Movie Night Preview – October 3
October 1, 2015
On Saturday, October 3, Student Activities brings you yet another action-packed, Double Feature Movie Night featuring two of this year’s biggest movies: Ant-Man and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.
First up will be Ant-Man, #12 on the ever-growing list of movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, and Michael Douglas are your heroes for the night, starring as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Hope Van Dyne, and Hank Pym, respectively. As usual, Paul Rudd’s funny, endearing, everyman acting quality transitions easily to the superhero genre. He plays Scott Lang, a reforming crook who, because of his various “skills” in that regard, gets invited by scientist Hank Pym to become Ant-Man, and gets training and assistance from Hank’s daughter, Hope Van Dyne. His mission: to retrieve the mysterious “Pym particle”, which, like many movies’ mysterious “particles”, has tremendous powers and is being used for corrupt means, this time by a bad, bad man named Darren Cross (played by actor Corey Stoll). Cross becomes “Yellowjacket”, Ant-Man must stop him, and battles ensue. Tiny, tiny battles. As some reviewers have noted, the smaller scale of Ant-Man isn’t just in the size of the hero. As you may have seen in the movie or its previews, since fights take place in ant-size measure, whole cities, or even the whole world, are not at risk of destruction, but the toys in a little girls room are. (It’s tough to choose whose minor role is better in the movie: TI’s, or Thomas the Tank Engine’s.) Beyond the unique action of the movie, there are themes of redemption/second chances as well as commitment and love from father to daughter. Like its protagonist, Ant-Man is fun, a tad unassuming, and just self-deprecating enough, but still manages to pack a big punch.
Second, hang on to your hats, your seats, your wallets, and maybe even the folks next to you, because Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation will knock your hat off, knock you out of your seat, steal your wallet, AND sit next to you on both sides without asking. It’s not the only reason to see the movie, but you may already know that Tom Cruise did his own stunts, which included hanging on the side of a giant, military-sized airplane as it took off. The incredible part is, even after hanging onto a real airplane, all of his other stunts are still so impressive. (He had to hold his breath underwater for six minutes.) Another thing you have to like about the J.J. Abrams phase of Mission: Impossible is the increased appearance of Simon Pegg. In fact, the supporting cast of Rogue Nation, especially relative-newcomer Rebecca Ferguson, is exceptional, and certainly one of the reasons the movie has been so well received. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is proof that “spy vs. spy vs. spy vs. spy agency vs. international governing bodies, etc.” is a movie concept that will likely never grow old, at least as long as compelling storylines and unbelievable stunts are the hallmark of such movies.
Be sure to take advantage of our FREE popcorn and inexpensive snacks and drinks. It’s yet another outstanding and action-packed Double Feature Movie Night, brought to you by your friends at Student Activities.