Review: ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp’ delivers fun in multiple sizes (Includes first-hand account)
One of the last times anyone saw Ant-Man, he was 65′ tall and swatting at Spider-Man as Captain America and Iron Man battled over who should sit at the head of the Avengers table in Captain America: Civil War. There’s been some amusing conversation about where the tiny superhero was during the epic stand-off with Thanos and his cronies in Avengers: Infinity War part one, but no definitive answers. Since Germany, Scott Lang has simply been off the grid. But he’s finally resurfaced and he’s brought a friend in Ant-Man and The Wasp.
After getting caught breaking the anti-superhero accord, Scott (Paul Rudd) was convicted and sentenced to two years house arrest, followed by three years of probation. He’s productively spent his time finding ways to amuse his daughter without leaving the property and starting a business with his best friend, Luis (Michael Peña). Aptly named Ex-Con, they provide security consultations for at-risk businesses. But when Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Hank Pym’s (Michael Douglas) experiment triggers something in Scott’s mind that might’ve been left over from his trip to the Quantum Realm, they need to know what it is and how to get it out… as does their latest nemesis, Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), who can phase through solid objects with ease.
As far as excuses go for not joining the big fight, Scott appears to have had a pretty good one in not wanting to jeopardize his relationship with his daughter. That, and getting his butt kicked by a woman that doesn’t have to dodge bullets or fists to avoid feeling their impact. Luckily Wasp is a very competent partner, in some small part due to her suit’s enhancements over Ant-Man’s such as wings and blasters. They are a fun team to watch as they complement each other’s fighting styles and generally have each other’s back, even if their personal relationship is still on shaky ground.
Ghost is equally fascinating as her exceptional ability is paired with pitiful sorrow and terrible pain, both physically and emotionally. Her lonely, tormented existence has hardened her, which leads to some unfortunate confrontations. Yet, her involvement in any of the action sequences elevates it another notch as the pace quickens and the moves become necessarily more complicated and less predictable. John-Kamen is excellent, creating a well-rounded character that can both appeal to and repel audiences depending on her mood.
This film brings the band back together, reuniting director Peyton Reed with this fantastic cast, for yet another amusing venture into the world of super-sized heroism. Some other new faces include Laurence Fishburne, Walton Goggins, Randall Park and Michelle Pfeiffer, all of whom bring something extra to the film. The humour is still effortless and the action sequences will draw viewers to the edge of their seats. It feels a little stretched at almost two hours, but the fun audiences have watching this installment more than makes up for it. Moreover, this Marvel picture includes one of the most jaw-dropping mid-credit sequences in the studio’s history.
The story of Marvel Studios’ “#AntMan and #TheWasp” as told by Luis. See the film in theaters now: #AntManAndTheWasp pic.twitter.com/TvFfRiT0nV
— Ant-Man and The Wasp (@AntMan) July 6, 2018
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly and Michael Peña
