So what happens when characters that not even comic book fans really recognize or want to see on film make that leap to the big screen?  As we saw last year with Guardians of the Galaxy (yeah, comic fans nowadays HEARD of them, but no one was clamoring for a movie), fricking gold.  I didn’t know much, if anything, about the intergalactic squad of misfits, but when I heard the description of characters and whatnot, I was all in.

Not even a year later, Marvel’s Ant-Man is hitting the big screen, and fanboys have been howling online as to why he’s getting his own movie before other, more “worthy” characters.  Though, at the same time there has been a large group of vocal supporters, mostly due to the fact that the project has been long percolating even before the creation of Marvel Studios as we know it.

Edgar Wright, co-writer and director of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World’s End worked with partner Joe Cornish on the script for damn near a decade.  The reason given was the same old “to get it right.” However, one can assume with Wright’s busy schedule and the changing face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he had to keep altering it to be in line with everything.

Finally it was as fast-tracked as this project could ever get, and it was actually starting to catch some buzz (except from some of those pesky fanboys).  Ultimately, however, after Wright and Marvel working together for longer than most Hollywood marriages, it ended in the same way when Wright left the project.  From the sounds of it, Marvel really liked Wright’s vision, but wanted it Diet Wright (Now With More Marvel).

Peyton Reed (Bring it On, Yes Man, Down With Love) took over and star Paul Rudd did a few rewrites with Adam McKay (like every Will Ferrell movie ever).  These changes brought on some added worry for the project, but if I’ve learned anything from my time being a nerd who’s WAY too into movies- the gambles are the big pay offs.  Usually.

And in Marvel’s case, I think the changing of the guard, so to speak, is a welcome one.  The general public and geeks might still love Tony Stark and Robert Downey Jr playing the character, but there is some fatigue growing in regards to his solo silver screen escapades.

After all this set up, does Ant-Man deliver the goods and shut up the detractors?  You’d be hard pressed to find a lot of fault with the movie.  It might not be their best effort, but Ant-Man is the most FUN Marvel Studios has had this side of Rocket Raccoon in a long time.  There are moments that had an auditorium full of people laughing, and others that had them engaged in the action.  I was definitely one of those people.

We begin in the late 1980’s with a really bad CGI de-aged Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, a character who was the original Ant-Man and in the comics the creator of bad guy Ultron.  He’s having a meeting with Agent Carter (gorgeous at any age), Howard Stark (once again played by Mad Men guy), and some asshole who plays the role of mean business suit guy who wants to use powerful technology for nefarious reasons.

Pym tells them all to blow it out their ass and takes with him the Pym Particle, a substance used to decrease the distance between atoms (shrinking formula).

Fast forward to the present day and Scott Lang has just been released from prison for burglary (he’s one of the nicest criminals cause he’s like Robin Hood), and he tries to stay straight despite going back to hanging out and living with the kind of people that could make him relapse.  And he does, supposedly to loot a rich man’s vault in which he only finds a suit with a helmet.  So he takes it anyway.

You guessed it…it’s the Ant-Man suit!

Pym and Lang end up joining forces with each other and Pym’s daughter Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly, of who I am becoming a BIG fan) to steal tech from Pym’s usurped company that tries to replicate his shrinking shtick.  The culprit is Pym’s former protégé Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) who has such bad daddy issues with Pym one wonders what kind of messed up bullshit he had with his real father.

The normal hootenanny goes down of good versus evil with the twist of a heist movie, and a hero who can telepathically talk to and work with various species of ants.  And it really worked for me.  I like the characters and the actors cast to play them, especially Rudd who went to the Star-Lord school for heroism it seems, and most everyone else has their moments, too.  This flick also has the addition of a youngling in the form of Lang’s daughter, Cassie, a first for a Marvel movie to have a familial tie such as this.

The weakest point is probably going to have to be the villain.  Stoll is a great actor, and the Yellowjacket suit he eventually dons looks rad, but the daddy issue and businessman motivation is a little thin.  Though, if this movie does explore one thing I think is interesting it’s that those are the very people pulling the strings a lot of the time.

