Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) Review
5:28 PM
Real heroes. Not actual size.
This review contains spoilers.
This review contains spoilers.
After a July filled with sophisticated and impressive sequels (Incredibles 2, Mission: Impossible 6), it would be easy to dismiss Ant-Man and the Wasp as a forgettable and rather pedestrian summer flick. Although this sequel is both of those things, it still manages to be lots of fun. Marvel has been given credit for having a female character in the film's title, but the Wasp's (Lilly) role is smaller than expected. Fans riding the Infinity War hype will likely be underwhelmed by this film's smaller stakes, but that is what makes these films different; Ant-Man is small and so are his stories. Ant-Man and the Wasp is filler fun with a post-credit scene that is worth the price of admission.
It took me a while to start enjoying Ant-Man and the Wasp. The change of pace in comparison to Infinity War and even Black Panther was a little unpalatable at first. However, as the story got going and the action began, Ant-Man and the Wasp turned into a fun (yet serviceable) MCU entry. On one hand, the film was worthwhile because it shows where Ant-Man was during the events of Infinity War but on the other hand, it felt unnecessary because smaller stories do not fit with the current climate of the MCU. I almost think I would feel more favourable towards Ant-Man and the Wasp if it had come before the colossal Infinity War. Peyton Reed and his five writers have told a story without stakes, consequences and impact. Ant-Man and the Wasp exists as an Ant-Man sequel, but it is not the stepping stone audiences were hoping for.
The story told is predictable. It is obvious that Ant-Man/Scott (Rudd) and co are going to successfully save Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet Van Dyne from the quantum realm. Weirdly, five different writers manage to come up with a fun and exciting journey to the inevitable destination. Five co-writers should not work and I'm sure if this film's plot was more complex, things would have easily become convoluted. First, Scott has a mysterious dream about Janet. Next, he re-teams with Hope and Hank (Douglas). After a series of mishaps, setbacks and ghostly encounters, the group have everything they need to retrieve Janet. It really is that simple. The writers could have been a little more ambitious, but this narrative is functional.
What the plot lacks in ambition, it makes up for in character development. From the film's villain to the title characters, the writing adds dimension to almost everyone. It may nearly be time for the 'Marvel can't do villains' stigma to be lifted because Ghost's (Hannah John-Kamen) backstory and evil motivations are clear and detailed. It is easy to empathise with Ghost because of her circumstances; she is rightfully angry. It is understandable why she wants to get her hands on the transportation tunnel - it will cure her. Although, the Wasp does not have as big of a role as I hoped (I suppose this isn't Wonder Woman), the relationship she has with her mother is well developed. They should have either called the film "Ant-Man 2" or "Ant-Man, Hank Pym and the Wasp" because this film is not about Scott and Hope as a pair, but more about the trio working together.
Ant-Man and the Wasp is relatively light on action; unfortunately, the trailers have provided glimpses of all of the action sequences. Just like in the first film, Peyton Reed comes up with inventive ways to make the most of Scott and Hope's powers. I loved the box full of toy cars that can be enlarged for the characters to drive (and shrink). The giant salt and Hello Kitty Pez were also lots of fun. The pair can use anything as a weapon! It was great to see Hope fighting just as much as Scott; she is a natural born Avenger. I also loved when Ant-Man disguised himself as a whale when swimming towards Goggings on the boat- it was hilarious! Costing over $160 million, Ant-Man and the Wasp does not look that expensive - unless it is costly to shrink and enlarge objects and people? Although she was well established, Ghost was an odd choice as a villain because she wasn't exactly cinematic; her powers would probably be just as impressive on a smaller screen. The quantum realm is visually stunning but hardly any time is spent there.
I liked him as GiANT-man in Civil War, but Paul Rudd's Ant-Man may now be my least favourite Avenger. Rudd's performance did little for me; he has some funny moments but never showcases star potential. Ant-Man's relationship with his daughter is precious and is dynamic with Hope is cool, but there's not much more about the character to love. Those who enjoy Rudd's humour will likely adore his performance but I did not find it too special. Evangeline Lilly is nuanced and humble as Hope; when fighting Lilly never appears overly confident and while she may be literally kicking-ass, she never looks that tough. If the MCU follows the same road for Captain Marvel and the Black Widow solo movie then the female Avengers will be relatable, likeable but still bad-ass. Although I would have loved to have seen Hope's origin (training, earlier fights etc), this film was a nice opportunity to increase the character's importance ever so slightly.
