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ANT-MAN AND THE WASP (2018)

Ant-Man and the Wasp poster

CAST
EVANGELINE LILLY
PAUL RUDD
BOBBY CANNAVALE
DAVID DASTMALCHIAN
MICHAEL DOUGLAS
LAURENCE FISHBURNE
ABBY RYDER FORTSON
WALTON GOGGINS
JUDY GREER
HANNAH JOHN-KAMEN
RANDALL PARK
MICHAEL PENA
MICHELLE PFIEFFER
T.I.

BASED ON THE MARVEL COMICS BY
JACK KIRBY
STAN LEE
LARRY LIEBER

SCREENPLAY BY
ANDREW BARRER
GABRIEL FERRARI
CHRIS McKENNA
PAUL RUDD
ERIK SOMMERS

PRODUCED BY
STEPHEN BROUSSARD
KEVIN FEIGE

DIRECTED BY
PEYTON REED

GENRE
ACTION
ADVENTURE
SCIENCE FICTION

RATED
AUS:PG
UK:12A
USA:PG-13

RUNNING TIME
118 MIN

 

 

Ant-Man and the Wasp image

Ant-Man and The Wasp is the right kind of light hearted action-adventure needed during a year of ultra-serious Marvel superhero fare, although the lack of a truly memorable villain dilutes the stakes somewhat.

It is very dire times in the Marvel cinematic universe. Although not quite reaching the gloomy depths of DC Films, Avengers: Infinity War and Captain America: Civil War were films of high stakes and shocking revelations. The former especially so, with the fiercest villain yet in Thanos declaring war on the Marvel Universe, as its hero’s quake in their boots. It only makes sense to want something a little less…tense. Such an antidote is found in Ant-Man and the Wasp, in which ever relatable funny man Paul Rudd returns as the pintsized hero for adventures big and small.

Set after the events of …Civil War, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has mere days to complete a three-year house-arrest sentence for his part in helping the fugitive Captain America. With his time as Ant-Man behind him, Lang is thrust back into his past superhero ways when estranged mentor Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Pym’s daughter Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), convince Scott to help secure an advanced piece of technology that can gain anyone who possesses it access to the “quantum world”.

With director Peyton Reed and majority of principle cast returning, Ant-Man and the Wasp succeeds in repeating the light-weight, yet creatively thrilling tone of the first movie. Paul Rudd continues to impress in an action orientated role that thrives on his charismatic, funny, everyday man personality. Great too is Evangeline Lilly as the much more serious, yet never the less dynamic partner in heroism, the Wasp, dispensing with kick-ass whopping’s as deadly as her steely glare. Fine support is found in Michael Douglas as the grumpy Dr. Pym, and especially Michael Pena who steals scenes as lovable goof, Louis.

The innovative approach to its action scenes, where all things big and small can be a threat no matter how absurd (cue a giant-sized Hello-Kitty Pez dispenser), is again a highlight here. It also helps in offering a superhero alternative to the ultra-serious, finger-snapping exploits seen in …Infinity War. Yet such creative decisions do come with a price, for while Ant-Man and the Wasp is the Cool Breeze to …Infinity War’s Jaegerbomb, it’s not all smooth consumption. The absence of a truly memorable villain is a notable problem. These roles are filled by Hannah John-Kamen as the molecular instable Ghost, and Walter Goggins as seedy black market criminal Sonny Burch. Both actors deliver solid performances to be sure, yet neither of their antagonist characters bring much in the way of fear or stakes.

Then there is the plotline involving the attempted rescue of Hank Pym’s wife and original Wasp, Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfieffer). Janet has been stuck for decades in the “quantum world”, and her rescue from there is a major motivation for the characters. The problem is that sense of intimacy and danger needed to make it all work just is not strong enough to create the urgency needed. Such is the quandary of Ant-Man and the Wasp: a superhero movie that successfully makes the little guys bigger than life, yet can’t quite nail the little things, resulting in an entertaining, yet flawed, Marvel outing.

 

***1/2

 

 

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