Ant-Man is the new Marvel Cinematic Universe (in line with Iron Man, Thor, Avengers, etc). It’s a smaller scale (hah!) superhero flick than the past few Marvel flicks and I kind of think that’s a relief. Instead of the end of the world and massive explosions and building collapsing, etc., we get a relatively limited heist story.

In case you aren’t aware, Ant-Man is a superhero who can shrink to the size of an ant… and also mentally control ants to do his bidding. Which, yes, could be a fairly silly premise. But the movie works regardless.

Paul Rudd plays the hero with Michael Douglas playing the first generation of the character (and Evangeline Lilly as his daughter). So this is Ant Man v. 2 and if I have any complaints about the flick, it’s that it sometimes feels like the sequel to a movie that was never made. But that feeling is very minor since this movie is written and acted well enough to make a lot of exposition feel natural. It’s a smart and funny movie with a solid script. The movie works.

The heist (or heists) in question generally involve trying to keep the shrinking tech out of the hands of the bad guys… requiring a plan to break into a locked down facility. And that’s what I mean by the story is small even if the stakes are a bit higher.

Also, this does tie very well into the overall Marvel Cinematic universe with smart references to events of past movies and a great scene that brings in some cool cameos. Cameos that could have felt like a cheap insert but actually fit the plot perfectly while not feeling like a ploy to get you excited for the next Marvel flick.

So, yeah, it’s worth seeing. It’s a good, fun, and funny flick. On the one hand, a lesser Marvel movie but also one with so few problems that it elevates it.

Score: 82