Ant-Man (2015)

Ant-Man (2015)

Director: Peyton Reed

Cast: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Pena

Ant-Man’s a superhero character that has always been underestimated because you know, what’s his power? Getting real small? Wow. People think, what, he talks to ants? That’s his power? Which takes me back to when Garrett Morris (who by the way cameos in this film as a Taxi Driver) played Ant-Man in  the fourth season of Saturday Night Live. In that sketch, a bunch of superheroes are gathered in a party and Flash (played by Dan Aykroyd) and Hulk (played by John Belushi) are giving Ant-Man a rough time, making fun of his super powers. The Hulk looks at Ant-Mans ass and asks “where you got your ants?” and The Flash is like “Hey Hulk, check this guy out, he has human strength!” And that was the 70’s! Today people feel the same, like Ant-Man is not one of the big heroes. Ever since an Ant-Man movie was announced, I myself thought it wouldn’t be a huge hit because when compared to the big superheroes like Thor or Iron Man, well, Ant-Man’s “small potatoes”. And so I kept thinking, this is going to be the first Marvel Studios movie to flop; I know I wasn’t alone in thinking this way. Most film critics and movies buffs thought the same; our collective expectations for an Ant-Man movie were low all around. Plus, Ant-Man isn’t a a new character (he's been around since the 60's) but he's not household name like Spider-man or Superman, this guy is really new to the masses. So it’s to be expected that the level of excitement surrounding the Ant-Man movie was nowhere near as high as other Marvel movies. Hell, I was already branding it a future flop! It goes without saying that Marvel Studios had a huge task in their hands to try and convince us that this movie was just as valid and entertaining as previous Marvel films. So, was it? Is Ant-Man one of the good ones? Is it a worthy addition to the already awesome Marvel Studios cinematic roster?

Movies about miniaturization have been around for quite a while, here’s a couple of them: The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957), Fantastic Voyage (1966),  The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981), Innerspace (1987) and Honey I Shrunk the Kids (1989) all of these deal with people who are shrunk to microscopic size. They all have one thing in common, the effects work involved building props and sets that made humans look small and the creative use of foreground and background imagery; all done to create the illusion of a human that’s microscopic in size. Other films that played with these types of special effects were Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959), The Gnome Mobile (1967) and The Borrowers (1997). Ant-Man has the advantage of modern day computer effects which gives the movie an upper hand that previous movies with this theme never had. In other words, the effects work on this movie is top notch and surpasses anything that had ever been done in these types of movies before. Camera angles take us into the smallest places imaginable. Ever been sucked into the inside of a vacuum cleaner? Well, now you’ll know what that feels like. You ever wanted to know what it feels like to be inside of an anthill? Look no further, Ant-Man takes us there! This is something I really enjoyed, the concept that we are seeing things we will probably never get to see. This is the films most innovative angle, its strongest attribute. Ant-Man isn’t about gigantic black holes opening up in the middle of New York City, nope, this one goes the opposite way, to the microverse, the idea of “worlds within worlds”.

Ant-Man takes a cue from Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) in the sense that it’s lighthearted, entertaining and fast paced. The dialog is often times funny as are the situations. The addition of Michael Pena to the cast was a good choice, he offers up some of the funniest moments in the movie. Ant-Man also has heart and soul, because it’s all about a dad wanting to prove his worth to his daughter. You see, this is the story of Scott Lang, a burglar who’s just gotten out of prison and now that he is finally out, he wants to do good. He wants to be the good guy for this daughter; he wants to finally take the reins of fatherhood. But it isn’t easy when you’re an ex-con and not even Baskin Robbins will give you a job. So of course, stealing shit is the only option Scott has, or is it? Basically this is a story about Scott Lang’s redemption, which he gets a shot at thanks to Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man who wants to give Scott a second chance at life by passing the Ant-Man torch over to him.  Will he prove to be a worthy successor to the Ant-Man legacy? Will he ever regain his daughters respect?

