Ant-Man and the Wasp

Starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Pena, Walton Goggins, Hannah John-Kmen, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Abby Ryder Fortson, David Dastmalchian, T.I. Randall Park, Laurence Fishburne
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
2018

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: Scott (Paul Rudd) is trying to hold his life together, but when Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Hope (Evangeline Lilly) arrive with a dangerous new mission, he agrees to help them.

Review:

Tim: Although the Ant-Man movies will likely never be included among the best in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they are still completely entertaining and fun. I've heard Ant-Man and the Wasp referred to as a palate cleanser after the dark Avengers: Infinity War. I will admit, it was a nice change of pace to watch a more lighthearted film. This is one of the great strengths of the MCU- that you can have an unforgettable, hard film like Infinity War, but follow it up with light entertainment like this. And, both movies work individually while still existing in the same universe. However you look at it, this movie is a worthy follow up to the first film and another entertaining ride from Marvel.

There's a lot of decisions I thoroughly enjoyed about this film. Chief among them is giving co-billing to The Wasp. Women have been consistently underutilized in the MCU, so it was a great moment to have a woman's name in the title for the first time. This movie wasn't just great for inclusion sake- Wasp is an incredible character, played exceptionally well by Evangeline Lilly. This film benefits because we got so much of Wasp. It might not have been the immediate answer- to promote a supporting character to a starring role in the sequel, but it was a brilliant move. It also helps to differentiate this movie. It really is as much about Hope as it is about Scott. I really enjoyed the story dynamics of two families- the Langs and the Pyms. Family has always been important in the MCU, but it's rarely on display like it is here.

In addition to the lighthearted approach to the material, I really like that these movies are set in San Francisco. It gives the movie a distinctly different flavor than other MCU films. The West Coast being represented is a very good thing.

As far as the story goes, some aspects were great, some were average. I loved that this film explored the Quantum Realm more and especially that it focused on the missing Janet. It felt like this aspect of the story came full circle from the first one. More than most sequels in the MCU, this felt like a perfect extension, really two parts to the same story. Now, the other aspects of the story are less effective. The whole plot about Ghost and Bill Foster was fine, but it wasn't especially memorable. I've heard Ghost called one of the worst villains in the MCU. I admit she wasn't great, but I kind of liked the different approach here. Ghost really isn't a villain, although she does take that antagonist role for the film. It was slightly refreshing to see an MCU movie without a true villain.

This movie once again does a great job with the comedy. You can absolutely see Paul Rudd's influence on the tone of the film. It's just fun to watch. Rudd himself does a great job. He's believable as Ant-Man, but it's the human scenes that really pack a punch. Whether that's connecting with his daughter or the awkward hilarity that happens throughout the movie, Rudd is essential to this film. I love him in this role. As I mentioned, Lilly is so good. I loved that she had a substantial amount to do in this film. She's strong and intelligent and it's so entertaining to watch her in this role. I still pinch myself that Michael Douglas is in the MCU and has now done two films. He's a great actor and the perfect person for Hank Pym. He has some humorous moments in this film, but he just makes the movie better with his presence. I loved the addition of Michelle Pfeiffer and although she doesn't get a lot of screen time, she makes the most of what she has. I sincerely hope we haven't seen the last of her Janet Van Dyne.

The supporting cast is great. Once again, Michael Pena does a fantastic job. He's so funny and the energy he brings is critical to the film. I do wish he had a bit more screen time because he's so entertaining. Walton Goggins was fine- it feels like he's the villain in everything these days, but I thought his role here was just different enough that it worked. I mentioned Ghost isn't a great villain and some of that is due to Hannah John-Kamen's weak performance. I'm not sure what the casting directors saw in her because dozens of people could have given a better performance. Randall Park was fantastic and brought so much humor to the film. I loved his role here. I was also overjoyed to see Laurence Fishburne in this role. I'm so happy he joined the MCU and I sincerely hope we see more of him. As a whole, this cast is top notch.

There's a number of great moments throughout the film. Wasp has so many incredible fight sequences. The highlight is probably the "running on the blade of a knife" scene, but there's a ton of great ones. I really enjoyed some of the scenes with Ant-Man and Wasp fighting Ghost- you have two characters rapidly changing their sizes while the other is phasing in and out of physical existence. There's a number of surprisingly effective car chase scenes and the scenes of Giant-Man are a lot of fun. Anytime we go to the Quantum Realm, that is just so cool to see. Plus, the film has one of the all-time great post-credits scenes. There's a lot to like here.

Now, as much as I thoroughly enjoy Ant-Man and the Wasp, I don't think it's quite great. As mentioned, Ghost and her whole story was a weaker aspect of the film. Some of the scenes with Scott and his family felt too over-the-top and sugary. I didn't buy the ultra close relationship with his ex-wife and her new husband. Some of the scenes between Scott and his daughter felt a little forced. Compared to some other MCU movies, the stakes felt very small here. That's okay- it can be a benefit to switch it up, but the scope wasn't quite as large. There wasn't really any of those jaw-dropping scenes we've had in previous movies. So, while I wouldn't consider this a great movie, it gets pretty close. That's stunning for the 20th (!!) film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

As I said before, the Ant-Man movies will never be ranked among the MCU's best. And that's okay. These are light, hilarious, entertaining movies. This film is every bit as good as the original and it might be better. Any way you look at it, this is yet another success for Marvel.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Ant-Man, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War