MOVIE REVIEW by Lucas Allen: ‘Ant Man and the Wasp’ is fun, entertaining

Ant-Man and the Wasp
(Marvel Studios)

By Lucas Allen

The character of Ant-Man went from B-level Marvel hero to big screen success starting with his 2015 solo effort before he made an appearance in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War.”
Now the little superhero that could returns for his follow-up film, “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” which has him needing some extra help to save the world once more.

Considering Marvel’s current track record with their recent sequels, this one should be no exception.
Since getting caught in Germany, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is under house arrest while being looked at by FBI agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park). Because of that, he tries to find the right balance between raising her daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson) and working at a small firm with his buddies Luis (Michael Pena), Dave (Tip “T.I.” Harris), and Kurt (David Dastmalchian). But when he dreams of the Quantum Realm he visited once, it thrusts him back into the lives of Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly)., who is the Wasp The two of them built a machine that could transport them to the Realm to rescue Hank’s long-lost wife, Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer).
However, the heroes have to contend with the threatening presence of the mysterious Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), who has past ties with Pym’s experiments. Even worse, a group of gangsters led by Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins) want the Quantum technology to sell on the black market. With no one else to turn to, not even Pym’s ex-partner Dr. Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne), Lang will have to be Ant-Man again, with Wasp at his side while making sure the FBI isn’t on to him.
Thanks to the ending of “Avengers: Infinity War,” we need this movie’s lighter tone as feel good entertainment up until the mid-credits scene. Fortunately, director Peyton Reed and a team of writers (including Rudd) put their heads together to create a goofier yet still a lot of fun, action-packed sequel that delivers a good mix of comedy, thrills and family drama. Marvel rarely fails at making superhero movies that can be accessible to both comic book readers and general movie viewers alike, so it’s no surprise they once again have a gem on their hands. Though it doesn’t reach the full greatness of both Avengers and Black Panther, you can’t fault the filmmakers for at least giving us something as different as this.
But while the story can be easy to follow, some of the dialogue can be a little more difficult to comprehend. For example, there’s so much talk of quantum physics and anomalies that it’s like the comic book equivalent to an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” But if you can get past that problem, the movie’s still a relaxing watch that leads to another exciting climax including a trip to the Quantum Realm with Jack Kirby-inspired imagery. Plus, seeing Hank Pym in a big spacesuit and traveling pod makes it look like a big-budget version of a 1950s sci-fi B-movie.
Rudd continues to be both likable and hilarious as the everyman in a superhero suit while he has some good chemistry with the talented Lilly. Pena, Harris and Dastmalchian help add to the comedy, while this film offers Stan Lee his funniest cameo to date. Though Killmonger and Thanos has more layers, Ghost is still a formidable villain and Kamen brought plenty of good emotion to the character. Despite Goggins giving another really good performance, the gangster subplot feels unnecessary and doesn’t add much to the story.
Aain, “Ant-Man and the Wasp” is not top-tier Marvel, but it’s still great Marvel. It’s a fun superhero comedy with a good story and fun characters that’ll likely please everybody. Be warned: The mid-credits scene will definitely leave you hanging and it’s a long way until May 2019 to get to that conclusion.

THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG-13 (for some sci-fi action violence)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.5 Stars (Out of Four)