《蚁人》

    Voices: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Pena, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Wood Harris

    Director: Peyton Reed

    THE best Marvel films balance action spectacle, irreverent humor and more than a smidgeon of heart, their execution so effortless that a viewer can take that tricky alchemy for granted. “Ant-Man” serves as a cautionary reminder that sometimes the mixture isn’t so cohesive, this mediocre action-adventure only intermittently proving to be exciting, hilarious or touching — and never at the same time. Transitioning somewhat from the broad comedies that have made his name, Paul Rudd gives the reluctant titular hero a cheeky charm, but director Peyton Reed and a fleet of credited writers struggle to escape the shadow of Marvel’s bigger, bolder, better comic book movies.

    Set in San Francisco, the film stars Rudd as Scott Lang, a Robin Hood-like burglar just released from prison after three years for stealing from corporate crooks. Divorced from his wife (Judy Greer) but hopelessly devoted to his young daughter (Abby Ryder Fortson), Lang is desperate for a legitimate job when he agrees to one last heist. Soon, however, Lang learns that the heist has been secretly orchestrated by Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), an aging scientist who wants the younger man to take up his mantle as Ant-Man, a superhero who (thanks to a special suit) can shrink down to the size of an insect.

    It’s easy to imagine how original director Edgar Wright (“Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World,” “Hot Fuzz”) would have approached this material, his trademark sarcastic streak easily mixing with high-energy action sequences. Wright left the project — he’s still credited as one of the screenwriters and as an executive producer — and was replaced by Reed, whose résumé (“Yes Man,” “The Break-Up”) doesn’t superficially suggest he’d be a perfect choice to take over the reins.

    Alas, “Ant-Man” doesn’t refute that initial suspicion. Reed’s films have always had a breezy nonchalance, but neither his staging of action nor his juggling of tones is particularly inspired here. And with four credited screenwriters — including Rudd and frequent Will Ferrell collaborator Adam McKay — “Ant-Man” can’t help but show signs of the purported development issues that slowed the film’s path to production. One senses the movie’s warring impulses, as moments of Lang agonizing over his separation from his little girl butt up awkwardly against the story’s thriller elements, as well as limp flirtation scenes between Lang and Pym’s strong-willed daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly).

    Perhaps recognizing that “Ant-Man” doesn’t have the cultural cachet of a “Thor” or “Iron Man,” “Ant-Man” exudes a self-deprecating sense of humor, resulting in a film that feels more modest than the typical Marvel offering.

    Throughout Rudd’s career, he’s often played impertinent jokers — a quality that, in theory, segues nicely to starring in a comic book movie in which the hero’s powers are given to him by a suit he didn’t even design. But the actor’s fetching everyman quality doesn’t add much when the script fails to provide him with a series of reliable one-liners. Jokey rather than funny, and a bit forced when it’s trying to be sincere, “Ant-Man” has plenty of enthusiasm but not a lot of inspiration, Reed unable to conceive the film in such a way that it establishes its own niche in the big-screen Marvel landscape.

    Still, there’s an impressive ensemble for this second-tier material, especially Corey Stoll as Darren Cross, the evil head of a technology company once run by Pym. With his bald head and menacing stare, the actor pulls off the calm confidence of a megalomaniacal super-genius. Lilly is little more than a sourpuss love interest for Lang, occasionally mourning her dead mother to little effect. Her performance is indicative of a lot of the supporting cast: whether it’s Michael Pena as Lang’s loopy chum or Michael Douglas as a man determined not to let his innovative Ant-Man suit fall into the wrong hands, fully invested talents get bogged down in mediocre storytelling.

    The effects work necessary to dramatize Lang’s transformation into the miniscule Ant-Man is stellar. There can be pleasures in seeing the world from the perspective of an insect — water flowing from a tap suddenly looks terrifying — but the brutal truth is that Ant-Man’s ability to move small objects and command an ant army isn’t all that compelling. This superhero is meant to be a scrappy underdog, but Rudd’s pedestrian portrayal of regular-guy Lang isn’t enough to make us see the brave soul underneath the shrugging exterior.

    From an action standpoint, “Ant-Man” takes a while to kick into high gear, with much of the film spent establishing Lang’s character, introducing him to Pym and then learning the Ant-Man suit’s powers.

    The movie is now being screened in Shenzhen.

    (SD-Agencies)