Ant-Man: A little non spoilery review of a great movie.

Hi, everybody!!! *Audience replies* Hi. Dr. Rick.

I have been itching to write this review since I saw the movie, but I will be doing it spoiler-free for the sake of Stephen (Editor's note: Thanks, Ricardo!) who, up until last night, hadn't seen it. And according to the title, I would go out of a limb and say that Ant-man is probably the third best movie of the vaunted Phase 2 of the MCU (No.1 being The Winter Soldier and No.2 Guardians of the Galaxy). And I praise it so highly, despite my initial reservations, because, like the other two, it breaks the mold of the classic MCU story and manages to be the best origin movie since the original Iron Man, while also being a passing-the-torch legacy story (a new approach for Marvel), a very entertaining and well-thought heist movie and above all, the most relatable film of the MCU. All of that thanks to Paul Rudd.

Most of the MCU characters are lager than life: Cap is a living legend that lives up to the legend, Hulk is always eye candy, Black Widow and to a lesser extent Hawkeye are super-efficient, inhuman killing machines, Thor is a god and Tony... well, Tony is Tony, he acts as if he truly is larger than life. Even characters like Falcon, War Machine, Nick Fury act like this well-oiled components of a massive superheroic army, while Vision and Scarlett Witch are more on the side of the gods than the humans. Not Scott Lang.

The human warmth of Paul Rudd makes Ant Man one of Marvel's most approachable heroes.

Paul Rudd's Scott Lang is probably the most relatable, human, approachable hero MCU has put in the big screen (not even Daredevil feels like this). He is just a guy that wants to be a better father, that has gone down the wrong path and is trying to become a law-abiding citizen again. And fails. So his story is not one of triumph and redemption, but one of getting up when you are knocked down. He is the average joe of the Avengers. That is not to say that he is dumb and Hank Pym does all the heavy lifting. No, Scott is a really smart man, with an advanced degree that happens to be also a superb burglar with an astonishing quick thinking abilities. Of all the MCU characters, he is the one that you can actually see and say: I can be like him. It is his unique combination of smarts and heart that makes him shine and all of that is thanks to Paul Rudd, a fine addition to the impresive star collection of the MCU. Watching struggling to do the right thing, fight against all odds and just trying to be the hero his daugther already thinks he is, with a mix of sel deprecating humor, willpower and smarts gives the character a tridimensionality not often seen in heist or action movies. I can't say more without entering into spoiler territory, so I will leave it here. Just be aware that Rudd's acting is a treat to any moviegoer.

The rest of the cast is fine. Michael Douglas gives us a fierce, strong-willed and genius Hank Pym. In fact his portrayal is so good that I want to watch a prequel movie of his antics as the Ant-Man as the proto-avenger of the Cold War. I think his acting will do so much to redeem the character as RDJR did with Tony in Iron Man. Evangeline Lilly plays her character with a mix of anger and love and until the last second leaves you wondering if she is good or bad. Once she dons the Wasp suit, she will be a fine addition to the larger Avengers roster. The three stooges that form Scott's gang are a treat unto themselves and Michael Peña has no waste here. They are the perfect complement for Scott as they realize that they are actually the good guys and step up to the plate. Also, the little girl who play Cassie Lang is one of the best castings Feige has done lately and I toast for a successful Young Avengers film when she is all grown up.

Paul Rudd with Michael Douglas - any chance of a Hank Pym prequel?

(Editor's note: Sneak him into Agent Carter's show, we won't mind!)

The only two downsides of the movie were a very generic, non-memorable soundtrack and a lackluster villain. Corey Stoll is a good actor when he is not in The Strain, but his Darren Cross lacks pathos, emotion. He is just a bad copy of Obadiah Stane, sharing similar motifs and we barely get a glimpse of what makes him tick the way he does. He is a cypher that could have been easily replaced and not the threat we are told. But as I mentioned before, you won't watch this movie for him and he is in few scenes so it shouldn't be a distraction. But the lack of good villains is a trend that Marvel should be wary of. Loki can't be used everywhere.

Also, be on the watch for the cameos of Haley Atwell's Peggy Carter, Howard Stark and the Falcon. And be sure to stay till the end since this film has two stinger scenes, one after the main credits and other at the very end.

My final recommendation is to watch it if possible in 3D. This is probably the only MCU film that really justifies spending more for watching it in the format, as it really helps to enhance the experience. I will buy it in Blu-Ray so there is no higher praise from someone that doesn't even own a BD player.

Now, stop reading this blog, go and see the movie and then come back to talk about it when we post a spoiler version of the review!

Ricardo Victoria is a huge Green Arrow fan - so hearing him sing the praises of Marvel's Ant-Man while there's still no movie for Oliver Queen is like hearing him fight his way through jealousy. It's almost enough to turn him... green. Follow him on Twitter @winged_leo

PODCAST REVIEW: Fiction on the digital edge

First published in the Weekend section of The Tribune on July 3: http://www.tribune242.com/photos/galleries/2015/jul/03/07032015-weekend/

ONE of the biggest changes in the publishing world has been the shift from the traditional printing and distribution of book in the digital era – and podcasts are embracing that change.

There are a host of fiction-related podcasts and, as you might expect, the science fiction field is at the forefront, cutting the digital edge.

Clarkesworld was established as a magazine in 2006, and continues as a monthly publication featuring fantasy and science fiction. Their range includes a variety of anthologies and also a regular podcast with stories being turned into an audio presentation.

The quality is top notch, the reading splendid – the episodes presented by the honey-voiced Kate Baker, the regular host – and there's a modicum of analysis after the story is finished too. There are no advertisements, although there is a solicitation to donate money or to place an order for the magazine. But then, if you listen for free and discover you love the material, why wouldn't you want more?

Website: www.clarkesworldmagazine.com/podcasting

Also in the science fiction field is Escape Pod. Regular readers of this column may remember we covered a podcast called Pseudopod earlier in the year – a horror podcast. Escape Pod is its jetpack-wearing sister, whizzing through worlds of aliens and mirrorshades, hard science and space fantasy, rather than dwelling in a world of ancient tomes and evil behind a creaking door. The format is largely the same – an introduction by one of the podcast's regular hosts, then a reading by a voice actor. One advantage this podcast has perhaps over Clarkesworld is the rotating roster of voice actors rather than a single voice. This lets them pick a voice to suit the material – so if for example you have a female protagonist, you aren't left with a male reader, which can throw off the listening experience. There's an interactive element too – at the end of the podcast, the host reads out some of the response to previous stories from readers, which kind of makes me want to go back and listen again to see if the praise and criticism matches up!

Website: www.escapepod.org

Publishing house Tor is one of the most well known imprints in science fiction – and their website has its own podcast series, Rocket Talk. Rather than reading out samples of books or complete stories, however, this serves as a discussion area with authors and looking at the news in the publishing world. It's a real insight too – the episode I listened to featured authors Linda Nagata and Marko Kloos, who both write military science fiction. Both of them published their recent books through self-publishing at first before they were picked up by publishing houses – Nagata by Saga Press and Kloos by Amazon's 47 North. The discussion works through the differences in the experiences of going it alone versus in partnership with a company, such as working with professional artists on covers and the differences in promotion of the novel. Nagata in particular sounds as if she had fun with the many pictures of hunky models sent to her by her publisher to consider for her book's cover! The discussion then moves on to the nature of military sci-fi, and the characteristics that so many books in the field share and the crucial differences that mark out the leaders. It's a great listen – although, it has to be said, the audio quality isn't that great, sounding like it's been carried out on Skype with not great microphones. Still, perfectly audible, just a bit tinny.

Website: http://www.tor.com/features/series/rocket-talk-podcast/

Also check http://www.tor.com/2009/12/14/torcom-podcasts/ for its other podcasts.