Sure, there are people transformed by circumstance and substances, but it’s the men and women in formal wear who are really mucking up the world (and universe). Captain America and Hulk might be very different super soldiers cut from the same cloth, but they are both the result of military desire.  Black Widow is who she is because of manipulative folks who want a weapon.  And Ant-Man and his foe are both essentially the pawns of others.

Talking with some friends after the movie, I’m a little disappointed in one regard to having the Marvel slate of movies laid out for the next couple years.  While there’s a Guardians sequel coming our way, Ant-Man is so far (as far as we know) being relegated to cameos or seemingly minor roles in that slate.  But I’d much rather see another Ant-Man than I would a Thor or even Iron Man.

My only fear, however, is that by the time we perhaps do get a direct sequel to this, the property will suffer the same fatigue and become another version of those heroes where we see them playing it just a little too safe.  For now though, Ant-Man is straddling the line quite well, and even though there might be a better, or at least different version we will never see, this one is good enough that we won’t think about it all that much.

P.S. – Marvel is back to form with a scene at the very end of the credits as well as a mid-credits bit.  Both are pretty sweet in their own right, and go to further both Ant-Man and the greater MCU.

Now, to recalculate the Marvel Movie Standings as has become tradition.  Where do I have Ant-Man fitting in with all the others?

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2. The Avengers
3. Guardians of the Galaxy
4. Iron Man

5. Ant-Man

6. Captain America: The First Avenger
7. Avengers: Age of Ultron
8. Iron Man 3
9. Thor: The Dark World
10. The Incredible Hulk
11. Thor

12. Iron Man 2

I had only ever heard of The Guardians of the Galaxy in passing. Being a fan of nerdery I have some history with the comic books, but not as extensive as to actually know the characters of Star Lord and pals, their back story, and their adventures. But as soon as I heard about this being an entry of the Marvel Studios Cinematic Universe, the concept, and the director- I was hooked.

I’ve always loved quirky stuff. I’ve always loved really good space adventures. And I’ve always loved things in the vein of a friggin talking raccoon shooting automatic weapons like some meth-addicted Yosemite Sam. Throw in writer-director James Gunn, whose movie Slither was awesome, and my sarcastic, nerdy sensibilities have been fully primed.

After the initial announcement, I remember seeing the first concept art of the whole gang I’ve come to know in a prison line-up. There was the aforementioned Star Lord (who?), Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, my new pet Rocket, and his pet Groot, a walking, kind-of-talking tree. The production image graced my desktop screen for several months. These characters had, well, character. Then there are the people who were to play them, as seen in the next release of basically the same image, except with the actors on a set. The production art had come to life. And that imagery pretty much sums up the people we’re following in the movie.

First, Chris Pratt as Star Lord, making women swoon and men jealous of his genuine Nathan Fillion/Harrison Ford-type swagger. Everything is awesome (hehe) where Pratt is concerned. Then we have every geek’s not-so-secret crush Zoe Saldana as Gamora.

Former “pro” wrestler Dave Bautista plays Drax the Destroyer, and I’m genuinely impressed with him in the role. Many reviews have even gone so far as to point to Bautista as being a stand out in the movie, even moreso than Rocket and Groot. Speaking of this movie’s Artoo and Threepio, the voice actors in the form of Bradley Cooper (Rocket) and Vin Diesel (Groot) seem to have been good ones. Many folks don’t give Diesel much credit, but for all his lines consisting of three words, he imbues them with a lot of feeling and context.

If the few still images weren’t enough, the trailer released, and I. Went. Bananas. I keep saying the single bad thing about this movie being released is that the trailer won’t be playing before every movie I see. The visuals that I was introduced to in the preview were fantastic, making sweet sci-fi love to my eye sockets. The look of the movie was the stuff of every nerd’s imagination. It brought back memories of beloved space operas, and earthbound adventures. All that was in the trailer only scratches the surface of the places this movie takes us.

The movie was first sold on the humor and queer attitude it was going for, and it landed perfectly. I laughed at every single joke, and so did just about everyone in the theater. And the music. THE MUSIC. I’ve been singing Hooked on a Feeling for months, ask my co-workers. Hell, it’s my ringtone. And I’m pretty sure ten hard-earned dollars will go to purchasing the soundtrack. I guess you could be a sour puss and cry about the lack of a whole lot of original score, but then you’d be missing the point.

