Movie Review: Ant-Man and The Wasp

When Marvel first announced that comedy actor Paul Rudd was going to star as the Superhero Ant-Man, I must admit that I was a little bit…”Really?”

Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly)

Not because I don’t think he is good actor but I am used to seeing him as a witty, wise cracking and somewhat sarcastic funny man in numerous Judd Apatow comedies.

However, it turns out that he was the perfect choice for the character Scott Lang AKA Ant-Man (what do I know?). He was funny, charming and most of all very likeable but slightly flawed with his habit of taking things that don’t belong to him leading him to to a stint behind bars.

The other Ace in the pack was casting Michael Douglas as Dr. Hank Pym (the original inventor and creator of Ant-Man many years ago) adding some serious gravitas to the movie.

In Ant-Man and The Wasp, we find Scott still under house arrest sporting an unfashionable tracker device around his ankle so the FBI know if he leaves the premises. This was following his involvement with Captain America: Civil War (2016), when the Cap’ signs up Scott / Ant-Man to join his team against Tony Stark’s opposing superhero squad. With the Avengers getting disbanded Scott was caught and imprisoned (again) along with Clint / Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner).

Hope /Wasp and Dr. Hank Pym (Douglas)

Scott also fell out of favour with Hank and his daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly, who he was romantically involved with) for taking the Ant-Man suit without permission. This also involved Hank and Hope who are also now fugitive’s on the run.

Early on in the film we are witnessed to a flash back when Hank / Ant-Man and his wife Janet / The Wasp (Michelle Pfeiffer..still looking Hot at 60!) say their temporary farewell to their young daughter Hope before embarking on a mission to save the world involving the Quantum Realm universe.

In this touching scene with Mother and Daughter playing children’s games of hide and seek we see both Pfeiffer and Douglas looking years younger and with the 73 year old Douglas looking as though he just stepped out of Romancing the Stone (1984). To quote Jiminy Cricket “What they can’t do these days!”

Back in the real world, Hank and Hope have been living in their mobile laboratory, which they can literally downsize if the FBI are getting too close. Hank is certain that his wife is still alive trapped in the Quantum Realm, so naturally he creates a portable Quantum Tunnel in the Lab but now they need Scott’s help.

Janet / Wasp (Michelle Pfeiffer)

Being a science genius Hank devises a way to get Scott out of the house and suited up once more. However, this time he has a superhero companion in the guise of The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) and they team up to work together and who knows? Maybe even rekindle some old fires.

But nothing is simple and we find out that a dubious supplier of lab equipment Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins, The Hateful Eight 2015 / Predators 2010) who Hope is dealing with, wants to secure their actual laboratory including the Quantum Tunnel and comes after Hank and Hope with his band of suited and booted Goons.

As if this wasn’t a distraction too many, from their goal in rescuing Hanks Wife and Hopes Mother Janet. There is a mysterious apparition in human form that can walk through walls like a ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and is also after the laboratory and what is inside the Quantum Tunnel for her own needs. I don’t know ‘it never rains but it pours!’

Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen)

(Look out for Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Bill Foster in another understated performance.)

To even things up Scott enlists the help of his old buddies, the ‘Three Stooges’ Luis ( Michael Pena), Kurt (David Dastmalchian) and Dave (Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris) who were  the real comedy element in the first movie and are just as funny in this sequel.

As sequels go this stands out as well as the first outing. I said this once and I’ll say it again. The writers at Marvel know just how to entertain without looking as though they are trying too hard to get laughs.

Some of the funniest laugh out loud moments come from banter between the house arrest jailbird Scott and the FBI Detective Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) in charge of monitoring Scott and trying to catch him but their conversations having absolutely nothing to do with the plot. DC…please take note.

Scott and Hope make a great team as Ant-Man and The Wasp and if you saw the first Ant-Man you may remember Hope coming across a Wasp costume in a glass cabinet and utters the words “About Damn Time.”

At the screening we were privileged to attend, the audience were treated to having the Director Peyton Reed addressing the audience and talking about his movie before teasing us with the fact that he also had a few friends who wanted to come along and out walked the legend that is Michael Douglas, then Evangeline Lilly and last but not least Paul Rudd.

Lilly told the audience that she was delighted that she made history as being the first MCU Female to be quoted with joint billing in the title of the film along with the Male star.

See the Stars at the London Screening below.

I probably don’t need to remind you but please stay until the end credits (as usual with Marvel films). Particularly if you saw the jaw-dropping closing act in the recent Avengers: Infinity War.

A great film, giving some light relief from the previous Marvel outings. Very entertaining and I would go as far as saying it would also appeal to non-Superhero fans as a stand-alone comedy / action thriller.

4.5 out of 5 Stars

In UK Cinemas August 2