Ant-Man and the Wasp - Review
Release date (US): July 6th, 2018
Directed By: Peyton Reed
Rating: PG-13
Directed By: Peyton Reed
Rating: PG-13
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lily, Michael Douglas, Laurence Fishburne, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Pena, T.I. Harris, David Dalmastchian, Hannah John-Kamen, Walton Goggins, Randall Park
Expectations/Background: After the dark, brooding, universe altering events of AvengerS: Infinity War, it was only natural for Marvel to turn to something light-hearted as Ant-Man and the Wasp. Set before Civil War, this was the perfect remedy to the epic film that released last April. When I first saw the first Ant-Man, I was thoroughly impressed with the way the director, Peyton Reed who is also directing the sequel, was able to use visual effects to his advantage, showing the shrinking and growing. However, one of the main selling points of the first film, the humor, didn't work for me as much the second and third and fourth times I saw the film, and I began to like the film less and less simply because its initial charm began to wear off. With the sequel and with the positive word of mouth, I'm expecting much of the same. I'm expecting to enjoy the film for what it is the first time around, but I think as time passes, the novelty may wear off. Then again, this film has everything going for it. From all accounts, Evangeline Lily's Wasp is one of the absolute standouts of the film. Additionally, Reed and his team went out and got such A-list talent as Michelle Pfeiffer and Laurence Fishburne, as well as comedy-actor Randall Park. This movie has everything going for it with nothing much to lose (as compared to Infinity War which had almost everything to lose had it flopped), so here's hoping they deliver on a fun, entertaining sequel.
The Movie: While perhaps not the most emotionally gripping, nor complex Marvel movie to date, Ant-Man and the Wasp is two hours of pure delight. Much like the first movie, when you see this one for the first time, you can't help but sitting back in your chair and having a total blast. There is a lot to enjoy, some little things that didn't work so well, but overall a lot to love.
Starting off with Paul Rudd, he again brings out the charisma that he manages to capture in almost every role that he takes. Just like in the first film, he's a lovable goof that you can't help but relating to simply because he's not a multi-billionaire, or a brilliant neurosurgeon, but just a normal guy who's trying to live out a normal life and just happens to get dragged into a super situation. But let's talk about Evangeline Lily. Every critic (almost every one) have raved about the Wasp, and I am here to add my voice into that pile. I think that as great as Paul Rudd was, Evangeline Lily's Wasp may have outshone him. Her action scenes are incredible, as well as super-well choreographed. She's the perfect counterpart to Rudd's silly Scott Lang, as she's poised, calm, and driven. Lily plays this character with all the confidence in the world, and I really believed her as the Wasp, someone who can stand next to, or stand up against any hero in the MCU.
But let's not forget the other A-list stars that this movie features, starting with Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer. Michael Douglas again plays Dr. Hank Pym, who has a slightly more important role to play in this film, although it is almost a direct continuation from his arc in the first film. He has a little more substantial work to do in this movie, and you get to see a little more nuanced, subtle side of Hank. As for Pfeiffer, although she isn't in the film for as much as we'd like (although she has been confirmed for Avengers 4 by Sebastian Stan before this film dropped), she is brilliant as she usually is. Again, there isn't enough time to develop her character, so we don't really get to see many sides of her, but what we do see of her, Pfeiffer shows why she is just an A-class, talent-filled actress who can act alongside almost anyone and outshine them.
Other supporting characters were mostly used for comedy, but to wonderful effect. Michael Pena steals almost every single scene that he's in. He has one scene near the middle that hearkens back to the first movie, and it is absolutely hilarious. He had the audience laughing so hard for about five minutes straight. His supporting pals, Dave and Kurt are awesome; they have little moments in the film (especially one in the middle) that are absolutely hilarious. Randall Park's character was surprisingly funny and was great to watch. He was just a side character, but he was nice to see. Scott's family, with Cannavale, Greer, and Fortson playing their small roles in great ways, especially Fortson.
There are a couple other characters, notably Bill Foster played by Laurence Fishburne. He had a significantly larger arc than I thought, and I actually really enjoyed his whole motivation. He wasn't quite on a side, per se, but he was a character that had a significant role to play.
Going back to a point that I made earlier, this film is a direct continuation of Ant-Man, despite having Captain America: Civil War being in the middle. And even though it is a direct continuation, there are natural references with Captain America: Civil War that have direct ramifications with Scott, Hank, and Hope. This film is small-scale, as compared to Infinity War. It retains that heart that is contained in this small, intimate setting with these characters that we have grown to love over the past films.
