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Ant-Man and the Wasp

Ant-Man is an interesting character, at least from a publication background. The character, with Hank Pym under the mantle, had some odd moments and a couple of black marks in regards to his relationship with Janet Van Dyne. And, many wondered how that would translate—enter Scott Lang. Picking up the story with Lang as the lead makes sense. I don’t know much about his character in the comics, but it feels like he has a clean slate in comparison to Pym.

Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man (2015) made Lang out to be a somewhat primal character—he wants to be a good father and do what’s right, even if that blurs or breaks the lines of the law. In some ways, he functions much like Captain America. Lang takes on a Robin Hood quality, which endears him to a lot of folks. But, his knack for serving the greater good often lands him in hot water.

The Story

Ant-Man and the Wasp picks up two years after Civil War. This film references those events numerous times, and it becomes a bit much. Scott is under house arrest because he broke the rules of the Sokovia Accords. But, from the start we see that he is a present father and his relationship with his Ex-Wife and her beau is in a better place. He also has a bright future with his ex-con friends—Luis (Peña), Dave (T.I.) and Kurt (David Dastmalchian)—as they’ve started a security business.

As Scott’s sentence is wrapping up, Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lily) and Dr. Pym (Michael Douglas) arrive back in his life. They’ve discovered a connection back to the Quantum Realm, which Lang had entered in the first film. Pym and Van Dyne believe that Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) may still be alive. But, as they team up to start the quest, new foes arise in the form of Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins) and a figure known as Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen).

Ant-Man and the Wasp is a very standalone film. It references the events of Civil War, but outside of that it is focused solely on these characters in San Francisco—with no interference from the other MCU figures. The focus of the film is heavily on Hope—The Wasp—and Dr. Pym as they try to figure out if Janet is still alive. Scott gets drawn into their plan after they discover he seems to have been mentally linked to Janet after his experience in the Quantum Realm.

Thoughts on Ant-Man and the Wasp

On one hand, it feels nice to have this stand alone feeling within the MCU. It’s rare to see it very often anymore, and after Infinity War, it is a much needed palate cleanser. And the film has a lot of fun moments. Paul Rudd is still great, Evangeline Lily gets to be awesome and Peña again gets some of the biggest laughs.

It never has the same snap as Thor Ragnarok or the epic nature of Black Panther or the joy of Spider-Man: Homecoming. The characters don’t have the same dynamics and Peyton Reed doesn’t have the same sensibilities as Taika Waititi or Ryan Coogler. I’m not saying I want Ant-Man to be a retread of Ragnarok. But, while Rudd does his best, the film never really seems to find its tone. It has a couple of great set pieces and fun performances, but it feels lackluster. It doesn’t have the same charm as the first film, although it does have a stronger villain in Ghost.

The antagonists aren’t set on destroying the world, which is nice to see. Ghost’s motivations are much more personal, while Burch is just a two-bit hood trying to get paid. And, while I think that helps their standing as villains, there’s nothing very memorable about them. Are they both more interesting than Yellow Jacket? Yes. Are they superior to let’s say Ronan the Accuser? I’m not sure.

For me, that’s the biggest miss of Ant-Man and the Wasp. It’s a fun action film, with some good comedic bits, but before the credits roll, it never does anything memorable. It doesn’t have the same energy or style of some of the more recent MCU entries, and is probably the weakest part of Phase 3.

Final Thoughts

With that being said, I will offer two scapegoats that may have hindered me loving this movie—it was presented in 3D, which was worthless, and the sound in the theater wasn’t great, which took me out of it a bit.  

Ant-Man and the Wasp should be seen on a theater screen, for the Giant Man sequences alone. However, I would suggest a 2D matinee. Unless you’re a die hard Paul Rudd fan, then go all out.

As for THAT question, there are two post-credits sequences, and SPOILER ALERT one of them does deal with the events of Infinity War. In doing so, it gives the film it’s only moment of true impact.