Coming off the heals of the (current) 4th highest-grossing film of all-time, Ant-Man and the Wasp (AATW), much like its 2015 predecessor, following "Age of Ultron", is given the strenuous task of following up the MCU's biggest film to date. And again, like Ant-Man, it provides a wonderfully soft cushion to break the metaphorical fall of the MCU after it climbed to the very top and jumped with "Infinity War". It shows issues no doubt, but it's just the rebound of simple, lighthearted fun that was needed.
And that's where it thrives most, in its accessible, while still unique entertainment value. The sequel does its job by building on the original, making room for fun, varied action sequences, driven by the unique powers of our titular characters, doubled by the addition of Wasp (Evangeline Lilly). Director Peyton Reed really played around with the shrinking and growing powers of both Ant-Man and the Wasp, crafting some super fun "now you see me, now you don't" action. The CGI has the look and detail of an Avengers-level film, coupled with eye-catching costume design and artistic direction, it supplements the film's action nicely. AATW also provides some of the best comedy in the MCU. There's hilarious scenes that kept the mood light and my smile brimming, as Reed utilizes forms of slapstick comedy with Ant-Man's powers and an often-malfunctioning suit to create some of the funniest moments in the entire franchise.
This sequel proves again that not every superhero film has to have life and death implications, that there are great small stories to be told, especially inside Marvel's connected universe. That's just what Reed aims for and largely succeeds in with its narrative; smaller in scale, more personalized and easy to digest. It's at heart a character-driven MacGuffin story surrounding genius Hank Pym's (Michael Douglas) homemade lab, as a trifecta of groups, including our heroes, aim to get their hands on it for their own personal reasons. Set to a beat of classic Marvel-comedic tones along with a pinch of sci-fi elements, we have a smaller, easy-to-grasp plot while still delivering on intrigue. And while it's not huge in scope, Reed and his writing team find clever ways to connect the story to the larger MCU, while still staying self-contained, not resorting to a world-ending plot line. We get to see expanded usage of the Quantum Realm, a subplot which lends an extra mysterious sci-fi element, an aspect much welcomed into the film and something we haven't seen the last of for sure. Lead character Scott Lang/Ant-Man's (Paul Rudd) decision to aid Captain America during "Civil War" left an enormous impact on his personal life and the lives of others. I love how the outcome of that film is still having a trickle-down effect on the main characters, that we're seeing those stories being told (i.e. Black Panther, Homecoming).
On the flip side of its story, AATW does show its occasional flaws. The Marvel template of filmmaking has been vastly expanded on in the past couple of years, taking a tried-and-true formula and molding it into new genres and adventures. This film is structurally the safest we've seen since "Doctor Strange", maybe since the first "Ant-Man". A structure that often benefits the film, as it does with nearly all MCU outings, but at times the weariness of the "original" Marvel formula can be seen here, playing many story elements safer. The film gets off to a rather slow start, there's a lack of action and pacing in the first act that puts a damper on the flow for a while. As good as the characters are (more on that soon), the plot creates a redundancy to both sides coinciding together, who seemingly could easily set aside their differences to help each other, but the story demands they remain enemies to include the cat-and-mouse chase to continue the story. Small mishaps no doubt, but like Ant-Man himself, sometimes the smallest things stand out the most.
Character development has been a staple of the MCU ever since it kicked of in 2008. We get some awesome recurring characters with equally as wonderful acting performances. There's tight chemistry that binds it all together, creating likable characters to root for. Leading the charge is Paul Rudd, whose charisma, charm and terrific humor shines through in his third outing as Ant-Man. Evangeline Lilly gets a hefty increase of screen time here and rightfully so. Her character development is well-fit and Lilly gives a solid performance as Hope van Dyne/Wasp. Veteran Michael Douglas, like in the first film, delivers another great act; he's taken the great writing of Hank Pym and ran with it, displaying excellent emotion and wonderfully witty humor. The supporting cast is rounded out nicely with the solid addition of Laurence Fishburne as Hank Pym's former colleague, Bill Foster, who's involvement deepens the lore and the story at hand. But the supporting cast's icing on the cake is Michael Pena (Luis), who again steals the show with his fast-talking humor and hilarious flashback narration scenes.
We've witnessed the recent eradication of Marvel's so-called "villain problem" (Vulture, Hela, Killmonger, Thanos) and while AATW doesn't necessarily present of villain "problem", the main marketed villain, Ghost, is easily the weakest we've seen in a while. It's almost hard to call her a villain. That title more appropriately is held by black-arms dealer Sonny Burch (Walter Goggins), a fairly bland and unoriginal antagonist himself. Ghost, even with her cool powers and desperate motives, wasn't compelling enough to become emotionally attachable. Her background story just isn't gripping, and there's no reason to care about her motives. I enjoyed that it wasn't about the threat of our heroes being killed by Ghost, and that wasn't ever the intent with her the character, but her presence doesn't invoke enough urgency to take that step into becoming a legitimate villain. Adding salt to the wound, actress Hannah John-Kamen's debut in the MCU as Ghost was disappointing. Not enough emotional complexity from her performance bogs down the character into becoming that less-interesting character, which is also due in part to lackluster writing.