That being said, the story isn't quite as driven as the first film. There are driving forces towards the end goal, and there are things stopping the heroes from getting to their ultimate goal, but in the end, it doesn't feel as urgent as the first film, which had a true heist feel. This sense of urgency doesn't affect the film like it did with the first film. But the humor does a great job at covering this up and keeping the pace brisk. Whenever the film slows down, and there are a few points where this film does slow down considerably, there are some wonderful jokes that keep the audience captivated. Just like the first film, I'm not quite sure how well the humor will age, but that's something we'll just have to wait and see.
The action is another standout; Peyton Reed really knows how to use the CGI to his advantage as he finds some neat little ways to use the shrinking and growing. There is this one specific thing with Scott Lang that is a running gag throughout the entire film about the shrinking and growing that never really gets old. The action is so well-done, as you probably saw in the trailers, and Wasp and Ant-Man use their suits in some wonderful ways.
There were some parts where the dialogue got a bit clunky and over-the-top. There is one scene in particular where a character is delving into their backstory and relying completely on narration and flashbacks, which I felt was a little lazy and could have been revealed in a different, more subtle way. Some of the other dialogue said by Scott in particular seems a little bit forced. I will say though that anything that comes out of Luis' mouth, no matter how ludicrous or ridiculous it may be, is pure gold. There is nothing that Michael Pena can say that won't work somehow, some way.
Aside from all of that, there isn't much that stands out about the film. It's a great ride for a couple hours, but the biggest detriment to the film is that there isn't that sense of urgency, like this film never really quite gets off the ground. The third act set piece is a little chaotic but a ton of fun, and overall, there's enough good to outweigh any of the slower parts.
The Villains: Marvel seems to be on track to officially fixing their villain problem. There are two of them in this film. One of them is in line with the recent line of great villains, i.e. Loki, Killmonger, Vulture, and Thanos. This villain has a compelling backstory, and is extremely sympathetic. In the end, you really do care about them, which is a HUGE upgrade over Yellowjacket, one of Marvel's worst. That being said, there is another villain that is so paint-by-numbers that doesn't really have anything to do except cause some slight mayhem. This villain has zero motivation, for some reason is always around, and whenever they show up are more of a nuisance. Luckily, they aren't the main villain, and whenever the main villain is on-screen, I felt for them and wanted to see more of them in action.
The Music/Score: I enjoyed the music in this film a little bit more than your typical MCU film. It relied heavily in Giacchino's original theme, which I love, and I don't think this is a bad thing at all. I think it was used in just the right places. Additionally, it was altered and transposed a little bit just to add a little flair; there's even one sequence in the movie where the music is given a retro vibe. At first, I wasn't quite sure what to think about it, but it slowly grew on me and I thought it was very good.
Starting off with Paul Rudd, he again brings out the charisma that he manages to capture in almost every role that he takes. Just like in the first film, he's a lovable goof that you can't help but relating to simply because he's not a multi-billionaire, or a brilliant neurosurgeon, but just a normal guy who's trying to live out a normal life and just happens to get dragged into a super situation. But let's talk about Evangeline Lily. Every critic (almost every one) have raved about the Wasp, and I am here to add my voice into that pile. I think that as great as Paul Rudd was, Evangeline Lily's Wasp may have outshone him. Her action scenes are incredible, as well as super-well choreographed. She's the perfect counterpart to Rudd's silly Scott Lang, as she's poised, calm, and driven. Lily plays this character with all the confidence in the world, and I really believed her as the Wasp, someone who can stand next to, or stand up against any hero in the MCU.
But let's not forget the other A-list stars that this movie features, starting with Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer. Michael Douglas again plays Dr. Hank Pym, who has a slightly more important role to play in this film, although it is almost a direct continuation from his arc in the first film. He has a little more substantial work to do in this movie, and you get to see a little more nuanced, subtle side of Hank. As for Pfeiffer, although she isn't in the film for as much as we'd like (although she has been confirmed for Avengers 4 by Sebastian Stan before this film dropped), she is brilliant as she usually is. Again, there isn't enough time to develop her character, so we don't really get to see many sides of her, but what we do see of her, Pfeiffer shows why she is just an A-class, talent-filled actress who can act alongside almost anyone and outshine them.