Michael Pena adds lots of comedy to the film. Reed gives Pena's memorable lip-sync story a sequel and it is very funny. All of the actors are game as they mime Luis' (Pena) slang and quick-witted storytelling. The entire truth serem gag was funny. It would have made for a very long title, but Michael Douglas' Hank Pym deserves to be a title character. His role is just as big as the two 'leads'. Douglas does a solid job. It is great to see Michelle Pfeiffer back in a superhero film and she hits all of the right notes in each of her few scenes. Hannah John-Kamen's performance is weak. If John-Kamen's performance had matched with her well-developed character, Ghost could have been a memorable and fan-favourite Marvel villain. The script probably asked the most from John-Kamen out of the entire cast and she didn't quite deliver. No offence to Walton Goggins, but he is irritating to look at. Goggins plays a generic businessman who adds little to the plot but I'm glad he was there because the whole film would not have been able to rely on Ghost's one-note powers. Goggins' wacky (but annoying) performance was needed.
Ant-Man and the Wasp has two post-credit scenes. The second is not worth it and for the first time, I would not urge you to stick around for it. However, the first one is probably the most satisfying post-credit scene I have seen in a while. I kind of wish it was at the end of the actual film, it would have been a brilliant cliff-hanger. The fading of Hope, Janet and Hank is set up perfectly. Not only is Scott now trapped in the quantum realm, but Peyton Reed's execution made it funny but also shocking. I also liked the addition of a question mark at the end of 'Ant-Man and the Wasp will return'. It is genuinely exciting to see these MCU films have consequences and stakes. Who knows how Scott will escape the inescapable, but I cannot wait to find out. It was a genius move for Marvel to tack one of their best post-credit scenes onto the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp because it made an otherwise middling MCU flick so much more worthwhile.
Ant-Man and the Wasp is light fun which contrasts arguably well with the emotional and shocking Infinity War. Although the emotions felt back in April may be resurrected thanks to a fantastic post-credit scene. Ant-Man and the Wasp is a filler film that wasn't exactly necessary; Ant-Man's whereabouts could have been told in a short online video. It was great to see more of Hope Van Dyne though. Rudd is better in small doses and Lilly gives a nuanced performance. Despite being well developed, Ghost is let down by John-Kamen's performance - Marvel was so close to getting another villain right! While the first Ant-Man was refreshingly small, the stakes are currently just too high in the MCU. At this point in time, Marvel shouldn't be making movies like Ant-Man and the Wasp.
It took me a while to start enjoying Ant-Man and the Wasp. The change of pace in comparison to Infinity War and even Black Panther was a little unpalatable at first. However, as the story got going and the action began, Ant-Man and the Wasp turned into a fun (yet serviceable) MCU entry. On one hand, the film was worthwhile because it shows where Ant-Man was during the events of Infinity War but on the other hand, it felt unnecessary because smaller stories do not fit with the current climate of the MCU. I almost think I would feel more favourable towards Ant-Man and the Wasp if it had come before the colossal Infinity War. Peyton Reed and his five writers have told a story without stakes, consequences and impact. Ant-Man and the Wasp exists as an Ant-Man sequel, but it is not the stepping stone audiences were hoping for.
The story told is predictable. It is obvious that Ant-Man/Scott (Rudd) and co are going to successfully save Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet Van Dyne from the quantum realm. Weirdly, five different writers manage to come up with a fun and exciting journey to the inevitable destination. Five co-writers should not work and I'm sure if this film's plot was more complex, things would have easily become convoluted. First, Scott has a mysterious dream about Janet. Next, he re-teams with Hope and Hank (Douglas). After a series of mishaps, setbacks and ghostly encounters, the group have everything they need to retrieve Janet. It really is that simple. The writers could have been a little more ambitious, but this narrative is functional.
What the plot lacks in ambition, it makes up for in character development. From the film's villain to the title characters, the writing adds dimension to almost everyone. It may nearly be time for the 'Marvel can't do villains' stigma to be lifted because Ghost's (Hannah John-Kamen) backstory and evil motivations are clear and detailed. It is easy to empathise with Ghost because of her circumstances; she is rightfully angry. It is understandable why she wants to get her hands on the transportation tunnel - it will cure her. Although, the Wasp does not have as big of a role as I hoped (I suppose this isn't Wonder Woman), the relationship she has with her mother is well developed. They should have either called the film "Ant-Man 2" or "Ant-Man, Hank Pym and the Wasp" because this film is not about Scott and Hope as a pair, but more about the trio working together.
