Movie review: ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ fun, but not as fresh as the original

I’ve always felt that the original “Ant-Man” is a bit of an underrated gem within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although it had a much more modest box office haul than Marvel’s bigger hits, it’s a fun (and funny) heist flick starring a perfectly-cast Paul Rudd as the sometimes misguided but always well-meaning ex-con Scott Lang. It just barely misses out on ranking amongst my top five MCU films, and I was really looking forward to the sequel, “Ant-Man and the Wasp.”

I had a lot of fun watching the sequel, and it’s refreshing to have a superhero flick with a lighter tone and smaller stakes (no pun intended there). It’s a perfect summer blockbuster and certainly isn’t as intense as “Infinity War.” However, it didn’t feel *quite* as fresh or fun as the original. I’ll get my criticisms out of the way first, and then I’ll dive into what I liked best, because I really did enjoy watching this film.

My reaction to “Ant-Man and the Wasp” reminds me a little of my reaction to “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” actually. With the first “Ant-Man,” I had no idea what to expect, and there was a certain glee in discovering how awesomely they executed the challenging concept of this tiny superhero who commands an army of ants. With the sequel, the writing didn’t feel quite as snappy or tight. We’ve seen this before, and it’s still fun, but the element of surprise isn’t there anymore.

My only real issue with the first “Ant-Man” was the lackluster villain, but I actually liked the “villain” here. I use “villain” with quotation marks, because the primary villain isn’t necessarily a “bad guy” in the traditional sense but more of an antagonist whose goals are in opposition to the hero’s. It’s tricky to say more about Ghost without diving into spoilers, but I really liked the nuance Hannah John-Kamen brought to this character. In fact, I wish the film had dedicated even more time to delving into who she is and the reasons she is seeking justice/revenge. I personally would have jettisoned the second villain, an underused Walton Goggins as black market dealer Sonny Burch, in favor of more screen time for Ghost.

There were a couple of other moments I would have tweaked, as well. The jokes weren’t quite as snappy as the original, which I rewatched right after seeing “Ant-Man and the Wasp” and was still a delight. I also thought there were some too-obvious moments of exposition.

Still, I don’t want this to come across as a negative review, because I really did have fun watching this. Paul Rudd is still great as Ant-Man/Scott Lang, and I loved that they brought back Abby Ryder Fortson as his daughter, Cassie. All of Rudd and Fortson’s scenes together are utterly charming, and their father-daughter relationship is a highlight in both Ant-Man films. It was also super cool to see Evangeline Lilly share top billing as the Wasp/Hope van Dyne. She and Ant-Man make a great team.

One of my favorite parts of the film was the finale. Although we’ve seen plenty of car chases in films before, it was super fun to see a chase scene where the heroes’ car used what I’d call “strategic shrinking” to avoid the villains in pursuit. And I loved seeing Ant-Man become Giant-Man again, especially after the teaser we got for that in “Civil War.” Plus, Michael Peña’s Luis is my favorite MCU sidekick, right after Ned in “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”

Another great part was watching Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Hope researching the quantum realm and their attempts to find Hank’s wife Janet, who disappeared in the quantum realm years ago. Again, I don’t want to dive too heavily into spoilers, but I think the quantum realm offers a lot of fascinating potential for storytelling within the MCU. And I think it’s definitely going to play a big role in Avengers 4. I always encourage people to wait for the after credits scenes in MCU movies, but this time it’s especially important!

In short, I love Ant-Man as a character and am really glad that Marvel decided to make a sequel. It’s definitely worth watching, and I’ll look forward to adding it to my MCU Blu-ray collection once it comes out. This is something I’ve always said about the MCU; even though we all have our favorites, and there are a few that disappointed me just a little bit, they each have their fun moments and are still enjoyable to watch. “Ant-Man and the Wasp” is probably going to land somewhere in the middle of the pack for me.

Entertainment year in review: My top five of 2015

At the end of year, I normally put together a top 10 list of my favorite entertainment items. When I first started blogging, I just did five items, mostly because I was still figuring this whole blogging thing out, 😉 but I later bumped it up to 10 because I had a hard time narrowing my list down. This year, however, I decided to drop it back down to five again. It wasn’t necessarily that I couldn’t find 10 things I liked; it was just that unlike the past couple years, there weren’t 10 items that clearly stood out.

