Ant-Man and the Wasp: Movie Review

Watching the latest release from Marvel, “Ant-Man and the Wasp” after the witnessing massive events in the “Avengers: Infinity War” is interesting. As you are most likely aware of by now, Ant-Man was not around for the recent Avengers film, and you will understand why once you see the “entire” film.  Both “Ant-Man” films have stood apart from the rest of the Marvel cinematic universe, thanks mostly to their self-contained stories as well as being the most comedic.  When you’re making a super hero movie about a hero the size of an ant and that works with ants, I guess you can’t have it be too serious. I enjoyed the first “Ant-Man” film and the follow-up, “Ant-Man and the Wasp” is fun at times, but not nearly as funny. Payton Reed returns to the director’s chair and Paul Rudd is back once again as Ant-Man.

After the events in “Captain America: Civil War”, Scott Lang/ Ant-Man has been put on house arrest.  Because he cannot leave the confines of his home, the time he spends with his daughter consists of fun things to do around the house, like going through homemade cardboard mazes.  He also runs a security company which he started with his friend and former thief, Luis (Michael Peña). Although Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and his daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly) are mad at Scott for taking the Ant-Man suit without permission, they need his help locating Hope’s mother Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) who has been lost for years.  Hank doesn’t realize it, but Janet communicated with him during the final events of the last film.

Aside from trying to find Janet, Scott and Hope must stop Ava aka Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) a new enemy who has-the-ability to phase through objects.  This ability is also painfully killing her.  There is also another villain, Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins), who wants what’s in Pym’s lab, but that happens to not only be the same thing that can save Ava’s life, but also the one thing that can bring Janet back home.

One of the problems I had with “Ant-Man and the Wasp” is that is just has too many players, which just never felt needed.  I love Goggins in everything he does, but he just feels wasted here. The jokes are also hit-and-miss, only a handful of them land any laughs. Still, “Ant-Man and the Wasp” does have some fun action sequences and a few creative moments, but it is one of the more average MCU films.

By: Marc Ferman