Ant-Man is a silly movie... and that's a good thing.

Ant-Man Movie Review

by Brian Wezowicz

After viewing Marvel's latest entry to its cinematic universe, I had one word come to mind.  Silly.  I don't mean that in a condescending or derogatory way.  I mean it in the most flattering way possible.  Ant-Man, Marvel's latest origin story delivers the laughs and thrills equally.  You don't have to think too hard about the plot, and really, the script doesn't try to hard to be "smart."

With the main Avengers (Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America) all nearing the end of their contractual runs, Marvel has the difficult task of keeping its cinematic universe chugging at full steam ahead, while introducing the lesser known heroes into the midst.  Ant-Man introduces us to two generations of Ant men, (both Hank Pym, played wonderfully by Michael Douglas & Paul Rudd as Scott Lang).  Back in the 80s, Pym developed a serum that could shrink a soldier down to the size of an ant, giving them enormous strength.  We learn that he didn't want the serum falling into the wrong hands and he abandoned the project before it could blow up in his face.

Flash forward to years later and Pym's protege (played with just the right amount of a-hole by House Of Cards Corey Stall) has almost re-created this ant-serum with the intentions of selling it to the highest bidder (i.e. Hydra).  With Pym being too old to don the suit, he must find a suitable replacement.  And that replacement is super-thief, Scott Lang.  I loved Paul Rudd's performance here.  He fills the role with a perfect blend of charm and charisma. 

The movie's one downfall is that it takes a long time for Rudd to find his ant legs.  I could have done without a couple of the training montages.  It's a small (pun intended) complaint, though. Once you get through an endless amount of training montages, this film really picks up steam.  There's more than one Marvel cameos sprinkled throughout the film to connect it to the larger Avengers storyline, and the action is top notch.  The fight aboard the Thomas train towards the end shows just how fun and silly this film can be.  Cutting between closeups of the train and wide shots had me rolling in the aisles.

The supporting cast is also a high note for this film.  Michael Pena shines as Scott Lang's dufus buddy.  The scenes where he had to tell a "simple" story to Lang are the true highlights of this film.  Paul Rudd and Adam McKay gave this script a polish after original director Edgar Wright (Shaun Of The Dead) departed the film mid-production.  With all the rumors of production rift, I'm surpised this film worked out so well.

Ant-Man is a light-hearted, completely entertaining origin story.  It's not as good as some of the other films, but it leaves the Avengers in good hands once Iron Man, Captain America and Thor ride off into the cinematic sunset.  I'm looking forward to more adventures with Ant-Man (and judging by the post-credit scene we won't have to wait long).

I'm giving this movie 2.5 out of 4 stars.  There's a lot to like in it and if you're looking for good night out... go see it.  Stay for the entire credits.  As per Marvel tradition, there are multiple scenes to look out for.

Pixar's Inside Out is a legitimate Best Picture contender.

Inside Out

Movie Review by Brian Wezowicz

It wouldn't be accurate to say that Pixar is back with Inside Out.  I don't think they ever really left.  Even some of their more disappointing films (and I use that term loosely), like Brave and Cars, were still wildly entertaining visual marvels.  They may not have been Pixar's best, but they were worth the price of admission.  I will say that Pixar has delivered its most emotionally satisfying (pun intended) movie in years.  Inside Out is a legitimate best picture nominee (if only people would get over their aversion to considering an animated film for best picture) filled with wonderful performances that will have you reaching for the tissues (in a good way).

Have you ever wondered what's going on in your mind?  Me too.  Thanks to Inside Out, you get a surprisingly accurate, albeit highly exaggerated explanation for why we react the way we do.  It also delves deeper into the importance of family, memories and friendship, and their impact on forming core memories.

The best part of this movie is the stellar voice cast. Amy Poehler shines as Joy, the leader of the team of emotions.  She is convinced that being happy all the time is the way to a perfect life.  Phyllis Smith (You know her as Phyllis Vance on The Office) steals the show as Sadness, the Eeyore of the bunch.  Her idea of a fun memory is "remember that movie where the dog died?".  She is the perfect counter point to Poehler's Joy.  Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, and the always hilarious Lewis Black round out the cast as Fear, Disgust, and Anger.  Seeing them work together to show the entire spectrum of human emotion is truly a treat to behold.

This film teaches us of the importance of indulging in our emotions.  You can't just be happy all of the time.  It's important for us to feel sad and angry and fearful and disgusted.  These emotions make us who we are as people.  I don't want to spoil the plot too much because you should really stop reading this and head to your local theater.  I can't wait to buy this movie and watch it with my family over and over again.

I'm giving this movie 4 out of 4 stars.  It may be a cartoon, but you won't see a more human movie all year.