Craggus’ Countdown To Infinity: Ant-Man (2015)
Scientist Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) has spent his life keeping his creation out of the hands of SHIELD and any other world power but when his former protégé Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) manages to recreate some of his work, he is forced to recruit talented thief Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) to help him and his estranged daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly) keep his technology from falling into the wrong hands.
Having spent the last couple of movies going really, really big, what else were Marvel to do but…the exact opposite, and go really, really small? Not content with expanding their horizons to the cosmic frontier, the Marvel Cinematic Universe sets about introducing yet another level to their multiverse: Ant-Man’s microverse.
It may have been the film everyone was expecting to bring Marvel’s astonishing run to a juddering halt, especially with its notoriously troubled production and late exit of fêted Director Edgar Wright, few were expecting “Ant-Man” to be decent, let alone very, very good.
Again, Marvel’s eye for casting paid off, with Paul Rudd’s easygoing charm and likeable wit partnering with Michael Douglas’ grumpy gravitas to deliver a fun heist movie where the caper more than made up for one of Marvel’s most underdeveloped villains.
Here’s what I thought the first time I saw it: Ant-Man (2015) Review
No new stones, but isn’t a whole new universe enough?
Hope van Dyne/ The Wasp-to-be (Evangeline Lilly), Hank Pym/ Ant-Man Snr (Michael Douglas),
Stan’s a bartender who helps Luis (Michael Peña) to bridge the gap between the Avengers and Ant-Man while there’s a fun cameo from Falcon (Anthony Mackie) that connects the film to the wider Marvel world.
Mid-credits, Hank Pym unveils a new Hope as The Wasp costume makes a promise-laden appearance while post-credits, we get a glimpse at the upcoming action of “Captain America: Civil War” as Cap and Falcon discuss what they should do with a captured Bucky Barnes.
And there’s a literal tingle of the spider-senses as an oblique reference to the web-slinger is dropped in at the end of the movie.
Originally, the film was going to focus on the Hank Pym incarnation of Ant-Man but, given the characters dark and chequered past, it was decided to use Scott Lang as the focus. Hints of Pym’s dark side remain, however, in glimpses of his short temper.
8/10 
