Ant-Man and the Wasp
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michael Peña
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Rated: PG-13
After the dramatic events of Infinity War, Marvel has offered its audience a lighthearted follow up blockbuster with Ant-Man and the Wasp. It's been a few years since we've seen Scott Lang (A.K.A. Ant-Man). He's currently under house arrest because of the events that transpired in Captain America: Civil War. With only a few days until his freedom, he has a strange vision involving the Quantum Realm. He contacts his colleagues, Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne who believe his vision could lead to a major discovery.
Ant-Man and the Wasp is a fun movie with heart. It succeeds in its portrayal of meaningful family relationships. Whether it's detailing Scott's attempt to be a good father or Hank's relationship with Hope: families are at the center of the film. Another one of the film's strengths is its action sequences. Instead of your typical fight scenes, the Ant-Man films play with the size and scale of the world. Characters and objects can shrink and grow at any second. It's a fun stylistic choice that sets Ant-Man apart from the other Marvel films.
Paul Rudd is charming and funny as Scott Lang/Ant-Man. Scott struggles with the dilemma of helping Hank and Hope or finishing out his house arrest. He wants to do the right thing and help his friends. Is there a way he can do both? Don't worry, the movie isn't all moral dilemmas. In fact, there's plenty of humor. Paul Rudd brings a lot comedy to the lead character.
Evangeline Lilly has a bigger role this time around as Hope Van Dyne. She works as a scientist for her father's lab and as her action hero persona, the Wasp.
Michael Douglas returns as scientist Hank Pym. He's working on a big project from his past that continues to haunt him. Most of Hank and Hope's storyline revolves around the "Quantum Realm". It's interesting enough, but at times it feels like someone who just took a ton of psychedelics wrote a movie script and tried to pass it off as "scientific."
Like any Marvel movie nowadays, Ant-Man and the Wasp has a few villains, but the biggest misstep is focusing on the worst one, Ghost. This movie already had enough going on to drive the plot forward. Yet, it constantly threw in the Ghost at every turn to "amp up the tension" when it didn't feel necessary. I didn't need to see the character walk through a wall every 10 seconds. It became tedious after the 22nd time. The Ghost's backstory was just as weak as the character. Ultimately, I was very disappointed in that aspect of the film.
Ant-Man and the Wasp has an obvious villain problem but, at its core, this is a fun Marvel movie with heart.
My Rating: 7/10