I felt like this year, there were several franchise continuations that didn’t quite live up to their predecessors. “Age of Ultron,” “Spectre,” and “Mockingjay – Part 2” were all fun in their own ways (“Spectre” was probably my favorite of the three), but they didn’t achieve the heights of “The Avengers,” “Skyfall,” and “Catching Fire,” respectively. Interestingly, this might be the first year that only one of the movies from my beginning of 2015 “most anticipated” list ended up on my actual “best of the year” list (I bet you can’t guess what that movie is…). 😉 This year, there were several fun surprise break-out hits, and one highly anticipated movie that definitely lived up to the hype. So, here goes my list, counting down to my favorite film of the year…

Honorable mentions: Jurassic World and Cinderella

I know I’m already breaking my own rule to stick to just five. 😉 However, while these two movies didn’t make the top five, I still wanted to give them a shout-out. “Jurassic World” was a fun addition to the franchise and tried to recapture the spirit of the original 1993 film. Chris Pratt and his team of raptors were the highlight of the movie for me, though a stronger script probably would have landed this film higher on the list. I thought this year’s live action “Cinderella” was a sweet, charming fairy tale that managed to feel both fresh and traditional, updating a classic while not straying too far from the source material. I added both these to my movie collection this year.

5. The Martian

“The Martian” may be based on a fictional novel, but this film — which is a blend of “Gravity” and “Apollo 13” — feels all-too-real. Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is abandoned on Mars after his crew mistakenly assumes he has died during an emergency evacuation. Watney has to figure out how to survive alone on Mars, unable to even communicate with Earth to let them know he is alive. While this is an inspiring survival story with gorgeous cinematography, it’s also surprisingly funny. Watney maintains his sense of humor and determination to survive even though the odds are stacked against him. I’ve read the book, and it’s really good too.

4. Daredevil

While most of the items on my end of the year round-up tend to be movies, I couldn’t leave off Netflix and Marvel’s excellent new superhero show “Daredevil.” This show was darker and grittier than we’re used to seeing from Marvel, but the character development and plot were excellent. Charlie Cox shines as blind lawyer Matt Murdock, who moonlights as a vigilante known as Daredevil. Vincent D’Onofrio also was great as the show’s surprisingly nuanced villain Wilson Fisk (a.k.a. the Kingpin). The character was capable of terrible cruelty towards those who betrayed him, but he also expressed a sense of sacrificial tenderness towards the woman he loved.

3. Mad Max: Fury Road

This film definitely wasn’t on my radar at the beginning of 2015, and I certainly wouldn’t have guessed that it would end up on my highlights of the year list. However, this turned out to be a rousing, thought-provoking action film. The plot is deceptively simple — it is, essentially, a two-hour post-apocalyptic car chase — and the title is deceptive, too. While it’s called “Mad Max,” the movie essentially belongs to Charlize Theron’s Furiosa, who dares to defy a dangerous warlord. It’s a dark, violent film, but there’s also plenty of hope.

2. Ant-Man

Technically, I think “Mad Max: Fury Road” is probably a better film than “Ant-Man,” but Marvel gets the sentimental vote here (I do love my Marvel movies). 😉 I didn’t initially have very high hopes for “Ant-Man”; a superhero who runs with ants seemed like a hard concept to pull off onscreen. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this movie and found I actually liked it better than “Age of Ultron.” Paul Rudd is likeable as everyman hero Scott Lang, who dons the Ant-Man suit after receiving training from the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). The film has some great touches of humor, my favorite being the fight on the trainset, and Michael Peña provided some excellent comic relief as Lang’s best friend.

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

This comes, I’m sure, as a surprise to no one. 😉 It was my most anticipated film of the year, and I’m so happy I also get to list it as my favorite. There was so much pressure riding on this film, and I was very excited but also very nervous. Thankfully, the movie lived up to the hype, and it turned out to be the perfect blend of old and new, paying homage to the original trilogy while also introducing great new characters. I had a chance to watch it in IMAX over the holidays, and I liked it even more after a second viewing. Sitting in that darkened theater, watching the space battles and lightsaber fights play out on screen, I felt like a little kid again. It was magical.

