Most critics find Ant-Man a likeable, lightweight entry that benefits from thinking small. Praise clusters around Paul Rudd, whose easy charm carries the film for nearly every reviewer, and Michael Peña, singled out repeatedly as the comic highlight. The size-shifting set pieces draw the warmest notices, in particular the climactic fight among a child’s toys and a model railway. The modest scale is welcomed as a break from world-ending Marvel spectacle.
The reservations are about everything around those set pieces. A large group finds the film bland and safe, with heavy exposition, a predictable backstory and nods to the wider franchise that play like advertising; several regret Edgar Wright’s departure and sense his absence in the direction. Slant Magazine adds that the female characters have little to do. The spread is wide: The Wrap finds neither the jokes nor the thrills land, though it admires Michael Douglas’s dry, bitter turn.
T
Total Film
8 July 2015 · Kevin Harley
85*
Marvel delivers a fun, fizzy, confident semi-reset with wit, flair, top-notch casting and inventive size gags; it nails the comedy/drama/action balance and set-pieces despite the director change, refreshing the MCU in a super-sized summer.
It is a breezy, likable superhero heist movie with state-of-the-art shrinking effects, moments of wonder, self-deprecation and solid genre-straddling entertainment, though some supporting characters feel broad.
The review praises the film as an enjoyably scaled-down and genial origin story that succeeds through charm and inventive size-shifting sequences. It singles out the playful Thomas the Tank Engine chase and smaller-scale approach for delight while noting the replacement of Edgar Wright.
Ant-Man stands apart from the Marvel pack by being small in scale and offering an enjoyable, intermittently inspired effects-driven comedy that serves as a welcome antidote to over-burdened world-saving stories. Director Peyton Reed manages effects well while navigating competing comic sensibilities in the script.
The critic celebrates the film as playful and off-center with a light touch that distinguishes it from standard Marvel entries. He singles out Paul Rudd’s charming everyman performance and the vintage sci-fi feel, especially the Thomas the Tank Engine climax, for praise.
The film succeeds as a lighter, humorous Marvel entry thanks to Paul Rudd's winning performance and a good cast, despite fundamentally silly story dynamics and elemental family melodrama. It offers a welcome change of scale from typical blockbuster overkill.
The film plays like a charmingly tacky jet-suit robot picture for kids without the familiar Marvel bloat, thanks to its shrinking hero premise and Paul Rudd's likable performance. It is pleasant but not much more, with limp direction from Peyton Reed.
The film is a bland Marvel product lacking originality, heart and directorial flair compared to what Edgar Wright might have delivered. It praises Michael Peña's performance as a highlight amid the formulaic execution.
This is a light-hearted adventure with effective laughs from Rudd and Peña plus well-handled size-changing sequences. It notes the film is more jesting than jousting and serves as a stepping stone to larger MCU entries.
The first half is dominated by leaden exposition and shoehorned Marvel continuity references, while the screenplay is largely unfunny and the film finds little purpose for its female characters. Later set pieces, including the climactic bedroom battle, are clever and visually adventurous highlights that subvert typical Marvel structures.
The film is a reasonably amusing but patchy Marvel adventure whose main appeal lies in the comic potential of its hero's size-shifting gimmick. The critic notes some clever sequences and wit but finds the result uneven, with wasted talent and tiresome cross-promotion of other Marvel properties.
The film is too bland and safe overall, with an Edgar Wright-sized hole in its execution that leaves it inoffensive but unmemorable. It praises the small-scale approach as a reminder of the people underneath the spandex.
The miniature set pieces and effects are fun and inventive, but the film is slow and wearisome until the virtuoso final scene; the core idea is not strong enough and the father-daughter themes feel forced within the relentless Marvel machine.
The critic views the film as a passable but unremarkable Marvel sidebar that relies on whimsical humor and scale play while serving corporate franchise needs. He singles out the cartoonish whimsy for occasional amusement but faults the origin-story obligations and overall drone-like execution.
The film is a mediocre action-adventure that only intermittently proves exciting, hilarious or touching and never at once. It struggles to escape the shadow of bigger, bolder Marvel movies despite Rudd's charm.
The film is seen as insubstantial lightweight fare compared to bigger Marvel entries, with traces of self-mocking humour but unsure tone, laborious exposition, thin characters and superficial performances. It is called more an hors-d’oeuvre than a full meal.
The critic calls the film a hoot that is at times laugh-out-loud funny and never takes itself too seriously. He singles out Paul Rudd’s comic sensibilities and light touch in the title role for praise, along with the special effects and director Peyton Reed hitting the right tone.
It's a hugely entertaining superhero comedy and refreshing break from Marvel formula, praising Rudd's performance and humor woven into action set pieces while noting some awkward MCU integration moments.
The film succeeds as a light-hearted heist comedy within the MCU, delivering laughs, inventive action, and strong performances from its cast. It stands out for its playful tone and originality in the franchise despite following the usual formula.
The critic calls it one of Marvel's pretty good days, praising its tight script, heist structure, Michael Peña's performance, and inventive direction by Peyton Reed. They note it leaves you wanting more Ant-Man.
The retooled film feels like a conventional, slightly anonymous MCU entry after Edgar Wright's departure, hampered by heavy exposition and safe choices. It offers some witty sequences and fun moments but remains a minor, milder effort overall.
A consistently entertaining and likeable popcorn flick with nifty visuals and light relief from Michael Peña, but it often feels formulaic due to an obvious backstory and predictable romantic subplot.
The critic likes the idea of a heist film with an emotional father-daughter core but finds it falls drastically short due to dull characters and stale plot beats. Moments of offbeat humor and micro-verse visuals stand out, along with Michael Peña's performance, but the film is ultimately inoffensive and safe.
The critic finds that the jokes don’t land and the thrills don’t thrill in this pedestrian superhero saga. He singles out Michael Douglas’ dryly witty and convincingly bitter performance, along with the execution of the heist sequence, for praise amid broader complaints about the script and lack of charm.
Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate
