#Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lily have great chemistry

[nicholasmoorethetwittermigrant]

Gained a new appreciation for this ship in the past couple weeks. They real cute.

[tasteslikekeys]

Sensory Overload #6 - Film & Voltron

Since I don’t have my crew of friends while I’m back home with my parents, I spend any time I’m not working on the house or my job at the movies. Thus, this insanity.

These go back to June and definitely doesn’t include all of the films I’ve seen since last Overload. I’m really terrible at keeping up with this. ANYWHO.

How To Talk To Girls At Parties

I rarely consider walking out of movies, yet this one tried my patience and senses after the first act. I didn’t feel it successfully married the cinematic styles it goes into rather late in the film, and gave off the impression of indecision. The main boy turns from charming to eye-rolling ownership of this alien girl, and the ending felt like sci-fi white boy fantasy fanfic. Really want to know how the film was pitched to get Ruth Wilson and Nicole Kidman attached. Seriously, wtf.

Ocean’s 8

CATE BLANCHETT IN SUITS. Does anything else matter? Not really. I will gladly watch more if it turns into a franchise, but I felt the characters lacked development and specifics that Soderbergh had in the last remake. And I have to admit to kinda missing the gilded Soderbergh look. BUT. It was a fun time, and when I wasn’t ogling Cate, I was absolutely delighted by Anne Hathaway.

Hereditary

Weeks later, and I am still giving myself a nightly pep talk to not think about THAT death before bed. One of the most visceral scenes I’ve ever witnessed. Didn’t help that the Drafthouse has excellent sound, and having those damn clicks hop around the theater kept me on edge. I’ll have to do some digging or see if the digital release comes with info on how much they composited the actors into the miniature sets, because that one pan to the phone was fun. It’s just a really interesting film about grief, genetics, and trauma. Collette gives a stellar performance and I was kept guessing until the end.

A Boy and His Samurai

I was not prepared for this movie to be so SWEET. Literally. It’s probably due to all the fic I read, but it is peak Fluff, Fish Out of Water, Kid Fic, Bakery AU, Time Travel. A Samurai pops into present day and into the lives of a single mother and her adorable son. Seemingly stuck out of time, our Samurai becomes the stay-at-home caretaker and discovers the art of baking. And it is DELICIOUS. Also, if there is ever a live-action Voltron movie, my pick for Shiro is Ryo Nishikido. Holy moly.

First Reformed

I really enjoyed this film...until the last 5 minutes. I liked how the camera is really specific, very centered, almost devoid of greens, and I enjoyed the commitment to the standard size frame. However, I am still resistant to high frame rate, and some shots had my teeth on edge. And I’d like to ask why Seyfried’s dialogue was the way it was, where it sounded so unnatural. Ethan Hawke gives a really great performance of a priest struggling with God and humanity’s guilty conscience towards the Earth. But that ending...

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Those bowls of tissues outside the theater were no joke. Have ‘em handy. It is so important to feel capable and worthy of love. We have a problem with empathy and recognizing it as a strength. The world would be a better place if we looked, listened, and loved like Fred Rogers.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

I am in the unpopular camp of not really liking Ant-Man. If Paul Rudd weren’t Scott, I’d be struggling to stay interested. I don’t feel any valid chemistry between the Pyms, or the Pyms with Scott. Rudd ages like fine wine and my eyes have been dilating for Evangeline Lily since LOST...but together? I don’t buy it. I think Lily totally has the range to give Hope dimension and appeal, but it’s just not in the scripts. I will say the sequel did much better with her than the first film. I loved her teasing about Cap (that smile), and the film letting her get sweaty and messy and yum. Honestly, my favorite relationship in this franchise is with his repaired family. The support from Paxton was downright adorable.

Sorry to Bother You

WHOA. I mean. Whoa. I’m pretty dang impressed with how the crew kept a major plot point out of marketing. I would have neeeeever guessed it would take such a turn. I’ve loved Lakeith Stanfield play supporting roles in things like Atlanta, so him as a lead in a film was a treat. The film is playful, bold, brutal, and terrifying. And maybe has my favorite Armie Hammer performance of all time. 

Three Identical Strangers

A crazy, unbelievable journey through the Nature/Nurture debate. What starts has a happy reunion story takes a disturbing turn, and the lines we cross to try and understand what is and isn’t in our control. 

Eighth Grade

The young actors in this film blew me away. They are paaaaainfully realistic and had my shoulders up to my ears the entire time. But it was the dad, played by Josh Hamilton, that stole my heart. He gives a speech that just squeezed my heart to pieces. I was able to see a live Q&A after the film, and really loved Burnham’s insight and thoughtful answers to the questions asked. It was also wonderful to see that Jake Ryan is as strange and funny as Gabe.

Hotel Transylvania 3

Does this series need to exist? Nope. Did I enjoy the heck out of this third installment? You bet your britches. Something I’ve noticed with the 3rd film in a series like this, is that artists and creators just have FUN. And it shows. We already know the characters, so they can just go nuts on art direction, design, and animation. Things go full Tex Avery, and I loved it. The story is nothing new, but in Tartakovsky’s hands, there is some stellar animation and visual gags. I don’t know how they break these rigs the way they do in these films, but it’s clear, timed amazingly, and the hilarious. I sat next to a woman and 3 kids, and this woman and I were in tears over some of Drac’s faces. That dance sequence to Bruno Mars ALONE. 

Beast

My first Film Club screening at Houston’s Alamo Drafthouse. I had only seen the vague trailer and knew nothing else of what to expect. No furry beasties in this flick. Only the human kind, which is far more frightening. It’s a beautiful-looking film. I’m a sucker for a good, slow truck-in, and this movie does them right. It’s a film where 5 people could see it together and have 5 different opinions on the Who Done It. There was a discussion after the film, and we all had our own takes. I enjoy movies like this that almost demand to be seen more than once, so you can re-interpret the clues and motives knowing the end.

Mission Impossible: Fallout

Henry Cavill. Mustache. That bathroom fight sequence. The End. Seriously, that fight sequence was worth price of admission. It was choreographed, blocked, and edited perfectly. I don’t stay up on this franchise, but @matthewjacksonwrites said I would enjoy the action, and I was really jonesing for such an experience. The plot isn’t anything special, and you can spot the twists and turns a mile away, but honestly? All of that was totally okay, because the execution is satisfying enough. And yeah, Henry Cavill needs a lesson on MeToo, but, good god, he is distractingly beautiful. And resulted in my purchase of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and tumbling down the Napoleon/Illyea hole. Nope, not sorry.

Black-k-Klansman

I appreciated the time Lee lets you spend in his shots and sequences. He helps the pace by cutting between 2 sequences, as well as showing the striking differences between a speaker recounting the horrific murder boy he knew, with an initiation ceremony for the Ku Klux Klan. You do get a signature Lee camera at the end, and then you are quickly thrust into the horrors of today. I won’t say more, but at the credits I had to run to catch a movie starting down the hall, and I wasn’t able to wipe away the tears by its start. My only complaint is that I wanted more personal insight and conflict from Ron.

Good Manners

My second Film Club screening. Who wouldn’t be intrigued by a Brazilian/Lesbian/Werewolf story? With song! Haha. The 2 main actresses had my eyes glued to the screen. Isabel Zuaa breaks your heart with her face in the first act. She plays her role like someone with no expectation of goodness or happiness. Visibly prepared for the worst, because that has been her experience. It makes her transformation all the more drastic. Marjorie Astiano is perfect for Ana, because she wears EVERYTHING on her face. The first half with them was my favorite, because the camera lingers and resists to cut, so you catch the emotions rolling over them without manipulation. For instance, while the doctor is performing a sonogram on Ana, it never cuts away from her and the dr’s dialogue is all off-camera. They repeat this style several times, and it gives extra appreciation for their casting. Man, then things take a TURN, bridging 2 movies into 1. I won’t say much more, but I dug the practical and digital effects for the wolf sequences. It’s a story about loneliness and embracing who you are.

Teen Titans GO! to the Movies

Basically a movie length episode, peppered with hilarious animation sequences in varying styles. I really want to look up the budget, because it looked like the majority was still using the TV Flash puppets and library, which would save a ton of moolah that could be used for the traditional sequences. Tons of fun, tons of laughs, and I have no idea what that surprise in the end credits might mean. Intrigued.

Woman Walks Ahead

The film suffers pacing in the last act, and it felt large chunk of Catherine/Sitting Bull bodning was cut out, but this is a gorgeously shot film. I was salivating over the landscapes and lighting. I’d watch an endless loop of that horse “dancing” back and forth across the frame. Jessica Chastain’s period New York accent is baffling, Michael Greyeyes is the standout, and Sam Rockwell really is good at playing an asshole.

Crazy Rich Asians

The Hollywood Romantic Comedy is alive again! I enjoyed the hell out of this movie. The Drafthouse had a wonderful preshow presentation cataloging Asian Cinema and (Mis)Representation in Hollywood. It’s sad that there hasn’t been an all Asian Hollywood film for a good 25 years. Knowing all of this makes CRA a big deal, but it also puts on a lot of unfair pressure on a single film. I hope it makes bank, because it was worth every penny. They did so many of the tropes I love about the genre, as well as avoid the ones I dislike (where the girl experiences EXTREME fuck-ups, a la Bridget Jones). Awkwafina is the perfect Fairy Godmother, the leads have great chemistry, Wu is adorable, Yeoh is dimensional, and I want every RomCom to have a food montage as WELL as the dress montage. 

Marlina The Murderer in Four Acts

The description we got for Film Club was it’s an Indonesian Western. They say the director doesn’t do storyboards, which makes sense for how few shots there are. All of the interiors have this wonderful blocking that is like watching a play. Extra centered, and literally walled-in. There are no close-ups and I bet there isn’t a shot under 20 seconds. The landscape is endless and indifferent. The men are terrible and, save for one, deserve their fate.

Voltron: Season 7

Coming off the high of S6 put a lot of pressure on 7. Plop the news about Gay!Shiro and I was really excited. I thought it was another solid season...had the creators not been so heavy on Adam’s role and his relationship with Shiro at SDCC. Was additionally cruel that Netflix hopped on the overhype train and put Adam on a bunch of the promo thumbs. They way that panned out was incredibly disappointing and misleading to me. Had none of that news dropped, I would have been a happy Voltron cheerleader. Yes, there were some strange executions of early episodes, but I felt there were some incredible moments and animation sequences. The season was like a reward for those of us who have championed Shiro from the start, and by the way he is beautifully drawn on the show, I feel the crew is just as in love as I am. I sounded like Ant-Man when he grows Big and giggles when that major Atlas/Shiro insanity happened. DAYUM. And I loved the parallels of the first ep of the season with the first ep of the series. Shiro and Sheith’s friendship is so dang sweet. I’m rewatching the whole series while I art and I also have to commend how much better the compositing and effects have gotten. Gorgeous stuff!

[martens-movie-reviews]

Released: July 17, 2015 Running Time: 1 hour 58 minutes

“Forced out of his own company by former protégé Darren Cross, Dr. Hank Pym recruits the talents of Scott Lang,, a master thief just released from prison. Lang becomes Ant-Man, trained by Pym and armed with a suit that allows him to shrink in size, possess superhuman strength and control an army of ants. The miniature hero must use his new skills to prevent Cross, also known as Yellowjacket, from perfecting the same technology and using it as a weapon for evil.”

Marvel Cinematic Universe – Source – Marvel Studios

You can find all of the reviews for the Marvel Cinematic Universe at the link here. At that link, you can also find the dates that the other reviews for the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be posted. My plan is to release one every single day, and because I’ve already reviewed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 here, and Spider – Man: Homecoming here, they will not be included in the two weeks leading up to Thor Ragnarok.

As such, I will now move onto the actual review of the film, and I hope you enjoy!

Ant Man Trailer – Source: Marvel Studios

Cast and Crew

This film was directed by Peyton Reed, after a very controversial parting of the ways between Edgar Wright and Marvel Studios over creative differences. I wish we could have seen Wright’s vision for this film, but I was still happy with what we got from Reed. Reed’s work as a director includes the ‘Back to the Future’ television show, the 2000 film ‘Bring it On’, 2008’s film ‘Yes Man’ as well as other works not mentioned here. He is currently filming the follow up to this film, ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ which is coming out in late 2018.

The original story was written by Joe Cornish and Edgar Wright, the adapted screenplay was re-written by Paul Rudd & Adam McKay, who adapted the screenplay that Cornish and Wright had written. As such, I will mention Rudd and McKay’s previous work as writers. Rudd has previously written the 2008 film ‘Role Models’ as well as the television show ‘Party Down’. He has since written the screenplay for ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’. McKay has worked on many Will Ferrell films such as ‘Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy’ in 2004, ‘Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby’ in 2006, ‘Step Brothers’ in 2008 and ‘Get Hard’, and ‘The Big Short’ in 2015.

Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man – Source: Marvel Studios

The cast featured Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Anthony Mackie, Judy Greer, Abby Ryder Fortson, Michael Peña, David Dastmalchian, T.I., Wood Harris, Hayley Atwell, John Slattery, Martin Donovan, Gregg Turkington, Carlos Aviles, Nicholas Barrera, Lyndsi LaRose, Anna Akana, Robert Crayton, Danny Vasquez, Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan and Stan Lee

Review

Paul Rudd’s portrayal of Scott Lang was a lot more charming than I would have thought given the brash nature of his comic book counterpart. He got into the shape that was required to play the slender Ant-Man, and the scenes with his daughter felt real, and was really touching. I’m happy that he did such a good job at playing another sarcastic, funny genius in the MCU.

Michael Douglas played the elder and original Ant-Man, Hank Pym, a now retired superhero after the unfortunate ‘death’ of his wife Janet. As he was distant with his daughter Hope after the passing of her mother, she aided Darren Cross in ousting Pym from his own company. I feel like Douglas did a really good job at playing the mentor / hurt father figure. I thought that it was a good idea to have an actor of his quality join the ranks of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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Evangeline Lily did a really good job at playing the bad-ass, tough and emotionally hurt Hope Pym. I feel like the relationship that she and Douglas felt very real. I can’t wait to see how she portrays the new Wasp, and what kind of relationship she will have with Scott going forward after the last scene with the two of them. I’ll talk more about the relationship issues between the fathers and daughters below.

The standout and surprising star of the movie, Luis, who was perfectly played by Michael Peña. I think that every movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs a little bit of Luis, narrating mini flashback scenes. It could have easily been annoying, however it somehow worked, and was done brilliantly. He also turned out to be the MCU version of ‘One Punch Man’ (except that one guy took 2 punches), and I enjoyed how excited and lovable they made him and the rest of the gang.

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Corey Stoll’s take on the villain of the film, Darren Cross, was interesting because it was essentially a reverse story from the first Iron Man film, where the villain was a protege of the original hero, and was still a businessman. He did a good job at playing the genius that was hurt by his mentor and started to go mad as he was being exposed to the shrinking chemicals without protecting his brain which would be affecting his brain chemistry, as mentioned by Hank Pym to Scott Lang.

One of the things that I enjoy about the movies in the MCU is the inter-connectivity, an example of this is when one of the interested buyers of the Yellowjacket suits and shrinking technology that Cross developed from the idea from Pym were from Hydra, who are now out of the shadows.

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The scene that takes place in 1989, when Hank Pym goes to see Howard Stark, Peggy Carter and Mitchell Carson, to resign from S.H.I.E.L.D. as they were trying to copy his formula for the Pym Particles. The way in which they Deaged Michael Douglas was both creepy and cool, as it looked weird, but something felt off about it.

Another point of inter – connectivity was the fact that the old Stark warehouse was turned into the new Avengers facility, which forced Lang to try to steal from the Avengers, which he did a surprisingly good job at. Anthony Mackie made a ‘surprise’ cameo as Sam Wilson / Falcon in a fun scene in which Scott decides to negotiate ‘borrowing’ a piece of technology from the Avengers, after he so kindly introduced himself. The fight and the subsequent mention of keeping what just happened from Cap was entertaining.

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The relationship between the fathers and the daughters in this film is something that was really well portrayed and displayed a both the good and the bad. Lang’s relationship with his daughter is sad as he wants to be involved in her life, but is unable to because he can’t afford it, but is still seen as a hero in her eyes, and loves the ugly bunny that he gives her for her birthday. Pym’s relationship with Hope is a distant one as he didn’t make time to grieve with his daughter in the years following the disappearance of Janet in the Quantum Realm, but he wants to protect her at all costs. Pym doesn’t want Lang’s daughter to lose the look in her eyes when she looks at her father, as Hope doesn’t think of Hank as a hero anymore.

One of the best things about this movie was the decision by the filmmakers to make the step father, Paxton, who was played by Bobby Cannavale, not be a total dick and actually be a really great guy. He cares about Cassie, and only wants what’s best for her. I was really happy that they made that decision and the relationship between Paxton, Scott and Maggie was mature, and real.

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This movie had some parts of it that was very much straight out of a heist film, which I enjoyed seeing a different genre in the MCU. I would have prefered it to have a bit more planning, and details about the plans, but I think they did an okay job at what they did show.

There was many similarities from other MCU films where the villain has a very similar ‘gimmick’ to the hero of the film, and that is something that can be seen by some as boring or to be copying their formula, however my response to that is that it’s obviously working out for them, and it also displays both ends of the spectrum and shows the differences between the hero and the villain. is very similar to hero

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The macro cinematography in this film was something new to the MCU, and I feel like they did a really good job at showing the perspective of Lang when he was tiny. The cinematography as a whole was also really well done, thanks to the director of photography Russell Carpenter.

I found the use of the Quantum Realm to be lots of fun, and gave people a taste that we would eventually get in Doctor Strange. They also showed what people were thinking, in quickly showing the outline of Janet Pym / Wasp on Scott’s helmet as shown in the picture below.

Glimpse of a reflection of Janet Pym (Wasp) on Scott’s helmet in the Quantum Realm – Source: Marvel Studios

The mid credit sequence was Hank Pym showing his daughter Hope a prototype Wasp suit that he and his wife Janet were working on back in the late 1980s, telling Hope that it turns out they were making it for her, and maybe it’s her turn to get into the suit. She then turns to the camera and says that it’s about damn time.

Mid Credit Sequence – Hope finally getting a suit – Source: Marvel Studios

The post credit scene for Ant-Man was a fragment of a scene from Captain America: Civil War, setting up the accords, and the rift that has grown between Rogers and Stark. Wilson and Rogers have managed to ‘lock’ up Barnes in a vice grip. Wilson then goes on to tell Cap that he knows a guy that might be able to help them, implying the new superhero he encountered in Scott Lang.

Post Credit Sequence featuring Sam Wilson / Falcon, James Buchanan Barnes / Winter Soldier and Steve Rogers / Captain America (Scene from Captain America: Civil War) – Source: Marvel Studios

Overall, I was entertained by this movie, and while yes the story wasn’t original, the way it was told made it a lot better. I really enjoyed the characters in this movie, especially Luis and his narrations. I loved the fact that they gave us a heist type film and they managed to make ants cute and adorable. At the end of the day, it’s not a perfect film, but in my opinion it was just good enough to be a great movie. It set up the character and possible future characters well, while also integrating it within the larger MCU. It’s time for me to give this film a score, and I’m sticking with the score that I originally gave it when I first saw this film in theatres 2 years ago, and that’s a score of 8/10.

What did you think of the film? Are you excited for Thor Ragnarok? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading,

Alex Martens

Ant-Man Review Released: July 17, 2015 Running Time: 1 hour 58 minutes "Forced out of his own company by former protégé Darren Cross, Dr.