Despite all this wonderful stuff being thrown at us, I can’t believe there are nerds who even consider not seeing this movie. How does it look unappealing to any lover of genre material, or who has ever picked up a comic book? I keep reading on chat boards and Facebook messages about how people were on the fence about it and somehow promotional materials have one way or another turned them off to seeing GotG. Shut the hell up. We’ve come too far in the cinema to start taking shit like this for granted. Ten years ago, this movie wouldn’t have even been possible. Hell, it’s still a hard sell (or so we thought). I’ve heard many non-nerds proclaiming it to look too cheesy (people who are lucky a certain nerd sitting in front of them in the theater did not punch them). Point is, we can’t afford to be snobby about stuff like this, especially when it’s so high quality and well done material.

I loved it. I bet you’ll love it. And people who didn’t think they’d love it are probably going to be kicking themselves. This thing had 100% on Rotten Tomatoes for the longest time, until some ass-wipe from the associated press came along and knocked it down into the 90’s (continued not-so-surprisingly by the a-holes at salon.com- do they ever like a movie?). GotG has so far been one of Marvel Studios’ best reviewed movies. Here’s hoping that the money is there opening weekend and beyond to fulfill the promise, and to assuage doubt. This seems to so far be the case. I know the sequel has already been announced, but the success for this movie means a lot to the MCU as we know it. Think about Nova having a movie. Think about the Kree and other aliens showing up more and more. GotG opens up the MCU in a cosmic way that Thor just couldn’t (though, I still give those movies credit for opening the door).

The day will come, too, when our friends the Guardians will hopefully meet our friends the Avengers. That day will not only be momentous for the coming together of the two groups, but for the kind of story that would make it possible. If we thought all our favorite Marvel heroes coming together was a big deal, I have a feeling by the time they meet the cosmos, it will look like small potatoes. For a universe as big as the MCU to have happened in six short years they way it has, that’s pretty amazing. In the immortal words of my favorite cycloptic African-American covert operative- “You think you’re the only superhero in the world? Mr. Stark, you’ve become part of a bigger universe.”

Taking my rundown of how I place these movies from just a few months ago, here again is how I’d rank the movies of the MCU. Now with Guardians and electrolytes!
Had this movie not worked we wouldn’t be talking any of the other Marvel Studios films. The (mis)adventures of Tony Stark started not just a franchise, but with a little added sequence at the end of the credits began one of the biggest and most important sagas in cinematic history.
2. The Avengers
Marvel did what nerds have clamored for for decades- one movie merging multiple characters and franchises to bring together Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, Captain America, and the supporting characters fans have loved and come to love over the course of half a decade on the silver screen, and much longer in the comics.

3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Each Phase Two flick has been darker than the predecessors, and I’m going to guess it only gets darker. I not only want to see what comes in the next Avengers because of this, but the promise of Steve going after Bucky is almost (almost) more enticing right now.

4. Guardians of the Galaxy

It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of a movie like this or any of them on the list, and abandon all manner of objectivity. I have seen many proclaim this to be Marvel’s best movie ever (!), but I try to hold the choke collar just a bit on such an outlandish statement. Coming out the same summer as Cap 2 has made 2014 a very good year for Marvel, but upon further review, I have to say I prefer that film. Not that it’s better, or that Guardians isn’t good, I just think it will stand the test of further viewing more. That being said, anyone doesn’t like this movie, they’re gosh darn dumb. There is nothing to not like except for MAYBE a climax with yet another all-out aerial battle. The characters are great, the actors portraying them are excellent, and what this movie does for the MCU is fantastic. The only reason Guardians isn’t higher on the list is because the other films are monumental achievements in the history of comic cinema. Though, this does deserve a benchmark all its own.
5. Captain America: The First Avenger
This flick brought to mind old favorites like The Rocketeer (by the same director), and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Not bad company for a movie like this. Where Iron Man and Thor and Hulk focused on the metal of a hero, this summed up perfectly the mettle of a man.

6. Iron Man 3
IM3 started the “darker” trend of Phase Two, and tested the waters for a political message in these movies. If it ends up being the last solo Iron Man movie (at least with RDJ), they ended it in a good place for it to be over there, and to pick up the pieces in Avengers movies.

