Ant-Man and the Wasp Review.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Ant-Man and The Wasp =
Ant Man > Antz > The Ant Bully.
Ant-Man and The Wasp
is the sequel to the 2015 original and the 20th film in the MCU. The
film being released now is quite odd considering it’s set before Infinity War which would have felt like
a larger film to release to celebrate the milestone, no disrespect to Ant Man
of course. However, Marvel decided that their fans needed some light-hearted
fun with Paul Rudd and the gang following the emotional roller-coaster that was
Infinity War. I found the first film
to be one of the more underrated films in the MCU, I believe that it’s an
enjoyable romp that is better than Thor,
The Hulk or even the Doctor Strange origin movies. Director
Peyton Reed faced a mammoth task with the movie considering he was brought in to
replace every fanboy’s favourite director Edgar Wright, who left the film due
to creative differences with Marvel. Reed delivered a fast-paced film, with memorable
characters, unique action and lots of great visual gags. This was surprising since
it was coming from the same man who made Yes
Man, The Break Up and Bring It On. So here we are back again for another Ant-Man
adventure, but this time the Wasp is joining in on the action.
The sequel once again follows Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) as he
tries to balance fatherhood with being a superhero. This time Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline
Lilly) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) need his help with a mission linked to
the past. Ant man, now joined by The Wasp, also must deal with a deadly new
enemy known as The Ghost. The plot is very messy, I can’t help but feel that
this is a step down from the other Marvel releases from this year. The film must
juggle Scott’s house arrest, trying to reach Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) in the quantum
realm, the villainous ghost, being under pursuit by the FBI, Hanks rivalry with
Lawrence Fishburnes new character, advancing Hope and Scott’s relationship, Luis’
(Michael Pena) new security business and A smarmy business man played by Walton
Goggins. I feel exhausted even reading
that. The film tries to do too much in one movie. The problem is that instead
of making some plots brief, the film tries to shine a light on too many stories
which ultimately bog down the momentum of the plot. It just to me felt that the
Quantum Realm is such an interesting and unique concept that we should have
spent more time with that instead of the Walton Goggins story which never knows
when to stop. The first film managed to fit everything together more efficiently
and smoothly. I think the problem may stem in the script. The sequel doesn’t
have Edgar Wright, Erik Sommers Adam McKay on Screenplay duties. Instead Paul
Rudd is joined by Joe Cornish, Chris Mckenna, Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari
on writing duties. This is a movie where you can feel 5 writers trying to make
their mark on the film. Now, don’t get me wrong these writers are all extremally
talented but there are too many cooks on this project.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
is a movie that shines through it’s performances. Paul Rudd is the epitome of
likable. The man just oozes friendliness. Once again, his performance is hilarious,
with the actor’s comic roots adding so much to the role. His relationship with
his daughter Cassie, once again played by Abby Ryder Fortson who may the most
adorable kid ever, is a highlight in the movie. Any time they’re on screen together
I can feel my heart strings being pulled. Hope is given so much more to do in
this movie. Props to Randall Park who was super funny as the FBI agent who
wanted to be friends with Scott, he’s come a long way since The Interview. At the end of the first
film when she receives her wasp suit she exclaims that it’s about time and she
did not let her opportunity go to waste. Evangeline Lilly brings her A game to
the role and she has just a big a role to play as Rudd. Hope delivers lots of
funny putdowns on Rudd, the two actors have great chemistry and bounce well off
each other. The actress pulled off the dramatic scenes better than any of her
co-stars who couldn’t really sell the stakes. It’s her action scenes where she
truly excels. Any fight with the Wasp was a lot of fun, i found her suits
powers to be more interesting than any other character. Michael Douglas as Hank
Pym is someone who I just don’t get. Douglas shouts his way through this role in
a grating fashion, he reminds of Chevy Chase in Community, but the laughs Douglas were receiving were
unintentional. Once again, the best character in the film is Luis. Michael Pena
is the funniest character in the MCU, his stories are the best part of the
movie with the actors fast paced dialogue brining more laughs than you can
count.
This being a superhero movie their needs to be villains and
the villains in this movie were a mixed bag. Walton Goggins as the crime boss
Sonny Burch was entertaining for the for the first sequence he was in, but he
was in far too much of the movie. Goggins is one of Hollywood’s best actors but
he was wasted as a villain who we know nothing about by the time the credits
role. It was a real shame to see an actor of such high calibre wasted. The
Ghost is the films main villain fares much better. I found her motives to be compelling
and the performance by Hannah John-Kamen was decent. The problem is when you’re
following up Thanos and Killmonger, arguably the two best villains in the MCU,
it’s always going to be difficult. To the films credit they never tried to make
The Ghost bigger than she needs to be, there’s no end of world plan she just
sticks to her guns and lets her strong motive fuel her character. Michelle Pfeiffer and Lawrence Fishburne are
both intriguing additions to the cast who make the most of their small amount
of screen time. I loved any gag that featured ants, the visual gags that they
featured in had me in stitches.
Overall Ant-Man and the
Wasp was fine. In my head it was never going to be amazing. The last 4 Marvel
movies have been among the best yet and it was always going to be hard to
follow them. To the films credit it was fun side mission, but it was hard to
invest in when you know what’s coming next with Captain Marvel and Avengers 4
is going to be gamechangers for the MCU. It’s a bit like when you finished your
main course and you’re full, you know dessert is on its way, but you need to
value and appreciate the wait you have before it. The film is on par with the
first if not slightly better! The action, humour and characters are great and
well worth the watch. Ultimately the film is being released at the wrong time. Also,
it shouldn’t have to be said but don’t leave until after the first round of
credits because it’s an excellent scene. Ant-Man
and the Wasp is another solid entry into the MCU, it’s better than the
majority of action movies being released these days. Perhaps I’m being greedy
and expecting too much from Marvel. Happy 20th movie Marvel and here’s
to 20 more.
Liam’s Ant-Man and the Wasp Summary.
Best Moment: Luis' story will have you in tears laughing.
Worst moment: Michael
Douglas overacting is so bad it’s kind of good. “SCOOOT”
Best character: The
stay at home ant is the hero we deserve.
Worst character:
I have no idea how T.I ever got into this franchise.
Placement in my MCU ranking:
11th best. Sandwiched between Guardians 2 and Ant-Man 1.
Overall Rating: 3/5
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