Parents' Guide to

Ant-Man

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Clever, funny, cool Marvel movie has lots of sci-fi action.

Movie PG-13 2015 117 minutes
Ant-Man Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 46 parent reviews

Davisflyer1
Davisflyer1 Parent of 14-year-old
June 29, 2016
age 15+

This movie, while very good, is not appropriate as a family movie, certainly not for 12 year olds as indicated.

Maybe that's the reason kids say such bad words and act inappropriately with the opposite sex at such young ages anymore, because too many parents let their kids watch movies like this and think it's OK.
J R.
J R. Parent
July 18, 2018
age 13+

Not sure how it got a CSM Family approved stamp.

With words like p---y and a--hat I'm not sure how this gets a CSM "Great for families" stamp of approval. Maybe some families don't believe in modesty or clean language, but I would certainly not give a movie like this a "GFF" stamp with such language. Certainly not for a 12 year old. It's a slippery slope to say "what is in movies now is more acceptable than in the past." By the time the current 12 year olds have kids should we expect a "GFF" stamp on a movie containing topless women and sexual harassment from men? I would argue that CSM's family stamp isn't worth the pixels its painted with. It's a PG-13 movie. Why would CSM rate it 12+?
See all 46 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In ANT-MAN, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is a Robin Hood-like burglar who's just been released from San Quentin prison. With few legitimate prospects and a young daughter and ex-wife to pay child support to, Scott agrees to go in on a heist with his former cell-mate, Luis (Michael Peña), and two other pals to rob a rich old man's safe. The target turns out to be Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), who set up the robbery opportunity to recruit Scott as the new Ant-Man -- a suit-wearing superhero who can shrink down to the size of an ant and also communicate with insects to make them do his bidding. Hank and his skeptical daughter, Hope (Evangeline Lilly), want Scott to help them keep megalomaniacal Dr. Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) from perfecting his own Ant-Man-like suit -- which he wants to sell as a military weapon to the highest bidder.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (46 ):
Kids say (169 ):

The Marvel Universe's story about a tiny but fierce hero is also its funniest. As always, Rudd is a natural with sarcasm and one-liners, playing off of a hilarious Peña as Scott's prison bestie Luis and enjoying an easy mentor-mentee rapport with Douglas' Hank Pym. As Cross points out, Hank and Scott have a lot in common -- particularly as fathers with a an obvious need to protect their daughters. The bantery chemistry between Scott and Hope is a predictable "opposites attract" storyline, but Hope is one of the most interesting Marvel women to date because she's clearly itching for a chance to put on an ant suit and get things done.

Cross is the standard emotionally fragile, egomaniacal villain with extreme daddy issues. Stoll seems to be making a name for himself as a baddie, and he's well able to play a man who simultaneously hates Pym and desperately seeks his approval. The plot and the explanations of how the Ant-Man suit works can get a bit convoluted, but the action sequences and humorous dialogue (much of which sounds like it came straight from Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish, two of the five screenwriters) make up for the occasional plot holes. Bottom line? There's a lot to enjoy or laugh out loud about in Ant-Man, and Rudd is so charming and so easy to invest in as a viewer that it's only natural to hope for a sequel that puts him in touch with more of the other Avengers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the popularity of Marvel movies. Why do you think these comic books have turned into such well-received movies? Are all movies inspired by comic books created equal? Does Ant-Man stand out? How?

  • What do you think about the way that superhero movies portray violence? Does any of it seem realistic? Is it intended to? Does it glorify fighting? Does exposure to violent movies make kids more aggressive?

  • How does Ant-Man compare to other superheroes? Is he more like Iron Man, because of the suit, or like Spider-Man, because he has affinity with and traits of another species? How is he unique?

  • Ant-Man isn't a natural hero; Scott has a criminal past and a spotty record. How does he live up to his daughter's expectations? How does his past help him as a hero?

  • How do the characters in Ant-Man demonstrate courage and teamwork? Why are these important character strengths?

Movie Details

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