Much like the titular hero’s insect allies, 2015’s Ant-Man is easy to overlook in the ever-growing catalog of films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After ten years and twenty movies, the MCU has become so massive that ranking the films has become an increasingly difficult exercise and forgetting some of the universe’s entries has become astoundingly common.
As a result, Ant-Man has managed to become Marvel’s hidden gem, shining like a jewel in the middle of an ant maze. Despite its famously troubled production and admittedly generic villain, the movie garnered an impressive 82% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an A grade on CinemaScore. Here are five reasons why Ant-Man is the MCU’s most underrated film:
1. Comedy Gold
The MCU is known for its penchant of blending action and comedy, typically striking a more lighthearted tone than the films in its DC counterpart. More recently, the franchise’s humor has gone into overdrive with joke-heavy movies like Thor: Ragnarok, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. But before these films put audiences in stitches, Ant-Man was arguably the funniest movie in the cinematic universe.
Edgar Wright certainly deserves some credit for the film’s humor; even though he left the project during pre-production, Wright imparted his comedic sensibilities into the movie’s DNA as its original director and writer. In front of the camera, meanwhile, actors Paul Rudd, Michael Peña, and Michael Douglas all have incredible comic timing that help each joke nail its landing.
A few comical standouts from the film include the Baskin-Robbins scene, Luis’s (Michael Peña) extended stories, and the comedic beats in the fight between Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and Yellowjacket (Corey Stoll). Like the first Guardians of the Galaxy, though, Ant-Man’s gags are so effective because of how organically they are infused into the story and character interactions.
2. On-Point Casting
Remember what I said about comic timing? That’s not the only thing the cast of Ant-Man brings to the table. Much has been said about the MCU’s stellar record of perfectly casting its heroes, and Ant-Man is absolutely another notch in the belt for casting director Sarah Halley Finn. Just as the idea of Chris Pratt playing a superhero was once scoffed at; Paul Rudd was by no means a conventional choice to play Scott Lang/Ant-Man. However, Rudd brought a vital dose of charisma to the role and perfectly navigated his action scenes after getting himself in heroic shape.
Likewise, Michael Douglas was born to play Hank Pym. Douglas nails the wry, world-weary character from the start but also carries a sense of earnestness and regret that make Pym incredibly sympathetic. Alongside Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Douglas is one of the strongest big-name supporting cast members in the MCU.
Meanwhile, not only does Michael Peña steal every scene in which he appears, the actor also bears the distinction of being the first actor of Mexican descent to have a major role in an MCU film. Ant-Man may not be on par with Black Panther, but we can count it as at least a small win for diversity.
And then there is Evangeline Lilly’s performance as Hope van Dyne, who I’ll get to in a bit.
3. Genre
Outside of superb casting, the secret weapon in the MCU’s arsenal is that the films are never boxed into just the superhero genre. Rather, the cinematic universe’s many entries aren’t afraid to explore and incorporate elements from other genres. Guardians of the Galaxy is a sci-fi movie. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a spy thriller. Spider-Man: Homecoming is a John Hughes-esque coming-of-age story. And Ant-Man, of course, is a heist film.
Whether we’re talking about Ocean’s Eleven, Reservoir Dogs, or Baby Driver, audiences love a good heist. Movies about elaborate plans and intricate crimes have a special gravitational pull that brings viewers to the edge of their seats, and that phenomenon is definitely at work in Ant-Man. Seeing the team develop and execute the plan is a thrill from start to finish, full of twists and jokes that keep you engaged throughout.
And thanks to Ant-Man’s shrinking abilities, the heist never feels generic or like anything you’ve seen before. The ingenuity of using ants to sneak into a facility, fry a computer system, and incapacitate guards never fails to impress me. And that level of creativity is not consigned solely to the heist.
4. Creative Powers and Actions
The final battle between Ant-Man and Yellowjacket in Cassie’s (Abby Ryder Fortson) bedroom is one of the cleverest fight scenes in the MCU. The absurdity of having two characters in super suits duke it out among a child’s toys is marvelous (pun definitely intended). Seeing Thomas the Tank Engine run over Yellowjacket never fails to make me chuckle.
This level of creativity is displayed throughout the film, most notably in the film’s set pieces. We’ve all seen a training montage before (perhaps the most famous ones coming from Rocky and The Karate Kid), but a training montage that feels reminiscent of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is truly unique. The scene perfectly exhibits Scott’s imaginative abilities (shrinking and ant telepathy) in an equally imaginative fashion.
Other inspired moments include the aforementioned heist, Scott’s encounter with Falcon (Anthony Mackie), and the battle in the brief case. Plus, having Antony double as Scott’s sidekick and primary means of transportation in these scenes adds a surprising amount of heart to the film. Who would think that a single ant could have such an impact on audiences? Of course, Scott’s greatest ally is a character just getting started.
5. The Future Wasp
The MCU is full of badass women. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), and Okoye (Danai Gurira) are just a few that come to mind. Yet Hope van Dyne is perhaps the most fully realized and fleshed out of Marvel’s heroines.
Played masterfully by Evangeline Lilly, Hope’s no-nonsense personality and dry sense of humor reveal that she clearly takes after her father even as she resents him for distancing himself from Hope following her mother’s “death.” As Hope slowly warms up to Scott and learns to forgive her father, Lilly’s chemistry with Rudd and Douglas jumps off the screen. Putting aside her feelings about her father to save his company and countless lives from the Yellowjacket technology, Hope is perhaps the most heroic character in the film.
With her martial arts skills and knowledge of advanced technology, she is undoubtedly the most capable. Plus, while she does share a kiss with Scott, Hope is never relegated to the role of damsel in distress or a traditional love interest. All of these factors make Hope the unexpected star of Ant-Man.
Looking forward to this film’s sequel, one of the things I am most excited to see is Hope’s transformation into the Wasp. Following Lilly’s standout performance in the first film, Hope will likely steal the show in Ant-Man and the Wasp. It’s hard to believe that, 20 films into the MCU, we are only now getting our first title heroine (though she still has to settle for second billing). But thankfully, it is finally happening. As Hope says upon receiving the Wasp suit from her father, “It’s about damn time.”
