Day in the Life of an Idiot

Last night, I saw Ant Man with my usual MCU crew (Eleanor Arnason and Sean M. Murphy). I have to admit to some trepidation going into this film.  For one, I was never a huge Henry Pym/Ant Man fan when I read him in the Avenger comic books in the mid-1970s/early-1980s when he was, ironically, mostly Yellowjacket (and sometimes Giant Man).  Also, having heard that the Ant Man of the MCU would be Scott Lang, I was a bit worried that was like having a Captain America movie with John Walker wearing the cowl.

Generally, I have to say the movie was fun.  It was a good heist film, with a hilarious "crew" (which, let's be fair, included ants.)  I was particularly fond of Luis, whose only superpower, apparently, is his mean upper cut,  with which he reputably remains the only inmate to have successfully knocked out the meanest thug in San Quentin.  And, of course, his amazing storytelling style.  I think we should all start petitioning now for Luis to have his own comic book title. (Unless already does, in which case someone please point me to them STAT!)

Unlike other films in the MCU, however, I didn't have a single nerdgasm at any particular moment.  Again, this is probably very much due to my not reading much of Ant Man, and him not being as iconic a character as, say, Tony Stark/Iron Man.  (Because I think I own exactly ONE Iron Man, but he's a feature in so many titles I've read, including, of course, the Civil War mega-arc, that I knew a lot about him and his villains, sidekicks, etc., going in.)   Yes, I say 'not iconic' knowing FULL WELL Ant Man was a founding Avenger along with the Wasp.  Thing is, you ask your average, on the street fan and they will laugh and say, "ANT... man?  Really?  Ant??"  (Well, not any more, but they did.)  Also, I slide in and out of comic readership, and so I didn't recognize female/future Hawkeye, in the child, which I bet was squee worthy to a lot of comic book fans.  Alas, not me.. 

In fact, I am starting to be slightly irritated by the seemingly 'one woman per film' rule Marvel has going on.  Yes, we get a five second cameo of another one and that person's story was critical to the plot, but... COME ON.  As much as I adored the 'heist crew,' I fail to see why ONE of them couldn't have been a lady.  The get-away driver, maybe?

Yes, Hope Pym was fairly bassass--which was possibly another squee/red herring for those of you (which didn't include me, to be honest,)  who knew that Hope is also the Red Queen.--though my complaint there seems to be that badass is  the only mode Marvel can do lady in, atm (well, badass or vaguely undeveloped in the case of the Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in Age of Ultron.)  So, besides "child in distress," I could have used a few more female faces. Marvel has a lot of female superheroes to choose from, and, you know, statistically there are just more of us alive at any given time.  


I'm a huge Marvel fan.  I had fun at Ant Man.  This isn't a huge 'boo.'  I just think it's one of those thing that I'm putting on my 'watch this' list.