Ant-Man (2015) film review

Year: 2015
Running Time: 117 minutes
Director: Peyton Reed
Writers: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby (comic), Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Adam McKay and Paul Rudd (screenplay)
Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Pena, Judy Greer

Ant-Man is now showing in cinemas everywhere and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios.

For those who are not familiar with the wide world of Marvel comics, the concept of Ant-Man may seem like a reach of ridiculous measures to keep their successful superhero run of films flowing. However, with it's witty script and impressive special effects which give new life to a somewhat dated idea, Ant-Man is wildly entertaining and even comical while it breathes new life into a miniature hero on screen.

When Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is released from prison, the only thing he has on his mind is getting his life back on track and becoming a permanent figure in his daughter's life once again. The outside world is not so keen to have Scott back and his ex-wife, Maggie (Judy Greer) and her new fiancé, Paxton (Bobby Cannavale) are less than thrilled to see him back in the picture due to his history. Scott's friend and current roommate, Luis (Michael Pena) comes to him with a sure fire way to make some money, but it means retreating back to his old ways of cat-burgling and Scott reluctantly agrees as a last resort. Unexpectedly, this job results in coming into contact with Dr Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and into a new profession for Scott as the superhero, Ant-Man, as well as giving Scott a whole new set of enemies to contest with.

The concept of the shrinking man is one that has been seen many times in film at certain intervals over the years with The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) and Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989) being two which immediately spring to mind. As a film, the idea of a man who can shrink on demand does seem to feel like the superhero genre is clutching at straws for new ideas. Yet Ant-Man made his first appearance in comics in 1962 and the film has been on Marvel's radar for over ten years so one cannot accuse Ant-Man of being a terrible excuse to make money by relying on a tried and tested concept. However, those who are familiar with the comics will find that there are many differences between the original Ant-Man and the film and there will inevitably be those who will scoff at the differences. The reasons for these changes are to create a more family orientated and friendly film and as a result Ant-Man has a point of difference in it's hilarious and well written dialogue and a wider audience which work in it's favour. Marvel fans will also rejoice in the references to other Marvel comics and productions, such as The Avengers.

Ant-Man is not without it's flaws as the severity of the conflict is lost while the screenplay concentrates on making an entertaining dialogue driven film. The film certainly is entertaining and fun, but doesn't have a real sense of suspense, emotion or unpredictability as it's story is quite weak. Even though Edgar Wright dropped out of production in 2014, a great deal of what he worked on in the script remained for the final film and this is evident in much of the comical dialogue, as is co-writer and star of the film, Paul Rudd's sense of humour. Making Ant-Man in 2015 also gives it an edge over the films which it may be likened to with it's shrinking human aspect and this is because it allows use of the incredible CGI that is available for action films these days. The fast paced action sequences are very well done and create the thrill that the screenplay is missing. Ant-Man is one film that benefits from being viewed on the big screen as it enhances the difference in ratio between Ant-Man at his smallest. These scenes are well done and are even better on a bigger screen.

Paul Rudd seems an unlikely superhero, but this perception works in his favour as his character of Scott Lang is much the same. His talent does not initially lie in defence and attack as much as it does his intuition and crafty abilities, but as the film progresses so does his reputation and believability as a superhero. Rudd also brings his likability which he is known for to the role and creates a character that people care about and want to see succeed. Michael Douglas gives hardly the performance of his career, but his charisma does indeed add something to his role of Dr. Hank Pym and to the film as a whole. His presence in the film is rather enjoyable and he plays his role well.

While the good guys are great and have an incredible amount of character, Ant-Man does lack a really menacing villain which is crucial for a successful superhero film. Corey Stoll, who plays Darren Cross who creates Ant-Man's nemesis Yellowjacket, cannot be faulted as he does all he can with the role which is not created to be particularly strong. His "evil" mainly lies in personal conflict with Pym and although he does have his evil moments, the way in which his actions will effect man-kind do not create a sense of suspense or thrill.

Despite Marvel's recent successful track record, Ant-Man still surprises in how much in it succeeds as an entertaining and enjoyable film. It's somewhat old-fashioned concept which is initially deemed worrisome is given a wonderful update with incredible special effects, it's witty and hilarious dialogue and a hero people enjoy to watch.