So it was the idea that this was “just” a movie about a guy who gets really small and controls ants that made me think this movie was going to be so-so, yet what surprised me the most about Ant-Man is how far they took the concept of miniaturization. They really do play a lot with the idea, they even went with the idea of enlarging things which was awesome, and it really presented us with some unexpected concepts. For example, how far can you miniaturize a person? What happens when you reach a sub-atomic level? What happens when you get smaller than an atom and beyond? This took the film into surreal territory, in fact, I felt like I was truly going into the unknown. In some ways it reminded me of movies dealing with Black Holes, where the big mystery is what happens after we actually go into the black hole. Disney’s own The Black Hole (1979) played with traveling into the unknow. In that film, when they go into the black hole the film suddenly turns into a surreal, dreamlike nightmare! Ant-man has moments such as these, in fact, in the theater I was in, somebody said “that’s fucking weeeeiiiirrrd!” during said scenes. I felt pretty much the same way, which was awesome; it’s not every day that a film can actually amaze you with its concepts. So yeah, conceptually speaking, Ant-Man is a winner.

The film has a few surprises up its sleeves so keep your eyes peeled. I like how they introduce us to the idea of Ant-Man becoming one of the Avengers because if we get down to it, Ant-Man was actually in the very first original line up of the avengers, way back in Avengers #1 (1963) so it makes perfect sense that they are so obviously lining the character up for greatness on a future Avengers film. Actually, one of the after credits sequences (of which there are two) connects Ant-Man directly with Captain American: Civil War (2016). I love how they are mixing all these characters and films; it really does feel as if they are part of one cohesive universe. But I see what Disney/Marvel is doing here. They want to make a really kick ass first movie (which in my opinion they’ve pulled off) so you’ll have no problem in accepting Ant-Man as a future member of The Avengers. Paul Rudd did a fantastic job as Ant-Man, he is the perfect fit for the character, he plays the everyman to perfection. Michael Douglas and Paul Rudd have great chemistry together. Kudos to Michael Douglas for finally playing likable characters, for a while, all Douglas ever played was assholes. Here he plays the very likable Dr. Hank Pym. Evangeline Lilly rounds things up rather nicely, I have a feeling we will be seeing a whole lot more of her in future films. I’m looking forward to seeing this new chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe develop further, but for now, don’t underestimate Ant-Man, it’s a kick ass, fun ride every step of the way.

Rating: 5 out of 5 

Dan Aykroyd (left) and Garrett Morris (right) making fun of superheroes on SNL

Falling Down (1993)

Title: Falling Down (1993)

Director: Joel Schumacher

Reviews:

There are movies out there that when you see them at the perfect time and place, at the perfect moment in time, they simply have this resonation to them. They click. They make more sense. The first time I saw Joel Schumacher's Falling Down upon its release in 1993, I was just a teenager. What the hell did I know about the world that I lived in? Next to nothing, Ill tell you that much. Back then, Falling Down was just a cool movie about a guy going crazy. Of course time has gone by, as time often does and I’ve grown wiser and more conscious of the world I live in. So naturally, watching this movie now is a whole different experience! Now everything means something. With the economy on the blitz and talk of being on the fringe of another "great depression" this movie makes so much more sense now then it ever did back in 1993!

Story is about a guy called William Foster, but you would never know that because for most of the film he is called 'D-Fense', after his cars license plate. He works for the government, making nuclear missiles. But one day, 'D-fense' simply goes berserk, he totally looses it. What drives him crazy? Well, to put it bluntly, the world we live in. D-fense cant take all the craziness anymore, so he goes on an all out war against society and everything that he finds wrong in it. But with so many things wrong in our world, can't D-fense even walk into a fast food restaurant without going nuts? He can’t even tie his own freaking shoes without some sort of problem making him go ballistic. The police soon gets a whiff of D-fense's erratic and violent behavior, so they begin an investigation on him. Will D-fense escape the clutches of the society that is suffocating him? Can his anger at the establishment be controlled?

