Film Review - Ant-Man and the Wasp (12A)

You can help. You can do anything. You're the world's greatest grandma.

As the twentieth film-release within the Marvel Cinematic Universe you might expect Ant-Man and the Wasp to be a bit - well - blimey-not-another-superhero-movie. That it succeeds in being distinctive and enjoyable in its own right says much about the writing and directing talent on which Marvel are able to call, as well as the studio's breadth of vision. So far this year they've produced a high-tech spy thriller based in a super-advanced African tribal culture (Black Panther) and an apocalyptic space opera (Avengers: Infinity War). Now with this Ant-Man sequel they scale things down (way way down in many cases) to produce what is in effect a comedy-caper movie - low in stakes, but high in fun. 

Set some time before the Armageddon-y events of Infinity War, this story finds Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) seeing out his final few days under house-arrest, having been apprehended due to his noble but illegal actions in Captain America: Civil War. He simply wants to behave himself and gain his freedom, so no more size-shifting Ant-Man high-jinx. Scientist Dr Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and his daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly), who previously helped turn Lang into the miniaturising hero, kidnap him, however, in order to enlist his help. There's a chance that Hope's mother Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer), who shrank so little years before that she vanished into something called the 'quantum realm', is still alive with the possibility of rescue. Efforts to complete this mission rapidly become complicated by a number of other shady parties, all of them interested in Dr Pym's tech. 

Brought to us by the same team as Ant-Man, this film takes all the elements that made the first film work - fun characters, rapid-fire witty dialogue, zany action full of shrinking and enlarging - and doubles their size. Director Peyton Reed keeps things zipping along apace, while keeping multiple story threads in focus. The sub-atomic rescue mission, Scott's house arrest, his ex-con pals' attempt to start a new business, his relationships with both Hope and his daughter, plus the efforts of two antagonists to thwart our heroes' main goal - it's all kept bubbling with a lightness of touch (aside from one or two quantum physics-related exposition dumps) that keeps the audience laughing. 

The big/small special effects, important though they are, never overshadow the character-based drama. Rudd is the same likably stumbling good-guy as before, while Lilly embraces her promotion to 'Wasp', a shrinking-flying superhero with formidable martial arts skills. The natural chemistry between Marvel's first legit super-duper couple is a delight. Meanwhile Michael Pena is the standout from a clutch of great comic performances as Scott's best bud Luis, his motor-mouth shtick from the first film cleverly recycled in one of this outing's funniest scenes. (Randall Park comes in second as an over-zealous CIA operative.) And how splendid to see '80s icons Douglas and Pfeiffer brought together in key roles; it'll turn cinema-goers of a certain vintage all nostalgic.

A quick word about the villains (Hannah John-Kamen and Walter Goggins), and the charge that they're not sufficiently villainous. Not every Marvel tale needs a killer bad-guy. This time around it's the story of conflicting interests that's important - the escalating (largely comic) mayhem, as different parties vie for possession of a crucial item. The true delight here is the finely-crafted bantering and bickering between a broad cast of characters, along with some nicely-judged visual comedy. 

Freshness is everything when you're pumping out three super-hero movies per year, and in 2018 Marvel have acquitted themselves with aplomb. If Black Panther and Infinity War were heavyweights in the canon, this insect movie is more flyweight - sufficiently deft and weaving to keep its audience thoroughly entertained. In more ways than one it turns littleness into a virtue.
   
Gut Reaction: None of the recent Avengers-style tension. Just a recurring big smile and a whole lot of LOLs.

Where Are the Women?: The increased representation is there in the title, plus there's a second Wasp in Michelle Pfeiffer and a female semi-villain who makes an impact with her screen-time. 

Ed's Verdict: 8/10. Terrific fun from the opening moments, Ant-Man and the Wasp is pure summer confection - a verbal and visual treat. Stick around, though, for a stunner of an end-credits moment.