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Ant-Man (Theatrical)
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- Ant-Man (Theatrical)
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- Customer reviews
Top positive review
Ant-Man is a surprising success
May 24, 2016
When I originally saw the first footage for Marvel’s Ant-Man, I have to admit I wasn’t exactly hyped to see the film on opening night. I always thought that Paul Rudd was a perfect casting choice to bring the larger than life character to the big screen, but the first few trailers just didn’t grab my attention and it seemed like the movie was having trouble finding its tone. Was this going to be an all-out comedy, or balance things out with a healthy dose of action and drama à la last year’s Guardians of the Galaxy? Thankfully, the finished product turned out to be one of Marvel’s most entertaining and original films to date, wrapping up Phase 2 nicely.
Paul Rudd knocks it out of the park in this immensely enjoyable action/comedy superhero film from Marvel Studios. Scott Lang (Rudd), a master thief with a heart of gold, teams up with Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to stop a powerful weapon from getting into the hands of the malevolent Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), Pym’s former protege. Armed with the amazing shrinking and strength-boosting abilities of Pym’s Ant-Man suit, Lang aims to right the wrongs of his past and become a hero in the eyes of his daughter. If he can succeed, The Avengers might just have a spot open for him on their team.
It’s obvious from the outset of the film why Paul Rudd was chosen for the role – he’s one of few very actors who could make a criminal charming, and his spot-on comedic timing and chemistry with Michael Pena provide some of Ant-Man’s most memorable moments. Evangeline Lilly plays the part of Pym’s estranged daughter Hope quite well, offering up a few moments of badassery as she teaches Scott how to fight and use his newfound abilities. Michael Douglas plays the part of Dr. Hank Pym beautifully – you could feel the character’s sense of despair and regret about the events that caused both Hope and Darren Cross to distance themselves from him. And Corey Stoll plays Darren Cross with an intensity that really sells the character’s descent into madness, as he stops at nothing to recreate the Ant-Man technology just to sell it on the black market. The character may be a bit one-dimensional, but Stoll makes Cross both memorable and intimidating.
The first thing that caught my attention with Ant-Man were the impressive visual effects. The shrinking abilities of Ant-Man are well portrayed, allowing the audience to suspend disbelief long enough to become invested in Scott’s story. Aspects such as the digitally recreated bathroom where Scott first utilizes his shrinking powers are overflowing with detail, right down to the texture on the tiles, the grimy grout, and spiderwebs between the floorboards. It really helps sell the illusion, as you never feel as though Rudd is running in front of a green screen (although that’s obviously what happened).
Perhaps the most effective and remarkable use of CGI in Ant-Man is the de-aging effect used for Michael Douglas in flashback scenes – he looks just how you’d remember him from 80s films like Wall Street. A kickass battle against Falcon at Avengers HQ manages to effectively showcase Ant-Man’s abilities and paint him as a formidable fighter that could stand beside Captain America and Thor on the team. I should also mention that once again Marvel Studios’ costume designers are amazing; the Ant-Man suit from the original comics is difficult to translate to the big screen, but they absolutely nailed it, and the Yellowjacket suit may be even cooler.
Ant-Man’s Digital HD copy features extras like a gag reel, deleted scenes, and featurettes on the creation of the CGI sequences. There’s also a bit of backstory on the comic character’s origins and some commentary on the deleted scenes from the director and Paul Rudd. One of the deleted scenes, in which Scott Lang cases Pym’s house as a cable guy, was truly great and had me wondering why it was left on the cutting room floor.
Overall, Ant-Man is a surprising success – after the first trailer was met with a tepid reaction from fans, Marvel and director Peyton Reed managed to turn the tide and give us one of the most memorable and creative films in their lineup (and one of my new personal favorites). I’m thrilled to see lesser-known and more “out-there” characters like Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy not only making their way to the silver screen, but finding great critical acclaim and financial success. As a longtime comic fan, I can’t wait to see Scott Lang teaming up alongside the Avengers (and Spider-Man!) in Captain America: Civil War – it’s one of those things I thought would never actually happen, and the kid in me couldn’t be more ecstatic.
Paul Rudd knocks it out of the park in this immensely enjoyable action/comedy superhero film from Marvel Studios. Scott Lang (Rudd), a master thief with a heart of gold, teams up with Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to stop a powerful weapon from getting into the hands of the malevolent Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), Pym’s former protege. Armed with the amazing shrinking and strength-boosting abilities of Pym’s Ant-Man suit, Lang aims to right the wrongs of his past and become a hero in the eyes of his daughter. If he can succeed, The Avengers might just have a spot open for him on their team.
It’s obvious from the outset of the film why Paul Rudd was chosen for the role – he’s one of few very actors who could make a criminal charming, and his spot-on comedic timing and chemistry with Michael Pena provide some of Ant-Man’s most memorable moments. Evangeline Lilly plays the part of Pym’s estranged daughter Hope quite well, offering up a few moments of badassery as she teaches Scott how to fight and use his newfound abilities. Michael Douglas plays the part of Dr. Hank Pym beautifully – you could feel the character’s sense of despair and regret about the events that caused both Hope and Darren Cross to distance themselves from him. And Corey Stoll plays Darren Cross with an intensity that really sells the character’s descent into madness, as he stops at nothing to recreate the Ant-Man technology just to sell it on the black market. The character may be a bit one-dimensional, but Stoll makes Cross both memorable and intimidating.
