Ant-man and the Wasp Movie Review
Hello, fellow imaginers, and welcome to the first of a segment I like to call the Review Station, where we review novels, movies, comics, and TV shows! Today, we will be looking at Ant-man and the Wasp which is now out on DVD and Blu-ray. While I’ve never been a big fan of the comic book version of the Marvel superhero, I was a fan of the first movie. I was initially skeptical, especially with Paul Rudd as the lead, but he did a fantastic job in the role, combining charm, humor, and surprisingly tight action choreography to win over critics and fans alike.
In the sequel to Ant-Man, the movie takes place along the same time frame as Infinity Wars. Scott Lang (Rudd) must deal with the consequences of his choices following Captain America: Civil War. While he fights to gain back his freedom and be a more present father, he’s soon confronted by Hope van Dyne ( Evangeline Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), who are fugitives themselves and require his help to find a key figure from their past. Scott must once again become The Ant-man and team-up with The Wasp to uncover secrets and thwart the mysterious Ghost (John-Kamen).
Leads: A
Rudd and Lilly have fantastic chemistry together. Rudd is as funny as ever and delivers a quality performance as both a loving father and part-time super-hero. Combining just the right amount of sarcasm and charm, he manages to play the con-man-with-a-heart-of-gold to perfection. I’ll try to avoid spoilers, but if you want to see the extent of his acting chops, check out the scene in the lab where he plays the role of another character entirely (you’ll know what I’m talking about, and he is thoroughly convincing). Lilly also delivers another great performance as Hope, extending Marvel’s streak of creating kick-ass female leads that aren’t simply eye-candy. Seriously, an all-female Avenger movie with Wasp, Black Widow, Captain Marvel, Okoye, etc. would be epic.
Supporting Cast: B
I wish they did more with Laurence Fishburne and Hannah John-Kamen’s characters as I felt there was a lot of potential with their backstories. Sadly, they felt way too one-dimensional, and I had a hard time empathizing with either. Also, I love Walter Goggins from his days as Bo Crowder on Justified. An actor of his caliber deserves a much more rich, detailed role as a villain. Having said that, Michael Pena deserves his own spin-off. His energy and excitement in the role is infectious and he steals every scene with his amazing comedic timing. Love his role in the franchise.
Cinematography: B+
Peyton Reed does a great job with the action sequences and knows how to combine visual comedy with violence that feels like good comic book-style fun. The special effects didn’t seem cheesy or misplaced (Justice League), and he doesn’t just throw CGI vomit across the screen to overstimulate (Transformers). The visuals were clean, and both the microverse scene and the Giant-man scene on the dock were absolutely stunning.
Script: B
There wasn’t anything here mind-blowing in terms of Marvel revelations, and this wasn’t an emotionally heavy film by any stretches of the imagination. As stated before, I do wish they fleshed out some of the villains a bit more. The actors did a great job, however, and for the most part, scenes were well composed. I especially liked the scenes with Scott and his daughter, which were surprisingly heartfelt and genuine. The end-credits scene was quite interesting as well.
Overall: B
This is another solid entry into the Marvel canon and an example of how far ahead of the game Marvel is compared to DC movies currently. Ant-Man and the Wasp should just be another blip on the radar (pun kind of intended), but instead through a well-acted cast, fantastic visuals, and solid script, the movie exceeds expectations and proves that big things can come in small packages.