Plot Summary: As Scott Lang balances being both a Super Hero and a father, Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym present an urgent new mission that finds the Ant-Man fighting alongside The Wasp to uncover secrets from their past.
Director: Peyton Reed
Writer: Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers
Runtime: 1hr 58min
Main Cast:
Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man
Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne / Wasp
Michael Peña as Luis
Walton Goggins as Sonny Burch
Bobby Cannavale as Paxton
Judy Greer as Maggie
T.I. as Dave
Hannah John-Kamen as Ava / Ghost
Randall Park as Jimmy Woo
Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne / Wasp
Michael Douglas as Dr. Hank Pym
Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Bill Foster
Review by: Leanne
When Anthony asked me if I wanted to see the early screening for Ant-Man and the Wasp there was no doubt about my answer -- of course! After the bombshell of Avengers: Infinity War, I couldn't wait to see the newest installment of the MCU!
When Scott Lang (Rudd) decided to team up with Captain America for the events of Captain America: Civil War, he risked everything and nearly lost it all. Now, days away from completing his house arrest, he must face the consequences of his actions and struggle between his desire to be a good father and his urge to be a hero.
What I Liked:
There was never any doubt in my mind that Ant-Man and the Wasp was going to be great, but it still surprised me. The MCU has been pretty consistent in the quality of their movies, but there’s just something about Paul Rudd that’s special. Sometimes, I forget just how much I like him.
As much as I like Paul Rudd, however, I can’t give him all of the credit for how endearing Scott Lang was. The scenes with him and his daughter were everything. Although part of it was due to boredom, the lengths to which he went to entertain her were amazing, and it was so sweet to see them interact.
Later in the movie, there was a scene that I won’t spoil but, I need to mention, could only have been executed well by a few actors, and I think he gave a stellar performance.
The other characters were not to be outdone by Scott, however. Both Luis (Peña) and Agent Woo (Jimmy Park) were delightfully silly, doing much of the heavy lifting on the comedy front. Bobby Cannavale also made me laugh several times in his few scenes, and, of course, the ants were cute.
Speaking of the ants, apart from them, the special effects were pretty solid. There wasn’t anything that stuck out, so they must have been done pretty seamlessly.
The story was interesting, and there were some new characters that were certainly interesting and well-acted. But the real showstopper was the first of two end credit scenes. The MCU has come a long way in conditioning us to stay until the end of the credits in hopes of catching a glimpse into the wider world, seeing the way things connect, or just seeing something silly, but they outdid themselves with this one. Neither Anthony nor I were prepared.
Anthony wanted me to add that one of the great things about the movie was how much butt Evangeline Lily kicked as Hope van Dyne. While Scott certainly fought and contributed to the action of the movie, Hope, as the more skilled fighter, had some serious fight sequences. Considering the griping of some internet trolls who didn’t like her taking the more masculine and prominent stance in the movie poster, it was especially satisfying to see her putting in work through the whole movie.
What I Didn’t Like:
As funny as the movie was, it was a bit corny and cheesy at times, but that’s almost to be expected at this point. The bit characters, Kurt (David Dastmalchian) and Dave (T.I.), served their purposes — I suppose — but left something to be desired in the delivery. I’m going to blame T.I. for this one. His acting wasn’t great. That said, I still enjoyed it because I wasn’t expecting too much from him.
As hinted earlier, the ants also weren’t all that impressive. Maybe I’ve been spoiled, but I was hoping that they would look — I don’t know — smoother, if that makes sense. They seemed clunky and rough looking in a Honey, I Shrunk the Kids way. Even so, they didn’t pull me too far out of the movie, so it wasn’t too bad.
4
Summary
Overall, I thought Ant-Man and the Wasp was fantastic. It was action-packed. It was funny. It was sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I thought it would satisfy my craving for more MCU, but, unfortunately for me, it only heightened my desire to see the next Avengers movie. It’s too far away! I need Captain Marvel! Stat!
