Ant-man does no get the love it deserves. After revisiting this movie, I’m perplexed as to why so many people discard the superhero for superheroes. The Avengers do well as a team, however, as solo projects those movies are quite disappointing. The first two Thor films were so-so. Dr. Strange: modestly received. Iron Man (the first movie) shocked everyone until the second film followed and shat on the credibility of Robert Downey’s return to stardom. Black Panther will likely to surpass all superhero films (not including Spider-man and The Dark Knight trilogy but those aren’t owned by Disney). So what gives with Ant-man? This movie is fun, full of action comedy, and heartfelt — what’s not to like!
How often do we ever witness the heart of the hero on screen?
Scott Lang is a father who turned to crime to support his family. Although justified in the cause, this deviation from Electronic Engineer to master thief didn’t merit the prosperity of praise; he spent five years in the ‘pokey’ for his misdeeds. Upon release, Scott resumes a life of normality but quickly discovers that life on the other side (of crime) has him boxed in another cell full of societal stigmas that do not favor felons.
So, he returns to crime.
Sort of.
Hank Pym offers him a chance at redemption. One last job to restore his livelihood using skills he already possesses. The rub: break into a high-level-security building and destroy the Yellowjacket, a power suit similar to that worn by the original Ant-man, Hank Pym, but more lethal. This technology could weaponize a nation with an army of high tech super soldiers.
Why not take the risk?
As a citizen he is nothing. As a father, he’s viewed as a failure. Destroy the Yellowjacket and prove himself to be a better man and a worthy father. Funny thing is Scott’s daughter already knows him to be a good man. Lang’s insecurity is rooted deep within his own self-doubt and past failures. Ant-man is Scott seeking out the hero within himself and discovering the very characteristic of what makes a hero, super.
Human superheroes have human emotions.
Most of Iron Man 3 we spend with Tony Stark dealing with the aftermath of The Avenger’s assault on New York. Broken by the traumatic events of that ordeal where he almost lost his life, he suffers from grief, overwhelming fear, and the burden of heroism. Very believable. Humans suffer, whether you have a super suit or superpowers, a human is still human. To have this human feel is a biological response manifested by the chemistry of our brains. This departure from who’ll get the tech next and become a villain is what Iron Man needed. In the comic book, Tony Stark was a raging alcoholic (in one story arc). For the movie screen, he’s a victim of post-traumatic stress. Again, a natural human response. No shame in admitting your feelings.
In the Widening Gyre, a Batman comic, Kevin Smith wrote a scene where Batman admits to pissing himself and readers freaked out. How could the almighty cape crusader admit to doing such a thing!
Batman admitted to a natural human response to fear. If any of us ‘seen’ the things he witnesses or goes up against, pissing your pants is the worst of our worries. Besides, frogs do it to ward off predators. Consider dropping a duce when someone attacks you to challenge the reaction of your attacker. This all too unpleasant smell is likely to disarm him or her for a moment opening an opportunity for you to escape or hurt that person (or bear) before it hurts you.
Iron Man and Ant-man are only two superheroes without ’superpowers’. Any showcase of weakness is only to witness their human vulnerabilities. We love to see the hero in ourselves characters on screen, in books, or on the field but what we often seem to disregard is their humanity; they’re flawed just like us.
Ant-man is that chaser of lime after you down a shot of Infinity War vodka.
Reconsider Ant-man, it’s important to Paul Rudd and the success of this new phase of Marvel superhero movies. We need this normal guy as a relatable on-screen persona. He’s not billionaire Bruce Wayne. We’re not jealous of this Scott (except for the fact he gets to fight alongside blank from lost).
Think of it like this: Ant-man is an underdog story. We all love underdog movies. Watch Rudy or Hoosiers (my all time favorite) or karate kid, then soak in Ant-man. He’s worth rooting for in the long run, especially if you care for the future of MCU films to come.