'Ant-Man' Early Buzz: How Does Marvel's Tiny Hero Measure Up?

By Angie HanJune 26, 2015 7:30 am EST

It's been tough to tell what exactly we should expect from Marvel's Ant-Man. It was an Edgar Wright movie until it wasn't, and the character isn't particularly well known outside the comics. Even the marketing has been kind of confused. Sometimes the film is sold as a straightforward superhero drama, and other times as a Guardians of the Galaxy-esque romp.

Well, wonder no more. Marvel has finally started screening Peyton Reed's completed Ant-Man, and the first critics' reactions are in. Read the Ant-Man early buzz after the jump.

First, a PSA: Ant-Man has not one but two credits scenes, and people are raving about them. So stick around 'til the very end, kids.

And now, on to the reactions:

ANT-MAN is fantastic fun with heart, wildly clever set-pieces, and a scene-stealing Michael Pena. It's a movie I want to be friends with.

— Haleigh Foutch (@HaleighFoutch) June 26, 2015

So I saw ANT-MAN & I dug it! Most inventive action scenes yet & tons of heart. A softer, more intimate #Marvel movie and a great family film

— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) June 26, 2015

ANT-MAN is a TON of fun! It's Marvel's version of Ocean's 11. Great cast, slick score and two wonderful post-credits scenes #StayTillTheEnd

— Brian Gallagher (@GallagherMW) June 26, 2015

Ant Man is great. Way better than Age of Ultron. @edgarwright deserves co-director credit. Feels like his movie.

— Gregory Ellwood – The Playlist 🎬 (@TheGregoryE) June 26, 2015

Ant-Man is more methodical than most Marvel movies but it's hilarious & a totally great ride. So many fun MCU links too. Another winner.

— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) June 26, 2015

I liked Ant-Man more than I did Avengers: Age of Ultron, mainly because Marvel's doing something different and it works as a stand-alone

— Edward Douglas (@EDouglasWW) June 26, 2015

ANT-MAN is good. Not a disaster like some expected but also not a homerun. Has a *must see* after the end credits scene.

— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) June 26, 2015

#AntMan: Mostly boring with lots of exposition, daddy issues and a splash of wit. Oh! And Paul Rudd's abs. #FemaleGaze

— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) June 26, 2015

Sadly 'Ant-Man' falls flat in almost every way. Doesn't seem like it's sure of what it wants to be. Not so much bad as it is blah.

— Mike Sampson (@mjsamps) June 26, 2015

Generally speaking, that's a pretty positive reception. Of course there are a few detractors, but that's the case with any movie. Perhaps the most intriguing comments are the one that suggest Ant-Man is a genuine change of pace for Marvel. "Intimate" isn't an adjective typically used to describe nine-figure blockbusters. Nor is "weird," Guardians of the Galaxy notwithstanding.

Ant-Man arrives in theaters July 17. Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Michael Peña, T.I., and Bobby Cannavale star.

The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios' "Ant-Man." Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.