Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Michael Peña, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Wood Harris
Peyton Reed
Believe it or not, a big-screen adaptation of “Ant-Man” has been in development since the so-called MCU was just a twinkle in Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige’s eye. It’s been a decade in the making, and a majority of that time was spent under the guidance of director Edgar Wright. Many people didn’t think it would ever get made, and when Wright left the project only weeks before production was scheduled to begin, citing creative differences, it nearly broke the internet. You have to respect Wright for maintaining his integrity by refusing to kowtow to the bigwigs at Marvel, but Feige deserves credit for holding his ground as well, because considering its troubled production, “Ant-Man” could (and probably should) have been a disaster. Instead, it’s a funny and fast-paced superhero film that serves as a welcome breath of fresh air compared to the typical end-of-the-world summer blockbusters.
Paul Rudd stars as Scott Lang, a gifted thief and ex-convict who’s trying to put his life back together for the sake of his young daughter. And he gets that second chance when he’s recruited by Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) – a genius inventor who’s hidden his groundbreaking particle technology, which can shrink a human down to the size of an ant, from the rest of the world – to break into his company’s research facility and thwart his power-hungry protégé, Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), from replicating the technology. Cross plans to militarize his version of the Pym particles, which he’s dubbed Yellowjacket, and sell it to the highest bidder for the purpose of creating the ultimate super-soldier. Sound familiar? In order to protect the weapon from falling into the wrong hands, Scott must assume the mantle of Ant-Man using a suit that grants its wearer increased strength while microscopic and the ability to telepathically control an army of ants.
After a rather lackluster June with very few major releases (and even fewer that were any good), the summer season kicks back into high gear this July with a trio of highly-anticipated sequels, the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and a handful of original comedies that could end up being the biggest surprises of the month.
“Terminator Genisys”
Who: Emilia Clarke, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jai Courtney and Jason Clarke What: After finding himself in a new timeline, Kyle Reese teams up with Sarah Connor and an aging terminator to try and stop Judgement Day. When: July 1st Why: The “Terminator” movie franchise has been limping along for over a decade now, first with the terrible “Rise of the Machines,” and more recently with the failed reboot starring Christian Bale, but that hasn’t stopped Hollywood from trying to keep the series alive. So what makes this latest attempt any different? For starters, it has James Cameron’s official seal of approval, and it’s easy to see why, since the movie is tied very closely to the first two installments, playing with the time travel aspect in the same way that J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” did to reinvent the franchise. It still doesn’t look very good, but we’re willing to give it the benefit of the doubt because we love watching Arnold Schwarzenegger in full Terminator mode.
“Magic Mike XXL”
Who: Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello and Jada Pinkett Smith What: Three years after Mike bowed out of the stripper life, he and the remaining Kings of Tampa hit the road to Myrtle Beach to put on one last blow-out performance. When: July 1st Why: One of the biggest complaints about the first “Magic Mike” was that it was a lot gloomier than moviegoers were expecting for a film about male strippers, and Channing Tatum has addressed those issues with the promise that the upcoming sequel will be a much lighter affair. Though it’s sad to see Matthew McConaughey isn’t involved in the project (he was, after all, one of the highlights of the first film), “Magic Mike XXL” doesn’t appear to be short on colorful characters, including bigger roles for supporting players like Matt Bomer and Joe Manganiello, and the addition of Jada Pinkett Smith. And if the trailers are any indication, it hasn’t lost its self-mocking sense of humor, either.