Marvel Blog-a-thon Week 6: ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ and ‘Ant-Man’

Well, I thought had successfully planned out my Marvel blog-a-thon. Before I started, I checked the DVD release dates for “Age of Ultron” and “Ant-Man,” to make sure I could rewatch them for this project. The original estimated release date for “Ant-Man” was mid-October, so I thought I was good to go, but later I learned it was pushed back (oops). At least I was able to watch it twice in theaters this summer, and I did rent “Age of Ultron,” so I’ll forge ahead anyway!

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

If I had to pick a phrase to describe my relationship with “Age of Ultron,” it would probably be, “It’s complicated.” I actually only watched this movie once in theaters, which is unusual for me — I watched the first Avengers movie two times in 24 hours the weekend it was released, and I saw “Guardians of the Galaxy” three times in one week (I’m not kidding when I say I’m a hardcore Marvel fan). 😉 But for whatever reason, “Age of Ultron” just didn’t grab me as much as some of the other Marvel movies have. Many fans seemed to feel “Age of Ultron” wasn’t a bad movie, but it was a bit disappointing. Although my thoughts didn’t really change after watching it a second time, another viewing did help me sort out my thoughts.

There are some good things about “Age of Ultron.” It was nice to see more backstory for Hawkeye, the Avenger who often gets short-changed. He had a larger role in the plot this time, and we got to take a peek at his life outside S.H.I.E.L.D. and we learned he has a family. James Spader was great as the voice of Ultron, the artificial intelligence who nearly destroys the Avengers and the world. Spader’s voicework is eerie and mesmerizing, and I wanted to see even more scenes with his character. Paul Bettany also is great as the mysterious new superhero Vision, created by melding one of Ultron’s experiments, Tony Stark’s computerized “butler” J.A.R.V.I.S. and one of the Infinity Stones. And the fight between Hulk and Iron Man in the Hulkbuster suit is pretty awesome.

However, as a whole, “Age of Ultron” just doesn’t seem to capture the same magic as “The Avengers.” It may be there’s simply too much going on. One of the things I loved about “The Avengers” is that even though you had a lot of characters with big personalities running around, I felt like each of those characters got their moment to shine, and it was a blast to watch them learn to work together. In “Age of Ultron,” you have a new villain, several new side characters and two new Avengers: Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. It also doesn’t help that “X-Men: Days of Future Past” debuted their own version of Quicksilver a year earlier, and that he had what was arguably the year’s best and most fun action sequence, a slow-mo prison breakout set to “Time in a Bottle.” I even kinda forgot Andy Serkis had a small role in “Age of Ultron.” I felt like poor Captain America didn’t actually have a lot to do in this film, and some of the other characters also got lost in the action.

I wanted to see more of a focus on the storyline involving Tony creating Ultron. The idea of people creating their own demons is a dark but fascinating theme that wasn’t fully explored in this movie. Tony’s creation of Ultron was a little rushed, and the Avengers were too quick to gloss over the fact that he created Ultron — and Vision — without consulting them. Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are both intriguing character concepts, but I feel they weren’t fully explored either. The humor in the movie also doesn’t work as well as it does in some of the other Marvel films. There are definitely some funny moments, such as everyone trying to pick up Thor’s hammer and Thor’s slight moment of panic when the Cap almost moves it. But there aren’t as many quotable lines or memorable moments as “The Avengers.”

Another thing that bothered me was the unexpected romance between Bruce Banner/Hulk and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. I don’t have a problem with the idea itself, it just felt too forced here and I wasn’t really feeling the chemistry between the characters. I wish previous films had done more to set this up. It also felt confusing because Captain America and Black Widow had so much chemistry in “The Winter Soldier.”

I feel bad for criticizing this movie, because I really do love these characters and I appreciate the films Marvel has put together. I just think that in the end, “Age of Ultron” was trying to be too many things, and it didn’t live up to the promise of those dark, thrilling trailers. Instead of a stand-alone film, “Age of Ultron” simply feels like a bridge to other Marvel projects. It teases the smackdown between Tony and Captain America in “Civil War.” It teases the Asgardian apocalypse in Thor’s sequel “Ragnarok.” It teases the showdown with Thanos in “Infinity War.” (Interestingly, it did not tease the next-up Marvel movie, “Ant-Man.”)