7. Thor: The Dark World
The darker Phase Two movie that even says so in the title. Watching this and then going back to the first one, you’ll notice how vastly improved everything is, including a more epic and visceral feel.

8. The Incredible Hulk
The Mark Ruffalo Bruce Banner of the Avengers might feel more interesting, and his Hulk more fun, but this early entry into the MCU was far superior in tone, and much closer to what fans are looking for from the Jolly Green Goliath, than Ang Lee’s cerebral mess earlier in the decade. And as the second Marvel Studios movie, it helped to cement the shared universe idea at its conclusion.
9. Thor
This movie might have had the second most difficult job of all these movies after bringing together the Avengers- believably introducing a mythological GOD into the canon that was largely grounded in reality. It was pulled off by taking the “what you call magic is just another kind of science” route.

10. Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2 might have been rushed, might seem a little too much like the first one in the final battle, and seem more of a SHIELD commercial/Avengers precursor, but it’s still fun as heck.

You might be thinking enough with talking about Marvel Studios already.  But I can’t.  There’s a reason these are, to me, the crown jewel of nerdom at the moment.  Think about this.  ONE studio, focused on ONE niche genre has produced NINE movies released since 2008.  Nine movies in six years.  And they’ve all been blockbusters, many of which have found a place in the top-grossing movies of all time.

They all might be superhero movies, but they are different unto themselves.  Cap is good example.  The first one is a period piece set during the 1940’s, while the new one is in modern day and harkens back to political thrillers of the 70’s.  None of the Iron Man flicks are the same.  They all have a distinct tone to them.  These movies find ways to keep things fresh while maintaining continuity.

Marvel Studios is hoping that keeps their babies going for a long time to come.  There are currently MCU flicks scheduled for release through the year 2017. A few of them have not been announced, but I’m guessing we’ll see something later this year.  Recently, Kevin Feige (Marvel Studios head honcho and nerdy super-producer) mentioned he’d seen the latest list of what plans are, and they extend all the way to 2028.  I’m not one for counting chickens as the saying goes, but the ones that have hatched so far would lead me to believe that plan is pretty viable right about now.

So in honor of Cap kicking Hydra booty, and Marvel Studios planning flicks into my fifties, here’s a ranking of the chicks so far.  A few things go into the ranking system- my personal favorites, measured by a more subjective look at the craft that went into them, and consideration for what they mean/how they affect the larger MCU.  Feel free to give your list in the comments.  I like comments.

1. Iron Man

This deserves the top spot above even Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, because if this had not worked we wouldn’t be talking any of it.  The (mis)adventures of Tony Stark started not just a franchise, but with a little added sequence at the end of the credits began one of the biggest and most important sagas in cinematic history.  I know Robert Downey, Jr. is thanking his lucky stars, and to those of us who thought he was perfect from the get go we can all say “told ya” to the people who doubted the casting (which was oddly a lot of people).

2. The Avengers

How this isn’t at the top, or second from the top, of anyone’s list is beyond me.  Marvel did what nerds have clamored for for decades, and achieved something that competitor DC hasn’t even been able to get it up for.  One movie merging multiple characters and franchises to bring together Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, Captain America, and the supporting characters fans have loved and come to love over the course of half a decade on the silver screen, and much longer in the comics.  Add in one of the most prominent writer/directors in nerd culture, and you have the biggest comic book movie of all time.

3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

I might be accused of favoring this one so high just because it’s the newest entry to the MCU pantheon, but I don’t care.  I’ll admit there might be some rose-colored glasses going on here, but look at this movie on its own and in the context of the others, and tell me this isn’t The Empire Strikes Back or The Dark Knight of the Marvel movies.  Each Phase Two flick has been darker than the predecessors, and I’m going to guess it only gets darker.  I not only want to see what comes in the next Avengers because of this, but the promise of Steve going after Bucky is almost (almost) more enticing right now.

4. Captain America: The First Avenger

Maybe I’m just jonesing for Cap right now, or maybe his movies just seem to be the most unique among the MCU.  This flick brought to mind old favorites like The Rocketeer (by the same director), and Raiders of the Lost Ark.  Not bad company for a movie like this.  All the Marvel movies are about redemption and becoming a better person in some fashion, but where Iron Man and Thor and Hulk focused on the metal of a hero, this summed up perfectly the mettle of a man.

