Establishing the characters has been a major issue with recent super hero films, they all have been walking on the road much travelled. Mercifully, the tone of Ant-man is on the lighter side with jokes coming in every now and then. To be fair, it hits a few roadblocks but delivers the goods in the end.

Part fun, part froth, Ant-man fails to soar beyond its central conceit.

When someone does something slightly different with a genre as codified and hidebound as the superhero film, it’s tempting to overrate the achievement. Yet, the truth is there have already been a number of superhero movies that have mocked the idea of, well, superheroes. Ant-Man builds on the pop smarts of The Avengers and the I’m-no-hero shtick of Guardians Of The Galaxy, just like these films built on the wisecracking Iron Man films.

With simple, natural characters and an uncomplicated, yet spirited plot line, “Ant-Man” is a visually engaging and entertaining film. An unlikely hero getting convinced and trained to become a super-hero is the premise of the film which woos the audience.

Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man is, by the very nature of its subject, a smaller and consequently far more enjoyable enterprise. The 118-minute movie retains a cheerful and light comic-book tone throughout, with its highlight being a battle for supremacy waged on a Thomas toy engine set between two miniscule men in insect-themed suits.

The scenes with the insects should have been a tough sell, but these scenes are written with so much joy injected in them, it is anything but absurd, which it should be in all probability; he flies on an Ant that he named Ant-hony, ants get shot by bullets, corporate espionage by ants, every scene warrants ridicule but you end up applauding, pure Marvel Magic.

A charming origin story with effects to underline the beauty of miniature, Ant-Man is perfect counterfoil to the grand, sweeping, epic quality of Baahubali.

The fact that we are dealing with a superhero and his arch-nemesis who can be swatted away by a badminton paddle keeps things in perspective. An ‘ant hero’ cuts the superhero imagery to size. Rudd and team are not taking his Earth-saving abilities seriously and neither should you. This one is a summer blockbuster that should be treated as such.

…you keep waiting for that saving-the-world moment, and all you get is an ant squasher.

This is a film that deserves to be seen on the big screen. Yes, despite its flaws that become quite apparent as you watch the film. At the same time, it’s entertaining, Paul Rudd is great in it and we’d really like to see more of him.

Guardians of the Galaxy ushered in a new flavor of superhero films – of fairly ‘ordinary’ people who learn to do extraordinary things – and this brings a more human angle to the film. Ant-Man continues the trend. Oh, and don’t miss Marvel legend Stan Lee’s cameo too!

On the whole, despite a few scientific drawbacks (read loopholes), ANT-MAN cannot really be compared to or for that matter measured with same yardstick used to gauge other superhero films. However, standing on its own ANT-MAN makes for a fun watch, developing a character that can more than live up to being one of the Avengers.

There’s plenty laughs and some neat special effects. But what the movie needed was real edge, and a willingness to take bold risks.

It’s a pretty watchable light movie, but ah, it could have been a Wright movie.

Just like the tiny ants in Ant Man, the film holds your attention minimally. The shrinking superhero may not prove to be your best weekend watch.

Impeccable performances by Michael Pena and Paul Rudd? Check. Hilarious quips from the characters? Check. Epic action sequences? Check. What else do you want?! Go watch the tiny superhero- now!

It’s a bit unfair to Ant Man that the Edgar Wright episode hurt its publicity because the final film is entertaining and funny. Any fan of Wright would be able to spot his DNA in a few scenes, but there’s no denying Reed’s flair for situational comedy and his ability to subvert the whole concept of big action into a smaller scale. It’s about time Wright’s shadow left this film and Reed received an accolade or two.