[Rear View] Ant-Man

He may have been overlooked in the recent Marvel Studios blockbuster “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” but Ant-Man, a founding member of The Avengers, will have his day in the sun July 17. (Leave your magnifying glasses at home, please.)

“Ant-Man” tells the tale of master thief Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), who joins forces with his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), to pull off a heist that will save the world. We all know that ants are tough — but saving the world? Hmmm...this movie might be worth checking out.
 

Marvel’s Obsession with Insects.

Over the years, Marvel has created a lot of insect-inspired characters: Ant-Man (who came on the scene in 1979), Spider-Man, Arachne (Spider-Woman), Bug, Yellowjacket, the Beetle, the Human Fly, the Wasp and others. Marvel fans are clearly intrigued by these characters — and no wonder. As we are all well aware, insects have amazing powers.

Take Ant-Man, for example. Ants can lift, what, 5,000 times their weight? So, in Ant-Man, you have a superhero who grows exponentially in strength as he shrinks exponentially in size. At a half-inch tall, he can punch with as much force as a full-size person. Plus, as the original crazy ant, Ant-Man is a genius when it comes to electronics. And, he can communicate telepathically with other insects. Think of the possibilities if you could do that (The Ant Whisperer, your customers would call you).
 

Ant-sized Antics Engage Audiences Worldwide.

Credit Walt Disney Studios, distributor of the new film, for spearheading creative marketing efforts that have set Ant-Man apart from other action adventures.

Promotion began with an ant-sized movie trailer, which made its way around the Internet and later developed into a human-sized version. In Australia, Disney took Ant-Man to the streets as well, placing tiny billboards strategically near bus stops and park benches. Did they attract attention from the all-important ant target audience? No reports on that as yet, but social media coverage surrounding the campaign certainly has humans buzzing about it.
 

Mark Your Calendar: July 17.

Will “Ant-Man” make your must-see list? We can’t tell you if it’s a miss or a masterpiece, because we’re waiting to see it, too. What we can tell you is that bug movies don’t hit the silver screen all that often, so if you want to enjoy a lighthearted celebration of the tiny creatures that have earned our industry’s respect — and tireless diligence — over the years, head to the theater July 17.

Knowing what we know about ants, we are confident in the movie trailer’s promise: “Heroes don’t get any bigger.” — Donna DeFranco