7/10

And So It Goes (2014)

Year: 2014
Running Time: 94 minutes
Director: Rob Reiner
Writer: Mark Andrus
Cast: Michael Douglas, Diane Keaton, Sterling Jerins, Frances Sternhagen, Scott Shepherd, Annie Parisse, Yaya DaCosta Alafia

And So It Goes opens in Australian cinemas on the 7th August and is distributed by Studiocanal. Opens in cinemas in the United States on the 24th July and now showing in the United Kingdom.

If Rob Reiner, Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton were to be given a school report card judging their work on And So It Goes, it would read the same on all of them....."Can Do Better". If this was the first piece of direction you had seen from Reiner and the first film starring Douglas or Keaton you had seen, you probably wouldn't want to see another. And So It Goes is overly stereotypical, ridiculously exaggerated and completely predictable. The film doesn't feel as if it was made with any love or passion, rather it was just made for the sake of making a movie.

Realtor Oren Little (Michael Douglas) has had little compassion, time or respect for anyone since he lost the love of his life to cancer and disowned his addict son, Luke (Scott Shepherd). When Luke reappears to let his father know that he is going to jail, he also informs him that he has a ten year old daughter, Sarah (Sterling Jerins) who he needs Oren to look after while he is behind bars. Oren really has no desire to look after this little girl he knew nothing of, but his next door neighbour, Leah (Diane Keaton) is completely taken by Sarah and takes her under her wing while Oren figures himself out. Leah, who also struggles with the memory of the death of her husband, and Oren find that this little girl may be the one who helps both of them move on with their lives and ultimately find comfort in each other.

And So It Goes is completely and utterly typical for the type of film which it is. There is nothing whatsoever original about it and originality seems to be substituted by over exaggeration of the stereotypical romantic comedy genre features of the film.  And So It Goes is exactly what you would expect from a comedy led by actors in the same generation as Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton. It is the lightest of light watches, even though it deals with highly emotional subjects such as death and substance abuse. It is an understatement to say that And So It Goes is not the best work of anyone involved.  Rob Reiner's direction of his players is surprisingly mediocre considering what he has achieved in the past and doesn't support an already weak screenplay by Mark Andrus. Again, Andrus has written some wonderful screenplays in the past, including As Good As It Gets, which he was nominated for an Academy Award for. The screenplay leaves a great deal to be desired with certain situations leaving the audience scratching their heads in confusion. For example, why was Oren's co-worker Ted (Andy Karl) going to such great lengths to become friends with Oren's son when he clearly isn't that close to Oren anyway and why was messaging Luke on Facebook and texting him? Messages on Facebook and texting will typically give the same result.  Plus neighbour, Kennedy (Yaya DaCosta Alafia) has the easiest home birth ever.

With all these talented people attached, one has to wonder what really went wrong. The situations and characters in the film are wildly exaggerated which would normally point to the film makers trying too hard, but it is the exact opposite. The film just seems like it was made carelessly and without passion, like everyone just turned up for work and didn't particularly want to be there.

The film begins well enough with a glorious long shot over the Connecticut riverside location where the film takes place, and there are actually some beautiful location shots throughout the film. The town where the characters live is certainly idyllic and looks wonderful on screen. Yet the musical score attached to these images is once again stereotypical for such a film and bordering on corny.

The performances by those in the film are not all together terrible, but the way their characters are written and their direction does not give them a great deal to work with. Michael Douglas' Oren Little is an extremely unlikable character. He has his best and most empathetic moment in the last five minutes of the film, but the rest of the film see's his character taking the path so many cynical characters in film have taken many times before. His bitter dialogue is supposed to be funny, but comes across as just plain mean and often quite racist and sexist. Oren's character is constructed well as you feel you know his background in depth, but his development throughout the film is patchy and doesn't register on an emotional level the way it should.

Diane Keaton's performance is extremely over the top. Again, it is not as much Keaton's fault as it is the way she is directed. The way Leah cries at the drop of the hat during the film seems neither funny nor upsetting, it is more just ridiculous. Her emotional outbursts are not emotionally exaggerated as they are physically exaggerated by the way she throws her arms in the air and raises her voice at appropriate moments. Again, her character of Leah is constructed well, but it is not clear at what stage in the film she really starts to change or whether she really changes at all. She doesn't represent a strong female character by any means. However, Sterling Jerins and Scott Shepherd give strong performances and the scenes which the two are in together are actually quite sweet and emotional. At such a young age, Jerins gives perhaps the most controlled performance out of anyone in the film and her character is the best written in terms of development.