There's a simplistic ideology to AATW that makes it, at time, seem slightly "cookie cutter". But Reed and Marvel doesn't let the sequel fall to the wayside by injecting lively personality into the film. Big (yet so small), unique action sequences, laugh-out-loud comedy and a cast of lovable, fleshed out protagonists. It's not too big nor too small; Ant-Man and the Wasp is a splendid, snugly fit inside the ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe.
8/10
And that's where it thrives most, in its accessible, while still unique entertainment value. The sequel does its job by building on the original, making room for fun, varied action sequences, driven by the unique powers of our titular characters, doubled by the addition of Wasp (Evangeline Lilly). Director Peyton Reed really played around with the shrinking and growing powers of both Ant-Man and the Wasp, crafting some super fun "now you see me, now you don't" action. The CGI has the look and detail of an Avengers-level film, coupled with eye-catching costume design and artistic direction, it supplements the film's action nicely. AATW also provides some of the best comedy in the MCU. There's hilarious scenes that kept the mood light and my smile brimming, as Reed utilizes forms of slapstick comedy with Ant-Man's powers and an often-malfunctioning suit to create some of the funniest moments in the entire franchise.
This sequel proves again that not every superhero film has to have life and death implications, that there are great small stories to be told, especially inside Marvel's connected universe. That's just what Reed aims for and largely succeeds in with its narrative; smaller in scale, more personalized and easy to digest. It's at heart a character-driven MacGuffin story surrounding genius Hank Pym's (Michael Douglas) homemade lab, as a trifecta of groups, including our heroes, aim to get their hands on it for their own personal reasons. Set to a beat of classic Marvel-comedic tones along with a pinch of sci-fi elements, we have a smaller, easy-to-grasp plot while still delivering on intrigue. And while it's not huge in scope, Reed and his writing team find clever ways to connect the story to the larger MCU, while still staying self-contained, not resorting to a world-ending plot line. We get to see expanded usage of the Quantum Realm, a subplot which lends an extra mysterious sci-fi element, an aspect much welcomed into the film and something we haven't seen the last of for sure. Lead character Scott Lang/Ant-Man's (Paul Rudd) decision to aid Captain America during "Civil War" left an enormous impact on his personal life and the lives of others. I love how the outcome of that film is still having a trickle-down effect on the main characters, that we're seeing those stories being told (i.e. Black Panther, Homecoming).
On the flip side of its story, AATW does show its occasional flaws. The Marvel template of filmmaking has been vastly expanded on in the past couple of years, taking a tried-and-true formula and molding it into new genres and adventures. This film is structurally the safest we've seen since "Doctor Strange", maybe since the first "Ant-Man". A structure that often benefits the film, as it does with nearly all MCU outings, but at times the weariness of the "original" Marvel formula can be seen here, playing many story elements safer. The film gets off to a rather slow start, there's a lack of action and pacing in the first act that puts a damper on the flow for a while. As good as the characters are (more on that soon), the plot creates a redundancy to both sides coinciding together, who seemingly could easily set aside their differences to help each other, but the story demands they remain enemies to include the cat-and-mouse chase to continue the story. Small mishaps no doubt, but like Ant-Man himself, sometimes the smallest things stand out the most.
Character development has been a staple of the MCU ever since it kicked of in 2008. We get some awesome recurring characters with equally as wonderful acting performances. There's tight chemistry that binds it all together, creating likable characters to root for. Leading the charge is Paul Rudd, whose charisma, charm and terrific humor shines through in his third outing as Ant-Man. Evangeline Lilly gets a hefty increase of screen time here and rightfully so. Her character development is well-fit and Lilly gives a solid performance as Hope van Dyne/Wasp. Veteran Michael Douglas, like in the first film, delivers another great act; he's taken the great writing of Hank Pym and ran with it, displaying excellent emotion and wonderfully witty humor. The supporting cast is rounded out nicely with the solid addition of Laurence Fishburne as Hank Pym's former colleague, Bill Foster, who's involvement deepens the lore and the story at hand. But the supporting cast's icing on the cake is Michael Pena (Luis), who again steals the show with his fast-talking humor and hilarious flashback narration scenes.
We've witnessed the recent eradication of Marvel's so-called "villain problem" (Vulture, Hela, Killmonger, Thanos) and while AATW doesn't necessarily present of villain "problem", the main marketed villain, Ghost, is easily the weakest we've seen in a while. It's almost hard to call her a villain. That title more appropriately is held by black-arms dealer Sonny Burch (Walter Goggins), a fairly bland and unoriginal antagonist himself. Ghost, even with her cool powers and desperate motives, wasn't compelling enough to become emotionally attachable. Her background story just isn't gripping, and there's no reason to care about her motives. I enjoyed that it wasn't about the threat of our heroes being killed by Ghost, and that wasn't ever the intent with her the character, but her presence doesn't invoke enough urgency to take that step into becoming a legitimate villain. Adding salt to the wound, actress Hannah John-Kamen's debut in the MCU as Ghost was disappointing. Not enough emotional complexity from her performance bogs down the character into becoming that less-interesting character, which is also due in part to lackluster writing.
There's a simplistic ideology to AATW that makes it, at time, seem slightly "cookie cutter". But Reed and Marvel doesn't let the sequel fall to the wayside by injecting lively personality into the film. Big (yet so small), unique action sequences, laugh-out-loud comedy and a cast of lovable, fleshed out protagonists. It's not too big nor too small; Ant-Man and the Wasp is a splendid, snugly fit inside the ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe.
8/10
Tell Your Friends