Like I said, “Age of Ultron” is not a bad movie, and I still do plan to add it to my DVD collection. It just wasn’t quite what I’d hoped for, and it doesn’t strike me as one I’ll rewatch as often as some of the other Marvel films. Ironically, the Marvel film I was more worried about was “Ant-Man,” which so far is actually one of my favorite movies of the year.

Ant-Man (2015)

I’ll try to be brief in my section on “Ant-Man,” since I technically wasn’t able to rewatch it for the blog-a-thon. I’m really excited for it to come out on DVD, because it is one of my favorite Marvel films and it turned out to be such a fun surprise. Although it’s on a smaller scale than some of the other MCU films, it’s refreshingly clever and funny. One of Marvel’s greatest strengths is casting the perfect actors to play these characters, and Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man is no exception. While I was originally a little skeptical about whether Marvel could pull off a movie about a man whose superpower is shrinking down to the size of an insect, watching Scott Lang run around with an army of ants was actually pretty cool.

The film’s only drawback is its villain; Corey Stoll is a good actor and the Yellowjacket suit looks super cool, but the script doesn’t do much to develop the character. However, it’s still a great movie overall, and I’m looking forward to seeing how Marvel will work the character into future films, such as “Captain America: Civil War.”

“Ant-Man” finishes the reviews for my Marvel blog-a-thon, but I’m planning to post a wrap-up later this week, with my final ranking of Marvel films. Now I just need to get caught up on “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”!

Hits, misses and plenty of surprises: Summer 2015 in review

The summer movie wrap-up is probably my favorite blog to write each year. Summer blockbuster season is my favorite time at the box office, and it’s always fun to look back over the summer and review the hits and misses. While there are always a few surprises, I have to admit that this year, pretty much all my predictions were a bust. 😉 The movie I thought would be the biggest blockbuster of the summer as well as my personal favorite — “Avengers: Age of Ultron” — actually turned out to be neither. Instead, “Jurassic World” was the biggest blockbuster, breaking records set by the first Avengers movie. I was also surprised to find my favorite movies of the summer were “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Ant-Man.”

I’m still trying to decide how I ultimately feel about “Age of Ultron.” Like all Marvel movies, it was fun to watch, and I enjoyed seeing it in the theater. I really love these characters — and the actors who play them — and it’s always great to watch them onscreen. But this is the first Marvel movie in a long time I only watched once in theaters (I’m still not confessing how many times I saw one of my most-watched Marvel movies “Guardians of the Galaxy” in theaters 😉 but it was more than twice). I definitely want to watch “Age of Ultron” again when it’s released on DVD to see if my thoughts change. On first viewing, “Age of Ultron” doesn’t pack quite the same punch as the first Avengers team-up film. There’s a bit too much going on, and some subplots and characters don’t get quite enough development (i.e. the Hulk/Black Widow romance, the introduction of new heroes Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, Andy Serkis’ too-brief cameo appearance, etc.). Even though it made more money than Marvel’s other summer 2015 offering, “Ant-Man,” the latter felt like a better film.

The biggest surprise of the summer for me was “Mad Max: Fury Road.” With a 98 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating, the reboot of the classic ‘80s franchise is arguably the best movie of the summer. It’s a tense and thought-provoking action film with amazing visual effects, and while the strange post-apocalyptic setting takes a bit to get used to, the movie is a great ride. It’s also exciting to see an action movie with multiple nuanced roles for women, and though Mad Max (Tom Hardy) is the character whose name appears in the title, rebel leader Furiosa (Charlize Theron) is the star of the show.

I was also surprised by how much I enjoyed “Ant-Man.” Marvel’s long-delayed origin story created some negative pre-release buzz with the departure of original director Edgar Wright, but the movie turned out to be a fun, lighthearted treat. Paul Rudd is a great addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Ant-Man, and the film makers found a way to make a hero whose powers are shrinking and running with ants look really cool. The clever action sequence that takes place on the miniature train set is one of my favorite movie scenes this summer. I’m definitely on board for an “Ant-Man” sequel.