Ant-Man and the Wasp is relatively light on action; unfortunately, the trailers have provided glimpses of all of the action sequences. Just like in the first film, Peyton Reed comes up with inventive ways to make the most of Scott and Hope's powers. I loved the box full of toy cars that can be enlarged for the characters to drive (and shrink). The giant salt and Hello Kitty Pez were also lots of fun. The pair can use anything as a weapon! It was great to see Hope fighting just as much as Scott; she is a natural born Avenger. I also loved when Ant-Man disguised himself as a whale when swimming towards Goggings on the boat- it was hilarious! Costing over $160 million, Ant-Man and the Wasp does not look that expensive - unless it is costly to shrink and enlarge objects and people? Although she was well established, Ghost was an odd choice as a villain because she wasn't exactly cinematic; her powers would probably be just as impressive on a smaller screen. The quantum realm is visually stunning but hardly any time is spent there.
I liked him as GiANT-man in Civil War, but Paul Rudd's Ant-Man may now be my least favourite Avenger. Rudd's performance did little for me; he has some funny moments but never showcases star potential. Ant-Man's relationship with his daughter is precious and is dynamic with Hope is cool, but there's not much more about the character to love. Those who enjoy Rudd's humour will likely adore his performance but I did not find it too special. Evangeline Lilly is nuanced and humble as Hope; when fighting Lilly never appears overly confident and while she may be literally kicking-ass, she never looks that tough. If the MCU follows the same road for Captain Marvel and the Black Widow solo movie then the female Avengers will be relatable, likeable but still bad-ass. Although I would have loved to have seen Hope's origin (training, earlier fights etc), this film was a nice opportunity to increase the character's importance ever so slightly.
Michael Pena adds lots of comedy to the film. Reed gives Pena's memorable lip-sync story a sequel and it is very funny. All of the actors are game as they mime Luis' (Pena) slang and quick-witted storytelling. The entire truth serem gag was funny. It would have made for a very long title, but Michael Douglas' Hank Pym deserves to be a title character. His role is just as big as the two 'leads'. Douglas does a solid job. It is great to see Michelle Pfeiffer back in a superhero film and she hits all of the right notes in each of her few scenes. Hannah John-Kamen's performance is weak. If John-Kamen's performance had matched with her well-developed character, Ghost could have been a memorable and fan-favourite Marvel villain. The script probably asked the most from John-Kamen out of the entire cast and she didn't quite deliver. No offence to Walton Goggins, but he is irritating to look at. Goggins plays a generic businessman who adds little to the plot but I'm glad he was there because the whole film would not have been able to rely on Ghost's one-note powers. Goggins' wacky (but annoying) performance was needed.
Ant-Man and the Wasp has two post-credit scenes. The second is not worth it and for the first time, I would not urge you to stick around for it. However, the first one is probably the most satisfying post-credit scene I have seen in a while. I kind of wish it was at the end of the actual film, it would have been a brilliant cliff-hanger. The fading of Hope, Janet and Hank is set up perfectly. Not only is Scott now trapped in the quantum realm, but Peyton Reed's execution made it funny but also shocking. I also liked the addition of a question mark at the end of 'Ant-Man and the Wasp will return'. It is genuinely exciting to see these MCU films have consequences and stakes. Who knows how Scott will escape the inescapable, but I cannot wait to find out. It was a genius move for Marvel to tack one of their best post-credit scenes onto the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp because it made an otherwise middling MCU flick so much more worthwhile.
Ant-Man and the Wasp is light fun which contrasts arguably well with the emotional and shocking Infinity War. Although the emotions felt back in April may be resurrected thanks to a fantastic post-credit scene. Ant-Man and the Wasp is a filler film that wasn't exactly necessary; Ant-Man's whereabouts could have been told in a short online video. It was great to see more of Hope Van Dyne though. Rudd is better in small doses and Lilly gives a nuanced performance. Despite being well developed, Ghost is let down by John-Kamen's performance - Marvel was so close to getting another villain right! While the first Ant-Man was refreshingly small, the stakes are currently just too high in the MCU. At this point in time, Marvel shouldn't be making movies like Ant-Man and the Wasp.
65
/100
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