Other supporting characters were mostly used for comedy, but to wonderful effect. Michael Pena steals almost every single scene that he's in. He has one scene near the middle that hearkens back to the first movie, and it is absolutely hilarious. He had the audience laughing so hard for about five minutes straight. His supporting pals, Dave and Kurt are awesome; they have little moments in the film (especially one in the middle) that are absolutely hilarious. Randall Park's character was surprisingly funny and was great to watch. He was just a side character, but he was nice to see. Scott's family, with Cannavale, Greer, and Fortson playing their small roles in great ways, especially Fortson.
There are a couple other characters, notably Bill Foster played by Laurence Fishburne. He had a significantly larger arc than I thought, and I actually really enjoyed his whole motivation. He wasn't quite on a side, per se, but he was a character that had a significant role to play.
Going back to a point that I made earlier, this film is a direct continuation of Ant-Man, despite having Captain America: Civil War being in the middle. And even though it is a direct continuation, there are natural references with Captain America: Civil War that have direct ramifications with Scott, Hank, and Hope. This film is small-scale, as compared to Infinity War. It retains that heart that is contained in this small, intimate setting with these characters that we have grown to love over the past films.
That being said, the story isn't quite as driven as the first film. There are driving forces towards the end goal, and there are things stopping the heroes from getting to their ultimate goal, but in the end, it doesn't feel as urgent as the first film, which had a true heist feel. This sense of urgency doesn't affect the film like it did with the first film. But the humor does a great job at covering this up and keeping the pace brisk. Whenever the film slows down, and there are a few points where this film does slow down considerably, there are some wonderful jokes that keep the audience captivated. Just like the first film, I'm not quite sure how well the humor will age, but that's something we'll just have to wait and see.
The action is another standout; Peyton Reed really knows how to use the CGI to his advantage as he finds some neat little ways to use the shrinking and growing. There is this one specific thing with Scott Lang that is a running gag throughout the entire film about the shrinking and growing that never really gets old. The action is so well-done, as you probably saw in the trailers, and Wasp and Ant-Man use their suits in some wonderful ways.
There were some parts where the dialogue got a bit clunky and over-the-top. There is one scene in particular where a character is delving into their backstory and relying completely on narration and flashbacks, which I felt was a little lazy and could have been revealed in a different, more subtle way. Some of the other dialogue said by Scott in particular seems a little bit forced. I will say though that anything that comes out of Luis' mouth, no matter how ludicrous or ridiculous it may be, is pure gold. There is nothing that Michael Pena can say that won't work somehow, some way.
Aside from all of that, there isn't much that stands out about the film. It's a great ride for a couple hours, but the biggest detriment to the film is that there isn't that sense of urgency, like this film never really quite gets off the ground. The third act set piece is a little chaotic but a ton of fun, and overall, there's enough good to outweigh any of the slower parts.
The Villains: Marvel seems to be on track to officially fixing their villain problem. There are two of them in this film. One of them is in line with the recent line of great villains, i.e. Loki, Killmonger, Vulture, and Thanos. This villain has a compelling backstory, and is extremely sympathetic. In the end, you really do care about them, which is a HUGE upgrade over Yellowjacket, one of Marvel's worst. That being said, there is another villain that is so paint-by-numbers that doesn't really have anything to do except cause some slight mayhem. This villain has zero motivation, for some reason is always around, and whenever they show up are more of a nuisance. Luckily, they aren't the main villain, and whenever the main villain is on-screen, I felt for them and wanted to see more of them in action.
The Music/Score: I enjoyed the music in this film a little bit more than your typical MCU film. It relied heavily in Giacchino's original theme, which I love, and I don't think this is a bad thing at all. I think it was used in just the right places. Additionally, it was altered and transposed a little bit just to add a little flair; there's even one sequence in the movie where the music is given a retro vibe. At first, I wasn't quite sure what to think about it, but it slowly grew on me and I thought it was very good.
In Conclusion: Ant-Man and the Wasp is another slam dunk for Marvel. Perhaps not the most compelling or memorable film, and maybe something that is best only seen once or twice, but definitely worth a watch. It's incredible that this is Marvel's 20th film and they've done so much right. I believe that this is an improvement on the first film by a little bit, and is another win for Marvel.
**DISCLAIMER**: This is a subjective, opinionated article that has, nor should have any affect on your opinion on the given material. As such, my opinion is entitled to change over time and whatever is written here at this given point in time may not and should not be held to me in the future.
**DISCLAIMER**: This is a subjective, opinionated article that has, nor should have any affect on your opinion on the given material. As such, my opinion is entitled to change over time and whatever is written here at this given point in time may not and should not be held to me in the future.
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