“Jurassic World” was a bit hit with audiences and ended up as the biggest blockbuster of the summer. While I was surprised to see it break “The Avengers” box office tally, now ranking as the third highest-grossing film of all time, I think the movie did well because it played on nostalgia for the original 1993 film and captured a sense of magic the previous two sequels didn’t quite attain. A stronger script would have made this a better film, but it was fun and made for a good summer popcorn flick. It was great to see new (and old) dinosaurs, and Chris Pratt makes a strong case for why he should be hired for the Indiana Jones reboot, playing a motorcycle-riding raptor wrangler.

Tom Cruise’s “Rogue Nation” proved that even after almost 20 years and five films, the “Mission: Impossible” franchise isn’t running out of steam. This is a fun but smart spy thriller, and as far as I’m concerned, Cruise can keep making these films as long as he likes.

The biggest flop of the summer was undoubtedly the “Fantastic Four” reboot, with a cringe-worthy 8 percent Rotten Tomatoes score. We’ll never know whether the movie was doomed from the beginning or whether the studio’s tampering ruined what may have been a better film. It’s tough for fans who are still waiting for a definitive Fantastic Four movie. It will be interesting to see if Fox has another go at this or decides to let Marvel take back the rights and work the Fantastic Four into their overall cinematic universe.

So, what do you think? What was your favorite film of the summer? What was the biggest surprise? What was the biggest disappointment?

After ‘Age of Ultron’ and ‘Ant-Man’: What’s next for Marvel?

2014 turned out to be an impressive year for Marvel. First, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” impressed both audiences and critics with its political thriller plot and truly game-changing revelation for the Marvel universe: the downfall of S.H.I.E.L.D. Then, despite some initial skepticism about how well it would play to general audiences, “Guardians of the Galaxy” — a quirky sci-f film starring Marvel D-list characters — became the highest-grossing movie of the year, turned Chris Pratt into a buzzed-about movie star, and made us all fall in love with a walking tree and a talking raccoon.

However, the sailing hasn’t been quite as smooth for Marvel this year. Although “Age of Ultron” made plenty of money, most fans seem to agree it didn’t completely live up to its potential. Marvel’s origin film “Ant-Man” turned out to be a very fun — and funny — movie, but it didn’t bring in as many dollars as Marvel’s previous offerings. So, what does this all mean for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and where is Marvel headed in the future?

First off, I’ve never NOT had fun watching an MCU movie. I love the characters, there’s always some funny lines, and I’ve never walked out of the theater wishing I hadn’t spent money on a ticket. There are always some redeeming factors to take away. Still, “Age of Ultron” left me wanting more. Maybe it was too many characters packed into one film. Maybe this time Marvel tried a bit too hard to create a film that was “darker” yet not give up any of the trademark one-liners. Maybe the film contained too many teasers to future Marvel films, taking up plot time that could have been used to add to the story or flesh out character development.

I hope for future films, Marvel will remember that sometimes, less is more (“Ant-Man” is a good example of this). Don’t try to pack too many heroes or plot points into one movie. Also, you don’t need to try too hard to convince us to see sequels with well-established characters — we already love Marvel and have practically pre-ordered our tickets already. 😉 Instead of scenes that were more than likely teasers for Thor 3, I would have liked to see “Age of Ultron” throw out a reference to Ant-Man, a new character that general audiences aren’t as familiar with.

I thought “Ant-Man” was a great deal of fun, and I wish it had earned more money in theaters. I am a little surprised it wasn’t able to ride the Marvel brand to a bigger box office take, and I definitely encourage fans to go see this movie. Maybe advertisements needed to communicate more clearly Ant-Man’s importance to the MCU and the Avengers team. Hopefully Marvel will be able to do this for another upcoming origin film starring another more obscure character, “Doctor Strange.”

Going forward, I’d like to see Marvel continue to expand into new mediums. Not every character needs a movie; for some characters, TV may be a better format to tell their story. Marvel and Netflix’s “Daredevil” is a great example of this. The show has a darker, edgier tone and more episodes to develop the characters. It also has one of the most complex and layered villains I’ve seen in a superhero project.

