Ant-Man & The Wasp

ANT-MAN & THE WASP

Director : Peyton Reed

Year : 2018

Genre : Superhero

Rating : ***

It makes sense that in the wake of the cataclysmic events seen in ‘Avengers : Infinity War’, Marvel Studios’ next feature would be smaller in both scale and intensity. And superhero movies don’t get much smaller than ‘Ant-Man & The Wasp’, Peyton Reed’s bite-sized sequel to his surprisingly fun 2015 hit ‘Ant-Man’. Once again starring Paul Rudd as the titular Avenger and Evangeline Lilly as his winged co-hero, ‘Ant-Man & The Wasp’ boasts the same eye-boggling visual invention and smart, quippy dialogue that made it’s predecessor one of the more relaxed yet fun entries in the extensive Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). However, by essentially repeating the formula of its predecessor, there is an underlying sense of familiarity and predictability which makes the film one of the weaker entries in the series. 

Picking up the action following his scene-stealing antics as seen in ‘Captain America : Civil War’, the film sees Scott Laing aka. Ant-Man (Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne aka. The Wasp  (Lilly) donning the size-shifting suits and teaming up together to defeat the aptly named Ghost (Hannah John-Karen), a masked antagonist whose mysterious phasing powers may hold the key to retrieving Hope’s long-lost mother Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) from the dangers of the sub-atomic quantum realm.

From the outset, ‘Ant-Man & The Wasp’ is a charming and good-spirited romp with more than enough jokes, visual gags and one-liners to keep audiences both young and old consistently laughing in their seats - many of which are delivered by returning star Michael Pena whose fast-talking shtick provides the movie with its funniest scene. Great fun too are the movies many growing and shrinking effects, all of which are used creatively and, in many cases, hilariously - spectacularly transforming our heroes from microscopic dots to building-sized Goliaths in the blink of an eye. Of course, the film is not without its faults, most notably the two primary villains who, while performed well by ‘Game Of Thrones’ alumni Hannah John-Kamen and ‘Tomb Raider’s Walton Goggins, are not particularly impactful or threatening: thereby making for a story that doesn’t contain the stakes or threat that have made the majority of the Marvel movies (including the first ‘Ant-Man’) enjoyable yet regularly suspenseful viewing experiences.

Thankfully, these flaws are all but undetectable thanks to the talents of it’s cast who all do a good job with their respective characters. Paul Rudd is once again very likable as Scott whose on-screen chemistry with his adorable daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Forston) provides the film with a beautifully relatable emotional core. Evangeline Lilly is also terrific as the no-nonsense Hope whose acrobatic prowess far outshines those of her fellow hero while screen veteran Michael Douglas brings gravitas to the role of the increasingly-desperate Hank Pym whose ingenious technology may be able to bring his beloved wife home. Joining the cast of returning stars are a host of new faces including the always reliable Laurence Fishburne as a former business associate of Pym’s and Randall Park’s comical FBI agent - both of whom manage to fit in perfectly with the ever expanding roster of memorable Marvel characters. 

With more than enough charm, imagination and visual extravagance, ‘Ant-Man & The Wasp’ is a perfectly satisfactory new entry in the MCU  and I look forward to seeing the insect-sized heroes finally teaming up with the rest of The Avengers gang to bring down Thanos in next year’s eagerly anticipated ‘Infinity War - Part 2’. It’s just a shame that, when stood alongside other entries in the series, ‘Ant-Man & The Wasp’ is comparatively nothing more than a tiny speck of a film, completely overshadowed by the size of its bigger and undoubtedly better older cinematic siblings.