Dennis D. McDonald (ddmcd@ddmcd.com) consults from Alexandria Virginia. His services include writing & research, proposal development, and project management.

Peyton Reed's ANT-MAN

Peyton Reed's ANT-MAN

Movie review by Dennis D. McDonald

“Oh great,” I thought, “another Marvel superhero movie,” fearing another snooze-fest like the last Avengers or Captain America.

But Ant-Man is fun and entertaining despite a trite storyline and unoriginal characters.

What makes it so entertaining? Production-wise it’s superb. Special effects and editing are excellent. We do get sucked into sequences we’ve seen too many times before, such as the high-tech heist and the one-on-one battle between evenly matched superheroes. But execution is always snappy and editing and clever dialogue make up for an almost paint-by-number story.

Another positive factor is the movie’s tone. Good versus evil is presented without excess cruelty or bloodshed. There’s no foul dark undercurrent here, just the usual out-of-control evil industrialist we’ve seen many times before.

References to other Marvel characters and story lines are present but don’t really detract from what’s on display.

Bottom line: Ant-Man is not something I would spend my money on for an expensive multiplex date or family night out, but it is entertaining enough to provide diversion for a night in with the family.

Copyright (c) 2016 by Dennis D. McDonald

Guillermo del Toro's CRIMSON PEAK

Guillermo del Toro's CRIMSON PEAK

Don Herzfeldt’s “WORLD OF TOMORROW”

Don Herzfeldt’s “WORLD OF TOMORROW”