Ant-Man and the Wasp

Among the insect themed superheroes in comic book media, one of the lesser known is Marvel's Ant-Man, who made his debut to comic books in 1962. In that history, there have been a few people who have donned the moniker as they used a special suit with shrinking technology (and bug communication because it wasn't silly enough). Having been in comics (including being part of the Avengers roster) and few appearances in animation, it didn't seem possible the character would get a movie until Edgar Wright began development on the project in 2007 and got picked up by the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That film has the most problematic production history the studio has faced so far but was released as a surprise hit with audiences and critics along with a modest box office in 2015. The character has made two appearances in the franchise thus far with his solo flick and Captain America: Civil War, which brings us to this sequel, Ant-Man and the Wasp (to cheer us up after Infinity War), directed by Peyton Reed. The marketing campaign boasted action fans were looking forward to and the critical reception has been mostly positive. I entered the auditorium having loved the predecessor ready for his return feature and left the auditorium thoroughly entertained by one of the most underrated heroes in the MCU.

Note: For those of you who are curious about the behind the scenes drama of the Ant-Man (2015), Midnight's Edge, a youtube channel that analyze and discuss various aspects of television & film, did a 16 minute video exploring the history about the making of that film from Edgar Wright's work on it and what occurred during the process. It's a great one to check out if you are curious what happened in that past and if you would like the link to it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fadF3X0NsnE

Thoughts on Ant-Man (2015): Taking place after Avengers: Age of Ultron, the story follows a thief/ex-convict who gets a chance to have visiting rights to his daughter when an inventor of powerful shrinking technology requests his help to steal a formula from his former apprentice. One of the best details here is how the relationship this time is a mentee-mentor type between an ex-con trying get to his life together and a retired bearer of the suit working through personal trauma. The fatherhood angles explored here are engaging to watch due to the actors performances. The action sequences with the shrinking and enlarging is great with solid manipulation of the science here, with the climax being the best of them. The charming comedy binds it together in a tight package that worked better than it had any right to. The problems holding it back include a stock villain, a rush forced in romance, and some of the jokes missing. ⭑⭑⭑⭑1/4

Plot: Following his involvement in Captain America: Civil War (making him a war criminal in the process) and nearing the end of his 2 year house arrest, one of the titular leads is enlisted by his former partners into helping them look for a long lost relative inside the quantum realm. The storyline from before continues here where our heroes are working together (despite tensions between them given the circumstances) to achieve closure and stability in their lives. The light hearted tone from the predecessor is even more present here as some of these individuals find humor and levity to rely on in the crazy situations. It's fascinating to watch these the hero and his two former partners work through their difference after the actions of the former caused further distress for the latter. The first two acts display plenty of creativity and have solid humorous moments that will entertain plenty (one of those parts reminded me of a visual gag in Deadpool 2 for one little reason). The heart of fatherhood established before is ever present here in bonding moments that are adorable to watch.

However, while the spirit and tone brings great energy here, the script in this sequel has more writers in the kitchen this time, which there are too many subplots that feel forced and overcrowded instead of using the "less is more" approach. There are one or two characters added here that if taken out of the movie wouldn't really affect much as they pad out the runtime. The direction of the comedy can be slightly more hit or miss since there are attempts at humor that don't know when to stop (it shows). In fact, one of the character additions had good potential that could have had more attention if one or two of aforementioned issues was taken out. In addition, there's a problematic leftover from the antecedent that's a common issue in the MCU that's even more rushed here: a rushed romance element between the two leads where they exposit about their relationship but there really isn't much investment in that angle. With the weird messy pacing resulting from this, the MCU needs to be mindful for any future screenplays to make sure they can avoid this issue to provides its audiences a more digestible experience that shares an endearing energy worth rooting for.

Heroes: Our protagonists to focus on Scott/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Hope/Wasp (Evangeline Lily), and Hank (Michael Douglas). Scott is a fugitive under house arrest who assists Hope and Hank in finding Janet while doing his responsibilities as a father now that he has contact with his daughter. Paul is once again one of the best reasons to watch this as he gives a great likable portrayal as a good parent who's determined to provide the best care for his child no matter how bizarre and dangerous his life is getting (best MCU dad of 2018). Hope is Hank's daughter who dons the Wasp suit (same technology as Ant-Man but with wings and blasters) and is working with her father and Scott to build a device to find her mother, Janet. Evangeline, who wasn't that good in her performance from before (which was stilted and sleepwalking at times), is much better this time around as she has a more leading role where she manages to convey more than one emotion this time (and in story it's been 2 years of Hope and Hank bonding, which would let her smile more often now). She doesn't steal the movie since she's the main character so she's a focus point in the story though it should be noted that proper development for her is affected by the numerous subplots.

