) and very underrated work (Down With Love,
strongly deserving of rediscovery), so he knows his way around drama,
genre and comedy. It is comedy that is used to bridge these worlds,
but it can be awkward and too much, which is why the film got the
reactions it got.
At
its best, including all Michael Douglas scenes, the film has a fresh
new side of Marvel to show off, even when in the same world and the
overall cast is easily one of the year's best. Yet, some moments are
a problem (a brief child-in-jeopardy part is one that should have
been shortened or cut) and this comes mostly in the form of too much
comedy shifting the narrative away from action, but odder since we
get Reed (outright humor) and Wright's (sardonic humor) comic senses
that do not always cohere, much like the previous cohering issues
already noted, though the actual script and storytelling is in itself
coherent. Thus, we have a few bumps in the road, but since this
works far more often than not (much like SPECTRE, which was
reintegrating the villainous organization in the broadest commercial
way possible, going for broke in the process to the point suspending
disbelief becomes semi-problematic), it is still a very successful,
watchable film.
In
the case of Ant-Man, it is actually better in 3D (much like
the first Amazing Spider-Man) and should be seen that way and
that way first, if possible. When we look back at this one in a few
years, what does work will just become more and more apparent.
Ant-Man is, much like his character, an underdog winner, even
with few bruises in the process.
The
1080p 1.85 X 1 MVC-encoded 3-D - Full Resolution digital High
Definition image is the preferred way to enjoy the film because the
3D does a better job of bringing the microworld sequences to life.
Color holds up well and the 3D covers over flatness (however intended
at times) and minor detail flaws in the 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital 2D
High Definition image transfer of the film as lensed by the very
talented, capable Director
of Photography Russell Carpenter, A.S.C. (Monster-In-Law,
Charlie's
Angels,
Cameron's Titanic,
True
Lies),
who delivers very smooth visuals for which all the special visual
effects fit seamlessly into. This is among his best work to date and
a solid HD shoot (mostly with Arri Alexa cameras) overall like I've
rarely seen to date.
The
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 7.1 lossless mix is a very impressive,
impactful mixdown from the theatrical Dolby Atmos 11.1 mix that
starts off as standard) a good, solid, consistent soundfield) then
starts building layers of sound and more sound until it gets really
dynamic, engaged and busy in the latter half of the film. The music
composed by Christophe Beck (a Reed alumni known for his many comical
film works) follows with one of the more interesting scores of his
career, helping bring the film's many elements together as much as
possible.
Extras
include Digital HD Ultraviolet Copy for PC, PC portable and iTunes
capable devices, while the Blu-ray adds three featurettes in Making
Of An Ant-Sized Heist: A How-To Guide,
Let's
Go To The Macroverse
& WHIH
News Front,
plus we get Deleted & Extended Scenes that have much more of
Douglas and a terrific feature-length audio commentary track by
Peyton Reed And Paul Rudd.
You
can also check out these clips on the film now, including a behind
the scenes look at the specialized filming and digital visual effects
used to create the incredibly small world of Ant
Man...
https://youtu.be/8PNUiv-JLTI
...and
Ant
Man: Looping in the Avengers
featuring Ant
Man's first encounter with one of The Avengers...
https://youtu.be/yVBK_i6LQZM
-
Nicholas Sheffo
