Paul Rudd as Ant-Man in the Marvel movie
Marvel’s Ant-Man starring Paul Rudd was released in 2015, and it was a blockbuster. Now, Ant-Man is quite cool. But a tiny superhero and comic actor Paul Rudd teaming forces for a movie, that to me seemed like an unlikely success at first. Not because Rudd is not talented and is really good at what he does. But because the actor had up until then been seen as someone who only had the potential to deliver comedy.
But things changed when the actor took on the role of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Ant-Man. The movie was declared a success and not without reason.
The best things about Ant-Man
Paul Rudd
Yes, he was great in the movie. Rudd was his usual charming, personable self. And he delivered the laughs like a boss. The performance of the actor was intelligent and subtle; he could have gone overboard with the dialogues, but didn’t. Makes sense when you realise that he co-wrote the screenplay of the film. Talented is the word.
The screenplay
It was such a well-written script that one could not help but fall for it. The screenplay was penned by Edgar Wright (director of Shaun of the Dead, Baby Driver and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), Joe Cornish (co-wrote The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn), Adam McKay (director of the Anchorman movies and The Big Short) and Paul Rudd (you know who he is, a legitimate star).
Paul Rudd in a still from Ant-Man
Shots
Shots. Such stunning and beautifully composed shots. Ant-Man walking through the ‘tall’ grass, Ant-Man running like Usain Bolt on a toy rail track, Ant-Man saving the day towards the end of the movie by fighting Yellowjacket.
Direction
Peyton Reed, who has previously helmed movies like Yes Man, Bring It On and The Break-Up, did a stand-up job of delivering a blockbuster. Ant-Man was action-packed, hilarious and as good a Marvel movie as they come. And it could have all gone down south without the right captain.
A still from MCU’s Ant-Man
The not-so-great-things about Ant-Man
Could have done with a better villain
Yellowjacket was a decent villain. But what really helps elevate an MCU movie is a great bad guy, which, sadly, Ant-Man didn’t have. Yes, Yellowjacket was always scheming and coming up with great plans to trump his rival. But it didn’t have that effect. Maybe it was the actor. Sorry, Corey Stoll.
Editing
A little editing could have helped, could have chopped off that extra 10-15 minutes of Paul Rudd’s time with his buddies.