I’m also really looking forward to “Captain America: Civil War.” While this too carries the risk of trying to include too many characters in one film, I think the movie will actually be closer to what fans were hoping for from “Age of Ultron.” The film ups the MCU stakes by pitting two of the most popular Avengers characters against each other — Captain America and Iron Man — and forcing other superheroes to choose sides. I’m glad to see Paul Rudd show up on the cast list for this one; the movie could help tie the Ant-Man character into the MCU. I’m also glad to see other characters like Black Widow and Falcon.

Movie review: ‘Ant-Man’ proves bigger isn’t always better

On paper, I’m sure “Ant-Man” always looked like a tough sell. A superhero who discovers a suit that gives him the power to shrink to the size of an insect and control an army of ants isn’t an easy concept to pull off onscreen. With the film project also mired in development delays and internal issues, such as Marvel and original director Edgar Wright parting ways, “Ant-Man” seemed to be on a fast-track to earning the distinction of Marvel’s first real flop. However, the good news is, Marvel’s magic has worked once again, and “Ant-Man” is a charming, fun — and funny — addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

There are actually two “Ant-Mans” in this movie: Michael Douglas plays Hank Pym, the original creator of the suit who hides his technology from S.H.I.E.L.D. for fear of what could happen if it fell into the wrong hands, and Paul Rudd, who plays an ex-con named Scott Lang who is recruited by Pym to stop Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) from giving a similar technology to HYDRA. Pym and his daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly) train Lang to use the Ant-Man suit and show him that he’s capable of more than committing crimes.

Although I was initially more than a little worried about “Ant-Man,” considering all its production woes, this movie turned out to be a pleasant surprise, and I have to confess that I think I actually enjoyed it more than “Age of Ultron.” “Ant-Man” is certainly a film on a smaller scale (sorry, I know it’s bad, but I had to throw in at least one of those puns), and it doesn’t have the epic scope of the Marvel movies we’ve seen recently, such as “The Winter Soldier,” which brings the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. organization to its knees, or “Age of Ultron,” which features the creation of an artificial intelligence with the power to bring on the apocalypse. It does feel more like a “Phase I” origin story on the level of Marvel’s earliest films, and to some that could be a disadvantage.

However, that’s actually what I liked about “Ant-Man.” “Age of Ultron” almost had too many characters and too much going on. It tried to be darker but still pack in plenty of Marvel’s famous one-liners. “Ant-Man” may be a less grandiose movie, but it’s also a more cohesive story. While it does tie into the larger Marvel universe (there’s a great extended cameo — SPOILER ALERT! — from Anthony Mackie’s Avenger, “Falcon”), it also stands on its own, with a unique tone and message.

This film feels more like a comedy with action than Marvel’s other offerings (which feel like action with comedy), but I think that’s the right approach for this project. Paul Rudd is a good choice to play Scott Lang; I’ve always been a fan of Rudd’s, and he’s relatable and funny in this role. It’s also great to see Michael Douglas in a Marvel movie, and he plays the role sincerely. Another highlight for me was Michael Peña as Lang’s enthusiastic and good-natured former cell mate Luis.

The film’s special effects also are strong. While a tiny superhero running with ants may not seem as dynamic as, say, Bruce Banner rampaging as the Hulk, watching Scott Lang shrink down and control an army of hundreds of ants is actually pretty cool. I also really liked the fight scenes with Ant-Man and Yellowjacket (the villain Stoll’s character becomes), with both characters alternately shrinking then jumping back to full size.

The film does have some weaknesses, one of which is the villain. There’s nothing wrong with the casting; I just wish Corey Stoll had been given a little more to work with in terms of character background and motivation. Part of me also still wonders what a full-on Edgar Wright Marvel movie would have been like. Wright is perhaps best known for his film “Shaun of the Dead” and has a quirky, decidedly British style of comedy. I’m sure this version of “Ant-Man” has been altered somewhat from his original vision, but I’d like to think the funniest moments — such as the mini train set fight — were Wright’s touches.

Although “Ant-Man” isn’t a flawless film, as a movie-going experience I really enjoyed it, and I’m definitely eager to see it again. I hope it performs well at the box office because I want to see Marvel make more movies like this one. I’m excited about Marvel’s big round-up movies like “Captain America: Civil War,” but I also still want to see them pursue smaller, origin-story projects like this one.