Can’t believe I had not re-watched this one in such a long time. Honestly, after having re-visited this film, it shot straight to my top favorite movies of all time. I made a connection with this movie that I don’t think anyone can break. It has that energy, that truthfulness, that sincerity that I am constantly drawn to in all things in life. I love that truthfulness and honesty in the movies I watch as well, these are the most refreshing films for me. If people were more sincere in this world, I believe we would live in a better society. But as it is, people simply don’t call things for what they are. There is one magical scene in Falling Down in which D-fense (played brilliantly by Michael Douglas) walks into a convenience store. He wants some change so he can make a phone call, but the guy in the store tells him that he can’t give him change unless he buys something. D-fense says, you can just give me the change, I don’t have to buy anything from you at all. But he decides to go with the flow and buy something. Problem is, everything is too freaking expensive! Ridiculously expensive. It's at this point that D-fense feels like the world is being a vampire, so he takes his trusty bat and begins bashing everything in the store that he considers too expensive! That scene was magic for me because that’s actually how I feel about things nowadays. D-fense picks up a Coca Cola and asks how much? Guy says 1.50! D-fense says "unacceptable!" and continues to bash away at everything in the store. Is this an exaggerated and over the top reaction? Most definitely, but hey, you have to admit, he is right. We as consumers are being bled to death for products that don’t cost a dime to produce. D-fense is absolutely freaking right every step of the way, and that is why, when he bashes those soda cans I was right there with him in heart and soul, probably cheering on. Am I right or am I right? Hey, I know Im right cause I was cheering in my living room last night. I cant be the only person in the world to feel the bite of big business. Yup, businesses are biting down and they are biting down hard, like a rabid dog trying to rip your arm off. D-fense says "I’m protecting my rights as a consumer!" Damn right you are my friend! Bash those soda cans!

That’s what I love about movies like this one. They tell it like it is. This movie is saying, amongst a bunch of other things "you're charging too much, bring the prices down you greedy bastards!" It is downright electrifying to see a fictional character speak up for the rest of us out here being eaten alive by big corporations. Both you and I know, they could be selling us that can of soda for a lot less, right?

There’s an amazing scene where Douglas walks up to a golf field where two rich millionaires are playing golf. The rich guys are like; "get the hell of my lawn! Who the hell are you? Get out! You have no right to be here! You are not even wearing the proper attire!" And D-fense walks up to him and tells him this golf course should be a park for little kids to play in. Not a huge piece of land, just so two rich assholes could have it all to themselves and play the silliest game on the planet! I mean, I’ve really, since the day I was born detested golf. Its such a pompous ass sport that only rich people play, because you have to dress a certain way, you have to buy all these expensive things for it, and you even have to pay to go into the field and play it. For crying out loud, you even have to belong to some sort of freaking club. D-fense once again tells it like it is to these old selfish geezers, who have nothing better to do with their lives then play golf in this gigantic beautiful field that could be used for something so much more useful then what its being used for. Essentially, D-fense is saying this world could really be so much more beautiful if we really wanted it to be. But it isn’t, because of a little thing called greed.

So basically, D-fense goes all over town, and everywhere he goes, he meets some other person or confronts some other situation that drives him mad. Want to see what happens when D-fense walks into a hamburger joint? That scene has to be seen to be believed. Its so memorable! The dialog, so crisp, electrifying and poignant. This my friends, is a movie for our times. Don’t know if things are like this all over the world, but things where I live in are way too expensive; prices keep going up on things. What will happen in the next 10 years? Will we end up paying 5 dollars for a can of soda? Will there be more cars on the freeway then human beings? By the way, that scene with D-fense in the traffic jam is so amazing. It’s a scene entirely inspired by Federico Fellini's 8 1/2, where we see D-fense sweating away in the traffic jam. Kids screaming, car exhaust choking the air, people fighting, the heat is unbearable. Its no wonder this is where D-fense looses it. I’ve been there myself in that unbearable traffic jam where cars just don’t move an inch! You feel like you are wasting your life away, trapped inside of this metal box.