And So It Goes requires no emotional investment nor a great deal of brain power. It is unfortunately completely forgettable and a film which you get the feeling most involved would rather forget as well.

3/10

Last Vegas (2013)

 

Year: 2013
Running Time: 105 minutes
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Writers: Don Fogelman
Cast: Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline, Mary Steenburgen, Jerry Ferrera

Now showing and distributed in Australia by Universal Pictures.

Las Vegas has changed in the last half a decade, there is no doubt about that. Movies about Las Vegas have obviously changed with the times and your typical film set in Las Vegas will more than likely feature male characters in the age bracket of 21-35 years old.

That is where Last Vegas breaks through the mould. It is a Las Vegas film that doesn't fall into the stereotypical pool, but is a stereotypical film about four middle aged men trying to find their youth again. Yet it loses it loses it's stereotypical status once these four enter Sin City. What results is a film which may be predictable, but is still enjoyable and often very funny. The combination of Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro and Kevin Kline is an absolute winner by all accounts.

When Billy (Michael Douglas) proposes to his girlfriend while giving a eulogy at a funeral, he rounds up his life long best friends, Archie (Morgan Freeman) and Sam (Kevin Kline) for a bachelor party in Vegas before he ties the knot with his much younger girlfriend there. Archie and Sam also invite along Paddy (Robert De Niro), who was also once best friends with Billy but had a major fall out with him over him missing out on Paddy's wife's funeral. When the four arrive in Las Vegas, they find it a very different town to the one they visited years before and the town will make all of them realise the things they need to admit to themselves.

Last Vegas really gives you no surprises. The middle-aged light comedy genre is proving to be a very predictable genre these days with it's characters always having some kind of epiphany directly related to the stage of life which they are at. There is really nothing wrong with this as it is what a lot of people want to see and what the target audience can relate to. You just know what you are walking into and you know how it will end up. However, once you take this film we have seen before and make it into a Vegas film, it feels like a film we haven't seen before. The location of Vegas seen through the eyes of these men actually makes the city look fresh and therefore makes the film feel far more original than it would be otherwise.

Even if though Last Vegas may not be the most innovative screenplay, it does absolutely carry some very funny highlights. The scene in the club where Freeman's Archie has his first Red Bull is very funny. The best thing about the screenplay is that it doesn't try too hard to be funny. It is true that it is predictable and simplistic, but it is this simplicity that works for the film. It does have it's tender moments, particularly when it comes to Paddy discussing his late wife, yet it is not overly emotional. It doesn't need to be as you feel an instant connection with each of the characters due to some marvellous character development. You have a bucket full of information about the characters backgrounds so you have an emotional connection with each of them. It's not an extremely in depth connection, but a connection nevertheless.

Each of leading men are great fun in their roles. Michael Douglas does well, but it doesn't seem like a particularly complicated role for him and seems like it is just a matter of Michael Douglas playing Michael Douglas. Robert De Niro probably has the most challenging role as his Paddy is both cynical and standoffish at times, but he also earns the audience's sympathy without any trouble with his soft and tender side. Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline are the two that provide most of the comedy relief through the film. Kline is especially funny as he plays the comfortably out of vogue man and his performance is just a lot of fun.

Last Vegas may not be the most original piece of work we will be seeing on our screens, but it is still creative in it's own way and a bit of fun.

7/10

Wall Street:Money Never Sleeps

Year: 2010
Director: Oliver Stone
Cast: Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Carey Mulligan, Josh Brolin

In My Own Words
Well, it’s been a long time in between drinks for Gordon Gekko. I watched “Wall Street” for Business Studies while I was in school (stop trying to guess how old I am, it was way after the film actually came out so you can’t win this one). I’m thinking that the real reason the teachers got us to watch it was to take a break from teaching for the day, but I’m assuming that their reason for us to watch it was to learn about business ethics. That if we are unethical we will end up in jail like Gordon Gekko. It must’ve worked because as far as I know, none of the girls I went to school with are in jail. It was hardly the most exciting film for 15 year old girls to watch. “Wall Street” is definitely an adult film. Not because it has adult content in it, but school children aren’t able to relate to it in any way, shape or form. It’s long awaited sequel isn’t a younger person’s film either, however the admission of Shia LaBeouf may bring a younger audience into the cinemas. If so, they may not have the same movie experience as they did when going to see their heart throb in “Transformers, but at least they won’t end up in jail for fraud.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
“Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” is the long awaited sequel to “Wall Street”, which means that, like it or not, it does have a level of expectation attached to it. Those who were waiting for a huge Gordon Gekko extravaganza, then it’s not that. However, if you haven’t seen “Wall Street” or think that less Gekko is better, you may not be disappointed. The much updated version of the 1980’s corporate drama is one of those films which you will sit on the fence about. Neither a failure, but far from a classic. Jake Moore (Shia LaBeouf), a young, up and comer on Wall Street who is going out with the infamous Gordon Gekko’s (Michael Douglas) estranged daughter, Winnie (Carey Mulligan). It has never been an issue, but when Jake’s mentor and father figure, Lewis Zabel (Frank Langella) commits suicide and he then proposes to Winnie, he becomes completely intrigued by his future father in law. Although he tries to tell himself that he has got in contact with Gekko for Winnie’s , it is clear that there are more selfish motives involved on Jake’s behalf.