The first thing that caught my attention with Ant-Man were the impressive visual effects. The shrinking abilities of Ant-Man are well portrayed, allowing the audience to suspend disbelief long enough to become invested in Scott’s story. Aspects such as the digitally recreated bathroom where Scott first utilizes his shrinking powers are overflowing with detail, right down to the texture on the tiles, the grimy grout, and spiderwebs between the floorboards. It really helps sell the illusion, as you never feel as though Rudd is running in front of a green screen (although that’s obviously what happened).
Perhaps the most effective and remarkable use of CGI in Ant-Man is the de-aging effect used for Michael Douglas in flashback scenes – he looks just how you’d remember him from 80s films like Wall Street. A kickass battle against Falcon at Avengers HQ manages to effectively showcase Ant-Man’s abilities and paint him as a formidable fighter that could stand beside Captain America and Thor on the team. I should also mention that once again Marvel Studios’ costume designers are amazing; the Ant-Man suit from the original comics is difficult to translate to the big screen, but they absolutely nailed it, and the Yellowjacket suit may be even cooler.
Ant-Man’s Digital HD copy features extras like a gag reel, deleted scenes, and featurettes on the creation of the CGI sequences. There’s also a bit of backstory on the comic character’s origins and some commentary on the deleted scenes from the director and Paul Rudd. One of the deleted scenes, in which Scott Lang cases Pym’s house as a cable guy, was truly great and had me wondering why it was left on the cutting room floor.
Overall, Ant-Man is a surprising success – after the first trailer was met with a tepid reaction from fans, Marvel and director Peyton Reed managed to turn the tide and give us one of the most memorable and creative films in their lineup (and one of my new personal favorites). I’m thrilled to see lesser-known and more “out-there” characters like Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy not only making their way to the silver screen, but finding great critical acclaim and financial success. As a longtime comic fan, I can’t wait to see Scott Lang teaming up alongside the Avengers (and Spider-Man!) in Captain America: Civil War – it’s one of those things I thought would never actually happen, and the kid in me couldn’t be more ecstatic.
58 people found this helpful
Top critical review
Good movie but disappointed
March 31, 2019
When I received my package, I knew this movie was going to be good. I had already seen it in theaters. It was a really good role for Paul Rudd. When I opened the case, I found a slip inside that says "Get a reward now. Enter your action code at MarvelsAntManOffers.com" which prompts me to enter a redemption code. When I enter the code it says "Invalid Code". Suffice to say that I do not own this movie on Blu-ray & Digital like had hoped. I only own the blu-ray version which means I have to have the disc with me to watch it or put the disc in to watch it. This has been the most ridiculous experience I've ever had with an Amazon blu-ray purchase and I can't honestly tell if it's a Amazon issue or a Marvel Studios issue.
4 people found this helpful
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March 31, 2019
When I received my package, I knew this movie was going to be good. I had already seen it in theaters. It was a really good role for Paul Rudd. When I opened the case, I found a slip inside that says "Get a reward now. Enter your action code at MarvelsAntManOffers.com" which prompts me to enter a redemption code. When I enter the code it says "Invalid Code". Suffice to say that I do not own this movie on Blu-ray & Digital like had hoped. I only own the blu-ray version which means I have to have the disc with me to watch it or put the disc in to watch it. This has been the most ridiculous experience I've ever had with an Amazon blu-ray purchase and I can't honestly tell if it's a Amazon issue or a Marvel Studios issue.
March 22, 2019
Tried watching this and couldn't even get through 30 minutes without it stopping completely or just pausing.
When I called customer service his solution was to refund me in credit so I could try again. I thought that was a little riesince I hadn't paid with credit I'd paid with money.
When we started again we had the same problem.
We eventually got through the movie but it took almost double the time.
When I called customer service his solution was to refund me in credit so I could try again. I thought that was a little riesince I hadn't paid with credit I'd paid with money.
When we started again we had the same problem.
We eventually got through the movie but it took almost double the time.
May 31, 2019
I am currently binge watching the Marvel series and this is the most ridiculous concept so far and all things considered that is saying a lot. I love Paul Rudd but this is seriously silly.
December 22, 2018
Had to have it in my collection! The main reason for the star subtraction is for Amazon not the movie!!!I just wish that Amazine would let me custom arrange my Video Library instead of only offering by date purchased or alphabetical order. I would prefer to arrange by genre, episode, number in franchise so that I could group my movies together instead of having a hodge podge to sort through!
November 15, 2018
I am shocked and embarrassed. This was a gift. How AWFUL was it to open the 3D box and find it practically empty. No 3D, no digital, nothing but as catchy 2d copy. Utter and complete rip off. Shame on this company. It deserves a negative star review.
It is being resent . Hopefully this time around we find what was originally supposed to be in the package.
BUYER BEWARE
It is being resent . Hopefully this time around we find what was originally supposed to be in the package.
BUYER BEWARE
May 1, 2019
Thought I was buying an actual dvd, not a digital copy. Haven’t watched it, don’t want it. Told it couldn’t be returned for a refund. Feel I’ve been ripped off. If I can’t easily determine this in the future, I won’t be ordering any more.
June 8, 2019
I really enjoyed this movie in the theater, but the DVD snagged at chapter 7 and was unwatchable. I tried to contact the publisher's customer service to get a replacement, but got no response.
April 18, 2019
It stopped completely at least four times and would not allow us to re-start at the same place--ensuring we missed at least 10+ minutes of the movie in addition to the frustration.
August 28, 2018
My kids love all movies and they hated this one. It was so stupid, don't even bother.
April 29, 2019
My husband and I wanted to watch a movie but it took one hour to watch the first half an hour . This movie just won't load. I can't watch this movie I paid for but I can totally watch a free movie. This sucks.