The traffic jam that makes D-fense go of the deep end

I compare this movie to films like Network (1976) because they are not afraid to scream from the top of their lungs just how messed up things really are. By the way, if you haven’t seen Network, do yourself a favor and check that film out. It has the same spirit as this one, but it aims its guns at the media and the way that it manipulates the masses and public opinion. Falling Down focuses more on criticizing consumerism, big corporations, gang wars, homophobia, fast food restaurants and a number of other themes that you can explore for yourself when you see this movie. It’s similar in nature to American Psycho (2000) and The Driller Killer (1979) where a guy goes nuts and lashes out on society. Question is, what kind of society are we living in that creates a person like D-fense? The film begs to analize the way we are living our lives, as a collective.

How do we know that this movie is controversial? How do we know its the kind of film most movie studios completely shy away from? Well, we know that precisely because it was rejected by every studio in town! The guy who wrote this script Ebbe Roe Smith, shopped the script around but was denied a green light every time because the film is simply too truthful. Movie execs hate anything that’s too much of the truth. They figure people go to the theater to see lies, they want special effects thrown at them, not the truth. That’s the sick twisted logic by which most studio executives live by. Maybe they are afraid of this movie making people go nuts same way D-fense did? Maybe the are afraid to actually make audiences think a little? But truthfully, the main reason for this films rejection was the scripts controversial nature. Still, this film was destined to be made because one fine day, the script for Falling Down actually fell on Michael Douglas's hands. He read it and thought it was one of the best scripts he had ever read. And so, with a huge star like Michael Douglas attached to the project, the film got made. And thank the movie gods for that! We got one of Douglas's most memorable performances ever thanks to those series of events! Shows how much the studio execs know about what makes a good film. For crying out loud, how could you not notice how good a script this was?

Joel Schumacher might have directed Batman and Robin, but hey, I have to give him some credit for Falling Down, by far, in my opinion, Schumacher's crowning achievement. Rober Duvall only makes this that much more watchable. If you ask me, he is one of the finest actors to walk the face of the earth. On this film he plays the cop who is on his "last day on the job" as is usually the case about cops in movies. Rachel Ticotin, whom some of you might remember as "that latina chick from Total Recall" does a fine job as well. She made me wonder why she dissapeared from the silver screen. Michael Douglas has always been one of my favorite actors, but this film has to rank up there with his finest performances ever. Right up there with Wonder Boys.  Its a great performance that speaks out for a part of society that is often times ignored or taken for granted. Its the part of society that is stomped on the most: The Working Stiff. As D-fense yells at one point: "God Bless The Working Stiff!" 

The thing with characters like D-fense is that you know they are doomed for destruction from the get go. Characters like D-fense are usually right with what they are saying. What they are complaining about makes all kinds of sense. These type of characters actually have every right to be going crazy from how messed up things are in the world. I can’t say I blame D-fense for going insane, I can’t blame him at all. The film also speaks about those who choose to go the “bat-shit insane” route, and what happens to them. Basically, if you scream too loudly against "the system" you’re going to end up in all kinds of trouble. On this film, a pair of cops take a man who is complaining about "not being economically viable" on the streets. He is screaming his lungs off at how unfair the government is treating him. The police come and handcuff him and take him away on their police car. In Richard Linklater’s A Scanner Darkly, a man is screaming out on the streets about the evils of society and what happens to him? He is taken away by a mysterious black van. This type of film criticizes the way things are, but they also warn us about what happens when you act like these characters,  basically it all boils down to "you'll have a sad existence in the end". “Big brother” will come down and stomp your face for talking to loud about things you shouldn’t talk about. But hey, at least we got these movies and these characters to vent out our collective frustrations. Will this world ever get better? Will things ever improve? Will the abuse against the consumer ever stop? Will greed ever stop  Who the hell knows, But I do have hope in humanity and our ability to change, I still think we have it in us to evolve for the better. 

Rating: 5 out of 5