If you’ve been keeping up with the ongoings in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there’s A LOT most of you may still be processing. One of those questions, and rightfully so, might be, “where the heck is Ant-Man?” Now that you’ve had a little time to breathe and collect your thoughts, at one lingering question will be answered. For now, at least, Marvel is going back to basics with their latest chapter, Ant-Man and the Wasp.
The last time we saw Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), he had finally located the best version of himself as fought of daughter, his new friends and the wellbeing of people he didn’t even know. Scott went from being a criminal to a hero that everyone could look up to, but he’s made some mistakes that has hindered some of his newer relationships. As of the result of a minor squabble amongst friends in Captain America: Civil War (2016), Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Hope (Evangeline Lilly) have been doing their best to evade capture, thus avoiding having to answer for the Ant-Man technology thanks to the Sokovia Accords.
Due to Scott’s miraculous return from a the subatomic realm, there is now viable hope that Janet, Hank’s wife and Hope’s mother, could be alive and well in this previously unreachable place. The key to their hopes lie within science as well as Hank’s memories. Unfortunately, a new player with an agenda of her own, is on the scene and will have all of their focuses preoccupied as carries out here plan. Hank must suit up as Ant-Man, while Hope shows off her new skills as the Wasp, as they both fight to save what they love. In the end, Ant-Man and the Wasp make a pretty good team when they work together.
One thing that Disney has brought to their intellectual properties has been stability. They seem to pride themselves on the steadiness and consistency that their products bring to the table. The ever-changing tastes of consumers has proven to be a perennial challenge, and yet, Disney has been able to navigate through these unsure waters relatively unscaved. Coming on the heels of a movie that seemed to have infinite ramifications, Ant-Man and the Wasp aims to bring focus back, at least for a short while, to the little things that have made the MCU such an enjoyable ride.
Peyton Reed, the director of Ant-Man (2015), returns to continue the story of Scott, Hope and the rest of the characters that played impactful parts in the first movie. Ant-Man and the Wasp already has strong chemistry going in, but now it’s bringing in a few new actors to help expand its story. The key additions are Hannah John-Kamen, Laurence Fishburne, Randall Park and Michelle Pfeiffer. Hannah John-Kamen portrays the sequel’s main adversary, while Fishburne and Pfeiffer are bridges the past, prior to the first movie. Randall Park essentially replaces authoritative nuisance role that Bobby Cannavale’s Paxton character occupied in the the last movie. Cannavale still exists in the sequel, but his involvement is minimal.
While Ant-Man and the Wasp is both fun and enjoyable, it lacks that extra “oomph” that made the original so enjoyable. I’m sure some of that goes with the expectations. In 2015, fans were totally sold on what they were going to get, partially because Ant-Man wasn’t seen as a mainstream character, but also because of some the production/creative issues that were tied to the work. Then there was the uncertainty to whether Paul Rudd could carry that movie. All of those worries were put to rest when the movie made its theatrical debut in July, 2015. Building upon that will be the challenge that the latest chapter faces.
Ant-Man and the Wasp is a worthwhile trip to the theater for entertainment purposes, even though it does come up just a bit short in the overall quality aspect. Regardless, fans of the overall franchise will NEED to see this movie if they want to stay in “the know” of what’s going on in the bigger picture of things. Once you’ve seen one Marvel movie, you have to see the rest…at least that’s what Disney is banking on. Check this one out in theaters starting Thursday, July 5th at 6:00PM and thanks for reading this very spoiler-free review.