Hank is Hope's dad, first bearer of the Ant-Man suit, Scott's former mentor, and inventor of the shrinking technology whose drive to save his long lost wife, Janet, is heighten here. Michael is great as he was before where he's capable of establishing the growth this stubborn scientist gained from his journey so far and (much like Paul and Evangeline) conveys the trauma as well as the drive to located where the wife is. Whenever that arc does come up, he knows how to adapt with scenarios that are either light-hearted, serious, or a mix of both. An honorable mention goes to Luis (Michael Pena) and Bill Foster (Lawrence Fishburne) with the former being a welcome presence like before (though the comedic timing can be hit-or-miss this time around) while the latter has a nice dynamic with Michael Douglas' character.

Antagonists: The previously mentioned issues with the writing are more apparent with the distinct opposing forces, Ava Star/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins). While both of them are obstacles for our protagonists for deal with, the former is far more fascinating with compelling background details that yield solid story potential and the latter is the weakest link whose even less impressive than that of the predecessor as he comes off very wooden. If the latter had been removed from the story altogether, nothing would have been effected as the heroes have enough to contend with between the former and the FBI (since all three are wanted criminals due to Scott's action in Civil War). Plus Walton Goggins already punched his villain card earlier this year in a much better portrayal in Tomb Raider. The writing and performance of the former could have been fleshed out better while being capable of providing enough thrills for the climax. That being said, this Marvel entry does deserve credit for attempting something new in that opposition lineup as they have been this past year, good signs of progress for the studio.

Action: With the first entry in the series being more of an origin point that saved the best of its action for the second and third act, this sequel lets itself loose on the spectacle fans are familiar with as our duo are using their gadgets to their advantage in many environments. They use the physics of their shrinking and enlarging around their enemies attacks to solid effect. While this isn't anything massive like taking on a titanic alien with a power glove gauntlet or having standard fight against a bland CGI army, it's usage in city streets and simple buildings are enough here. Basically if you've enjoyed what was done in the predecessor, you'll have a fun good time with those parts here.

End Credits Scenes: I'm not going to spoil what happens here but instead provide a good piece of advice when approaching Ant-Man and the Wasp on a first viewing. Since this was released after Infinity War, many of you are probably wondering "How does this entry connect to that event?". There's a mid- and post- credits scene in the movie but you only need the former. Once you see that, you can leave right away because the latter is throwaway joke that's actually shown in the second trailer. If you find the one visual that feels so bizarre and out of place with everything else in it, that's basically the joke used in the post-credits.

Overall Consensus: While Ant-Man and the Wasp doesn't reach the great quality of its antecedent due to a bloated script with subplots, it makes up for that with its playful tone, great lead cast portrayals, and fun action. ⭑⭑⭑3/4🎟🍿 Runtime: 1 hours 58 minutes PG-13

Reasons to watch it: You like any of the aforementioned actors. You have seen the titular heroes first solo adventure and want to see how it's continued after Civil War. You don't mind hearing the word "quantum" used so many times. You are in the mood for a cheerful summer superhero action comedy. You don't mind the science aspects not being thoroughly explained during confusing parts. You enjoy a main lead who isn't a genius, soldier, king, or a demigod but a regular guy doing their best to try and get their life together in order to be a better parent. You love slapstick physical humor. You want to see the mid credits scene that has something you've been wondering since the last MCU film. You are tired of high stakes and prefer something with lower risk. You love Marvel's amazing de-aging technology they've used before.

Reasons to avoid it: You dislike any of the aforementioned actors. You have seen the titular heroes first solo adventure and don't want to see how it's continued after Civil War. You will be annoyed hearing the word "quantum" used so many times. You aren't in the mood for a cheerful summer superhero action comedy. You hate the science aspects not being thoroughly explained during confusing parts. You want larger than life challenges for the heroes to overcome. You are annoyed by slapstick gags and sitcom jokes.

Coming up next: July continues the hits as Ant-Man & the Wasp brought solid amusement audiences were looking forward to after the heaviness from Infinity War. The Ant-Man film series proves to be one of my favorites and is underrated within the overall franchise as the work this regular guy does to get his life on track shouldn't be underestimated. With that anticipated blockbuster out of the way, it's time to watch a number of independent dramas and comedies that premiered in festivals like Cannes and Sundance. Tune in next time as Screening Spectacles will watch and review a dramatic entry that apparently has one of the best performances of the year to watch out for, First Reformed!!