Unmasking the Mind-Boggling Ant-Man Heist: Expert Safecracker Dissects the Ridiculous

Summary

A professional safecracker criticizes the heist scene in Ant-Man, pointing out flaws in the depiction of how Scott Lang breaks into Hank Pym's vault.

Scott Lang has shown himself to be a proficient thief in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, utilizing his athleticism, expertise in chemistry and hacking, and cunning to successfully carry out heists. However, the scene in question contains several errors, such as Scott collecting a fingerprint with tape, resorting to freezing the vault door in order to force it open, and misrepresenting how the door expands.

Ant-Man's heist scene falls short of being the best, as confirmed by a professional safecracker. In 2015's Ant-Man, Paul Rudd made his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Scott Lang, revealing that Scott was once a thief before transforming into one of the MCU's most adored heroes. Despite already emerging as a hero by the time the post-credits scene of Ant-Man hinted at Captain America: Civil War, the movie portrayed Scott's lingering criminal connections at the beginning, as he attempted to burgle Hank Pym's house. Insider enlisted the expertise of safe technician Charlie Santore, who evaluated and reviewed the heist scene in Ant-Man.

Santore found Scott Lang's heist sequence in the MCU movie to be underwhelming. As a real-life safecracker, he noticed several flaws in the depiction of how Scott gained access to Hank Pym's vault. According to Santore, the movie inaccurately showed Scott using tape to lift a fingerprint off a door and freezing the vault door to break it open. In reality, professional safecrackers like Ant-Man would use tools like the StrongArm MiniRig. Given these mistakes, Santore rated the scene a 3 out of 10. Here is his full quote:

"In the movie, he takes a fingerprint off the door using tape. But there's a chance that the print could belong to someone else, like the cleaning lady. This really baffled me. By lifting the print with tape, turning it over, and adding Loctite, isn't he actually creating an inverse cast of the fingerprint?"

Carbondale is a fictional name, but after reviewing numerous photos of vault doors, it appears that the art directors drew inspiration from an early Diebold vault door for its design. The object featured in the scene is a real tool called the StrongArm MiniRig, which is typically used to apply pressure while drilling. So, in terms of accuracy, this aspect of the scene is correct. In certain situations where one doesn't have access to a complete set of tools, they may need to quickly improvise and find alternative methods, such as bending wires or creating makeshift tools.

According to the storyline, the character intends to freeze the door to cause it to expand and crack. However, what we were shown in the scene was the inner mechanism of the lock and the door pan, which is a large panel at the bottom of the door. If a gallon of water were poured into the door, it would simply spill out through the bottom. While it's true that water can expand when frozen, vault doors are constructed with a thin back panel that is essentially made of sheet metal. Consequently, the notion that the panel would expand is purely fictional. In reality, the back panel would blow off before the door itself.

At a Blockbuster Video store, I discovered an unexpected assortment of items inside a couple of safes: Astroglide, condoms, and explicit photographs. It made me wonder if a manager was engaged in a secret affair. On a more valuable note, we once unlocked a safe in a prosperous neighborhood of Beverly Hills, just after new residents had moved in. The former owner had vanished, leaving behind extravagant treasures like Bulgari and Cartier necklaces, Krugerrands, and GIA certificates. I could only estimate the worth to be in the high-six figures. However, this abundance of wealth seemed to emotionally burden the finders, as they grappled with a moral dilemma. It was technically theirs, but it clearly held immense sentimental value for the previous occupants.

Although it may sound absurd, the MiniRig is a real product. Therefore, I will give it a rating of 3 out of 10.

Is Scott Lang Actually A Good Thief?

According to Santore's review of Ant-Man's heist sequence, it is stated that Scott Lang would not excel as a thief in real life. However, within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), his character proves to be quite proficient in the field. Scott has achieved success in numerous heists, including one at the Avengers Compound in Ant-Man. Despite his previous conviction as a thief, being chosen by Pym to inherit the Ant-Man suit demonstrates that Scott's criminal past does not define his entire history.

Scott possesses intelligence and resourcefulness, making him a skilled thief. His combination of physical abilities, knowledge of chemistry, and hacking expertise assists him greatly in carrying out successful heists. Although he faced apprehension when trying to rob Hank Pym's home, this incident ultimately led to his transformation into a heroic figure. While Scott has experienced failures as a thief within the MCU, it does not imply that he cannot achieve success when faced with high-stakes situations.

That is why Kang the Conqueror orchestrated the theft of his Multiversal Engine Core by Scott in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Recognizing that Scott would comply if his daughter's life was on the line, Kang ensured his success and demonstrated Scott's ability to be a proficient thief when necessary. Fortunately, Scott's life has since veered away from his criminal background. He is now an esteemed member of the Avengers, entrusted with writing a book detailing the events of Avengers: Endgame. Additionally, he has founded X-Con Security Consultants, where he has transformed from a former thief to a leader of a security company, showcasing his personal growth since his first adventure as Ant-Man.