Ant-Man was a corny movie that didn’t belong in Marvel’s universally amazing camp.

That was my reaction when I first heard about Ant-Man. Seriously, making a movie about a tiny ant guy?

How stupid is that?

With big-hitters like Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America dominating the scene, how could a hero with ants for allies and a yellow jacket for an enemy be taken seriously?

The answer—Marvel’s creative genius.

Once again, they nailed it, putting to rest all my fears about a cheesy, second-rate (by Marvel standards) movie.

A heist story with a quick pace, plenty of humor, satisfying themes, and an unexpected amount of heart, Ant-Man once again proved why Marvel is one of the biggest names in Hollywood.

One disclaimer: there was a bit of crude humor and more language than is common in Marvel movies, but nothing to ruin the movie.

Ant-Man works because it’s something completely different, a lance in Marvel’s typical armory of clubs, axes, and swords.

An Unexpected Hero

Scott Lang is a former criminal.

Straightaway, that sets him apart from other heroes and helps lay the foundation for a different type of story. With that background, all he wants is a second chance to prove himself to his family.

That’s where the story grabs hold. Second chance stories resonate with us. We’ve all screwed up at some point and want a second chance.

Scott gets that chance, and his journey to being a hero is one we can’t help but root for. And not for the typical reasons.

The beauty of Ant-Man is that it shows us two things about heroes:

1. The smallest heroes sometimes have the biggest heart
2. Even the smallest person, who seems insignificant to the larger world, can be a hero

A Story With Heart

At its core, Ant-Man is about relationships.

Scott Lang wants to regain his family. His entire motivation is his love for his daughter, and so deep is that love that it drives him to do anything. In the end, he becomes the hero she already thinks he is—a touching moment not often found in smash ‘em, bash ‘em action movies.

Hank Pym and his daughter. I can’t say much without giving spoilers, but the interplay between Hank and Hope added another personal dimension to the movie, and ended up taking their story in a different direction than I expected.

Not Your Average Plot

I love world-threatening stories like we often see in superhero movies. However, without different types of stories to balance them out, save-the-world plots risk becoming stale.

Ant-Man moves away from that model and takes the plot in a different direction. The heist.

This is cool because it’s something entirely new—not to mention the actual places involved in the heist—and avoids falling into cliché traps.

Yes, there are some save-the-world elements involved, and for once, I wish the villain wasn’t actually a guy with the good intention of protecting the world using advanced technology—which can also be used for the wrong purposes.

That one is overdone for me.

Thankfully, amid the confusion of growing, shrinking, arguing, and stealing, I didn’t notice the worn-out formula too much.

Awesome Powers

I’ll admit, the ability to shrink didn’t have me hooked. It wasn’t until the trailers revealed the awesome things he could do—like jump through keyholes and run up the barrel of a firing handgun—that I thought it could be cool.

Ant-man’s powers, given by his suit, set him apart from the superhero crowd. Plus, his small size gives us an entirely different perspective of the world.

And a certain battle with a certain someone left me grinning and thinking, “Ant-Man might sound silly, but his powers are freakin’ awesome.”

The things he can use them for are limitless, providing ample material for sequels and setting up some pretty cool prospects for other Marvel movies he makes an appearance in.

Ant-Man Is a Marvel Geek’s Paradise

I won’t spoil anything for those of you who haven’t seen the movie yet (gasp and horror). However, I can say that Ant-Man did a wonderful job setting the wheels turning on some important pieces for future MCU movies.

It also incorporated other elements of the MCU into the storyline in surprising ways that left my geeky heart full of joy.

For those of you wondering about appearances by certain main players in the MCU, all I can say is…

It’s not what you expect.

Did you enjoy Ant-Man? I would love to hear your thoughts.