What fans of the original “Wall Street” will find is that this film isn’t as centred around Gordon Gekko as many would have hoped. However, for people who are not fans of the original or those who haven’t seen the first, you don’t need to have seen it to understand it or enjoy it The film is more about Jake and Winnie rather than Gekko and his daughter or Gekko and his future son in law. By the focus not being purely on Gekko himself, the film can be judged as a stand alone film rather than have the stigma of a sequel be in the way.

There are some truly good things about “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps”. For one, the directing is quite superb, as one would expect from Oliver Stone. He makes some interesting choices in camera shots, but they work. There are some scenes were the choices he makes on the way things are shot are quite beautiful and spectacular. The only thing that can be criticised about the cinematography is that at times, it seems like Stone tries to do too much and is trying too hard to impress with what he can do and what can be done. The script is well written and has just the right jargon for the subject matter. The only criticism is that it is really quite predictable. There are no surprises hidden in the film at all, which can make it quite tedious. It is also very slow at times and is very slow getting to the point.

Michael Douglas is back to his best as Gordon Gekko. His performance this time around isn’t quite as effective as it was in the first film (sequel stigma rears its ugly head). It’s his actions in the script which make him the scheming Gekko, rather than his acting. Shia LaBeouf unfortunately seems miscast in this film. He is made out to be a young Wall Street yuppie, but it is hard to tell from his performance that he is as ambitious and money hungry as the film tries to make him out to be. He can actually seem a bit pathetic at times. His acting isn’t all bad, but his performance should have been done with more arrogance or the role should have been given to another young Hollywood male. Carey Mulligan once again gives a heartfelt performance and takes her role as far as it can go. Her only fault as far as her character is more a criticism of Stone’s direction than her acting is that she spends so much time crying and being depressed that her character of Winnie can be extremely morbid and almost painful. Mulligan still manages to give an extremely realistic performance and lacks nothing in her acting. Frank Langella also must be commended for his performance. Langella is never one to not give 100% in his roles and this is another one of his successes.

“Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” will have its fans and its cynics. It’s ironic that there is more chance of non-fans of the original “Wall Street” enjoying this than fans of the original enjoying it. Don’t be afraid to go and see this film if you don’t enjoy the first or even if you haven’t seen it, because you may be pleasantly surprised. If you are a fan of the original, still do see it, but don’t expect it to be a direct follow on from the original, which would be impossible anyway as the original was released 23 years ago. Clear you mind and go to see the film purely as a stand alone.
6/10

I want to know more about......
Michael Douglas
http://www.moviecritical.com/2010/10/michael-douglas.html

Shia LaBeouf
http://www.moviecritical.com/2010/10/shia-labeouf.html

Carey Mulligan
http://www.moviecritical.com/2010/10/carey-mulligan.html

Michael Douglas

DOB: 25th September 1944
Place of Birth: New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
Film Debut: “Cast A Giant Shadow” (1966) as a jeep driver



You may remember Michael from...
• Romancing The Stone (1984) as the adventurous soul Jack Colton, the object of Kathleen Turner’s Joan’s attention.
• Fatal Attraction (1987) as Dan Gallagher, the married man who commits adultery and makes a huge mistake by doing so.
• Wall Street (1987) as the charismatic and unforgettable Gordon Gekko, perhaps one of the most memorable businessmen ever to grace the big screen.
• Basic Instinct (1992) as Nick Curran, the detective who is investigating a murder in which a woman he is becoming further involved with may be responsible.