I think at the time, many people panned Ant-Man. But I loved it. There were a couple reasons:

• it was really funny
• it was so self-contained

The impacts of the main story were limited, to a company and city – so it felt more reasonable (potentially even more so after Ultron). Also, maybe I just love Paul Rudd a little bit?

Also allllll the re-caps by Michael Pena (Luis) are hilarious.

Oh man, this film is so delightful. Such a quick intro, Scott having to learn on the fly. How all the miniaturised versions of things sound terrifying (like the rat, the beating wings of insects). I love the characters. I love that the set up is simple.

Cross is a bit weak as a character – though not as weak as some others. He’s a bit of a psychopath and an evil genius. The end goal is money or world domination or whatever. But fine. At least he’s closer to the characters than “oh boo, your father ripped off my father” like Iron Man 2.

I love how Hope is so skeptical and she does not have any fucks to give. She’s so wonderful. I love that they set up the sequel with her wanting to take the reins and Hank holding her back. EVERYTHING IS GREAT ABOUT THIS FILM.

Even the little side mission to get the whatever regulator thingy, which is essentially a macguffin, was all in service to the plot. We need to have an idea that Scott can be Ant-Man and beat the baddies. The training sequences all pay off in their own ways. SO DELIGHTFUL. Like the first Iron Man it is just so efficient.

There’s also all  relatively light touch bits where you get the wider universe – like the mentions of Hydra and the Avengers at various points (and of course, the appearance of Falcon).

There are some bad bits – like what are the chances that Cross would managed to shoot Antony, literally a tiny bug, with a bullet? Also, the terrible thing where the other guy can put on the suit and be just as good as the person who trained. I think they allude to Cross having used the formula. But still. We get that whole training montage and then he can just do all the same stuff. The Iron Man issue all over again.

In the end, you have to have the guy in the suit – otherwise the battle would be not so dramatic or fucking hilarious. Like, playing Disintegration by the Cure in the falling suitcase? The exploding Lifesaver? So amazing. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” THE TRAIN? THE EMBIGGENED ANT? Omg. All of this was amazing. I loved it all so much.

I LOVE EVERYTHING. THIS IS THE BEST FILM. THE END.