5. Iron Man 3

Spoiler alert- the Mandarin is a flimsy British actor full of booze and drugs.  And I’m fine with that.  Sure I was a little disappointed that the spooky Ben Kingsley of the trailers was a trick, but if you’ve seen the one shot All Hail the King, you know the Mandarin is not something to be dismissed as a serious role for a goofy actor.  Plus, I’m all for not doing literal translations right from the books.  IM3 started the “darker” trend of Phase Two, and tested the waters for a political message in these movies.  If it ends up being the last solo Iron Man movie (at least with RDJ), they ended it in a good place for it to be over there, and to pick up the pieces in Avengers movies.

Thor: The Dark World

6. Thor: The Dark World

The darker Phase Two movie that even says so in the title.  Watching this and then going back to the first one, you’ll notice how vastly improved everything is.  The director, who came from a background that includes Game of Thrones, brought it a more epic look, and made it feel more visceral at the same time.  Plus Thor isn’t a bleached out mess who looks like he has a plastic beard.  Just saying.

7. The Incredible Hulk

The Mark Ruffalo Bruce Banner of the Avengers might feel more interesting, and his Hulk more fun, but this early entry into the MCU was far superior in tone, and much closer to what fans are looking for from the Jolly Green Goliath, than Ang Lee’s cerebral mess earlier in the decade.  Closer to Bill Bixby’s television version, this flick provided us with a Hulk that acknowledged the original sort of, but only enough to continue the story.  And as the second Marvel Studios movie, it helped to cement the shared universe idea at its conclusion (though I still think that should have been at the end of the credits).  The only drawback to this one is all the threads that have been left to wonder about.  Though recently there were passing mentions made of the Leader and Blonsky on the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show. I’d like to see them back on the big screen, however.

8. Thor

This movie might have had the second most difficult job of all these movies after bringing together the Avengers.  This one had to believably introduce and include a mythological GOD into the canon that, despite the science-fictiony elements of the other characters, was largely grounded in reality.  It was pulled off by taking the “what you call magic is just another kind of science” route.  And it worked.  Yippee!

9. Iron Man 2

Being the last on the list is usually bad, and unfortunately something had to be at the bottom.  But it’s not for any negative reason the first MCU sequel goes here.  Iron Man 2 might have been rushed, might seem a little too much like the first one in the final battle, and seem more of a SHIELD commercial/Avengers precursor, but it’s still fun as heck.  When their worst movie is still awesome, you know they’re doing something right.  All I wish is they’d had more Mickey Rourke. And bring Justin Hammer back, already!

Now it’s only fair to do a little preview of what’s to come in the MCU.  These are not in any order of most looked forward to, or relevance.  Just chronological order of release.  I’m guessing by the track record of the flicks so far I’m going to enjoy them, so they’ll get their place on the list when the time comes.

• Guardians of the Galaxy – This damn movie looks like so much fun.  That is all.
• The Avengers: Age of Ultron – The sequel to the most successful comic book movie ever going to darker places after the Earth (universe?) shattering events of the four movies preceding it?  Helmed by the same master as the first one, who excels more the darker the material gets?  Just wondering if we can make it 2015 already.
• Ant-Man – Edgar Wright started the process of making this movie before the first Iron Man.  It finally gets its day in Phase Three of the Marvel Universe.  Test footage of the character in action, and the casting of Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas have this shaping up to be a great entry about a character who is possibly one of the hardest to sell to a general audience thus far.
• Captain America 3 – Much hoo has been ballied about this going toe-to-toe with a Man of Steel 2/Batman vs. Superman/Justice League sequel.  From where Winter Soldier left off, I’m inclined to go with this over that winning any showdown.
• Doctor Strange – He was mentioned in The Winter Soldier!  Marvel mastermind Feige has said the other Steve’s movie is closer than ever.  Phase Three or beyond, it should be good.

Where do rank these movies, and which ones are you most looking forward to?

So what I’m saying, if I’m saying anything at all…is that I’m going to discontinue using that phrase.  It’s starting to annoy me.  However, we are going to retire it with a contest.  Name the Marvel movie in which that phrase is said, and who said it, and you will receive a neat little trinket from yours truly.  Comment here or on the Facebook post sharing this story.

Excelsior!