Ant-Man

I always thought this was the dumbest idea ever, and I was wrong. Ant-Man is a fun summer romp of a blockbuster with a cool superhero and cooler supporting team.

Paul Rudd stars as Scott Lang - a notorious burglar who stole from an evil corporation, but was caught and sent to jail (Robin Hood wins fans for robbing from the rich and giving to the poor, but he is still stealing).

After doing his time, Scott is finding it very hard to land a job, and falling behind on child support payments, which is causing a further rift between the ex-con, his ex-wife (Judy Greer) and adorable daughter (Abby Ryder Fortson).

Just when all seems lost, Scott is contacted by legendary scientist Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), who believes the burglar has the right set of skills and dedication to justice needed to help save the world.

Years ago, Pym developed a secret suit and formula to shrink a human being to ant size while maintaining human strength. Fearing Stark Industries would use it for military purposes, Pym walked away from the project, but his protégé, Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), picked up on the work years later.

Now, Cross, who is starting to go batty, is too close to developing the power and putting it in the wrong hands. Guess who has to stop him!

Rudd is known for comedy, so it is not a shock to see him be funny (especially with a script full of so many good one-liners). However, he shows the strength of a leading man and has the believability to be a superhero as he draws compassion from the audience and serves as the complex moral center of Ant-Man.

Sure, we have seen the plight of the determined father trying to connect with his estranged child before, so this storyline might not have the desired impact, but bringing in Pym’s troubled relationship with his daughter (Evangeline Lilly), is overkill. I wish the writing team picked one and went with it.

Yet, don’t we all want more Michael Douglas in Ant-Man? Truth be told, Pym is the co-lead as a mentor to Scott and the character who brings the past and present together. Douglas is fun to watch as the commanding genius who is trying to use his brilliance and skill for good, and the kind of experienced actor who squeezes the ultimate impact from the right amount of effort.

Ultimately, you probably want to see Ant-Man for the amazing special effects. Watching the hero work with his armies of ants is fascinating and some of the most thrilling action of the summer, along with his quick changes from human size to ant size and back.

Ant-Man is rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence.