Movie Review
Featured Review: Ant-Man & The Wasp
The Latest Marvel Movie Thrills & Entertains, But Has Trouble With The Narrative
Ant-Man & The Wasp is a film distributed by Walt Disney Studios with Marvel Studios, and directed by Peyton Reed (The Break-Up, Ant-Man). It stars Paul Rudd as Lang and Evangeline Lilly as Van Dyne, alongside Michael Peña, Walton Goggins, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Tip “T.I.” Harris, David Dastmalchian, Hannah John-Kamen, Abby Ryder Fortson, Randall Park, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne, and Michael Douglas.
Synopsis: Scott Lang is grappling with the consequences of his choices as both a superhero and a father. Approached by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym, Lang must once again don the Ant-Man suit and fight alongside the Wasp. The urgent mission soon leads to secret revelations from the past as the dynamic duo finds itself in an epic battle against a powerful new enemy.
I loved the first Ant-Man, it was a fresh, fun, and light-hearted movie with a lot of heart. I enjoyed the introduction of Scott Lang; a criminal trying to do right while balancing being a good father. It was also a heist movie, and I am a sucker for a good heist film. Ant-Man had a refreshing underdog tone when it came out, and the series continues that lively, easy-going feeling in Ant-Man and the Wasp.
After the heavy conclusion of Avengers: Infinty War, Ant-Man and The Wasp is the high-spirited palette cleanser we needed. It is very much a self-contained movie separated from the rest of the MCU, taking place primarily between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. This is also primarily the Wasp’s movie, Ant-Man is still a featured character, but he takes on more of the sidekick role in this film. I thought this was an enjoyable twist to the franchise and I liked seeing Hope VanDyne in action taking on more of a leading role. The movie relies heavily on the chemistry between Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, and Michael Douglas and for me it pays off in spades. Their on-screen charisma is funny and compelling, it goes a long way toward covering over some of the not-so-interesting parts of this film.
In this sequel, Hank Pym and his daughter Hope are on the run (thanks to Scott Lang’s use of the Ant-Man suit in aiding Captain America during Civil War) and they believe they have found a way to rescue their wife, and mother, Janet from the Quantum Zone. This is a plot-thread that was touched upon in the first film, but if you didn’t see that one don’t worry, they catch you up within the first few minutes of Ant-Man & The Wasp. The new tech to save Janet is stored in the Pym’s mobile lab, this lab is a central piece to this movie and everyone wants it.
Enter Ghost played by Hannah John-Kamen. She has the ability to phase through matter, a compelling backstory, and a convincing motive; even if her execution of that motivation doesn’t make a lot of sense at times. Overall Ghost is interesting enough as a villain and I especially like how her powers manifest, and the effects they use while she’s phasing; which at times feels as though she alone is stuck in one of J.J. Abram’s lens-flared universes — which is not a bad thing. Walton Goggins’ character, Sonny Burch also wants the mobile lab, and our heroes are constantly dodging him. Goggins is one of the better character actors in Hollywood and I honestly felt like his character was un-memorable and out of place, not at any fault of Goggins. His story was kind of interesting but it never really paid off with any kind of resolution and that was irritating. The Sonny Burch character could have been removed from the movie and no one would notice.
The supporting cast in Ant-Man & The Wasp are mostly good. Scott’s ex-wife and her husband, played by Judy Greer and Bobby Cannavale, return in smaller roles than the first movie and I enjoyed their presence in this movie. The standouts for me were Michael Peña and Abby Ryder Fortson, playing Scott Lang’s best friend and daughter respectively. Peña’s Luis continues to be a comedic crux of the Ant-Man series and I love his characters progression leading into Ant-Man & The Wasp. Cassie, played by Fortson, is Lang’s sweet and sassy daughter who adds to the frivolity and comedy in this movie.
The Verdict
Ant-Man & The Wasp is an amusing Summer adventure movie that is a light-hearted breather after the events of Avengers: Infinity War. The issues with the movie lie in its inability to create real stakes for our main characters, and there is a huge third act event that goes widely unexplained which I found confusing. I also felt like Michelle Pfeiffer’s character did not have enough screen time to have a whole lot of impact on the movie. These items notwithstanding, I would still recommend this film — it’s an enjoyable time at the movies.
That’s how I’m calling this one, but I’d like to know what do you guys think? Did you see Ant-Man & The Wasp? Am I spot on, or out of my mind? Let me know in the comments below. Be sure to follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. As always thanks for reading, and I’ll see you at the movies.
