'Ant-Man and the Wasp' Review

After the events of Captain America: Civil War, Scott Lang must grapple with the consequences of his choices as a superhero and a father by submitting himself to house arrest for two years as punishment for not abiding by the Sokivia Accords. When approached by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym towards the end of his sentence, Lang must once again don the Ant-Man suit and fight alongside the Wasp as the dynamic duo journeys to bring back Janet van Dyne from the Quantum Realm. However, the urgent mission soon leads to startling revelations from the past as the duo find themselves backed up against a corner amidst facing a powerful new adversary with dangerous technology.

Ant-Man and the Wasp rounds out Marvel's ten year journey as the twentieth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and their third release of the year. Considering that information, you'd probably expect the superhero sequel to be bearing the weight of immense pressure. That's not exactly the case though, as Ant-Man and the Wasp feels light and breezy when compared to the recent dramatic additions in Marvel's filmography. As a smaller self-contained story, it's a refreshing palette cleanser following the severity and weight of Avengers: Infinity War's heavy cliff-hanger. I'm sure many Marvel fans are expecting some semblance of a crossover there, or at least a tease towards the still untitled Avengers 4, and to that I'll simply say you won't be disappointed. An expected Stan Lee cameo is included as well as two post-credits scenes, but you know the drill by now so just be sure and stick around when the credits start rolling. Otherwise, you're just going to look like a chump in the glaring, judgmental eyes of Marvel fanboys all around you.

To get back on track, Peyton Reed flies back in to direct the size-changing duo in their first outing together while the screenplay is credited to star Paul Rudd along with the quartet of Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari. Last time around, Reed didn't have full control of Ant-Man... There was the unfortunate matter and circumstance of creative differences between the studio and Edgar Wright that lead to Reed getting the gig just before filming. However, this time around, you can tell Marvel gave Reed full creative control to do as he pleased. While I wouldn't go as far to saying Ant-Man and the Wasp is an exceptionally well-directed blockbuster, his stamp of a approval on it is clear because the zany wackiness audiences gravitated towards in the first film has now been dialed to an eleven. Whether that will be controversial or not remains to be seen, but I've already seen a substantial split of people's opinion on my Twitter feed. Whatever the case, I'm expecting the audience response to be something akin to the reception towards Iron Man 3 rather than the full-fledged fanboy rage towards Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Anyways, I apologize for getting caught up in all that chatter, but I felt it was worth mentioning at the very least. As is often the case for sequels, Ant-Man and the Wasp had its eyes set on being another small-scaled, self-contained story with bigger action, heart, and humor. At the end of the day, I'd say it met its goal because it's about on par with the original in my book. While the first film is more focused and grounded in reality, I can't help but slightly prefer the hilarious hijinks present in Ant-Man and the Wasp. I'd actually liken it to Saturday morning cartoon (I say this in a positive light). There's little thematic importance to the journey beyond demonstrating the importance of family and teamwork as we've seen a million times before, but it's still a fun, briskly paced adventure the whole family can enjoy. 

As you'd expect, Reed and crew have found new creative ways to inventively exploit the size-changing gimmick, and it totally works in the film's favor. Now that Giant-Man's on the table thanks to the airport battle in Civil War (which comes up quite often here), there are new toys at Reed's disposal and he can quite literally think bigger in regards to planning out the film's beats of action and humor. On that note, the action sequences are a noticeable improvement over the original and I also found the film to be also much funnier than the first. A win-win for a sequel to an action-comedy. 

I'd also say the sequel's visual effects are among the best I've seen all year. While I wouldn't go as far to saying they beat out Infinity War's grandiose graphics overall, the cinematic de-aging technique that Marvel often exploits is at its very best here and there were no sketchy instances of uncanny video game-esque renderings or poor green screen work which can sometimes be a bane to Marvel (ie. Black Panther and Thor: Ragnarok). The production design inside Pym's new lab is also visually appealing so it definitely deserves a mention as well. 

Like the first, Ant-Man and the Wasp succeeds first and foremost on the merits of its cast. There are quite a few exciting new additions to the ensemble as well as plenty of familiar faces returning from the first film, but Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lily are front and center as the first to co-lead a Marvel feature. Up to this point, everything's been team-based or driven by a solo character with supporting cast, which makes it all the more refreshing to see Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne share title billing. A significant story element from the original was the implication that Hope might be more qualified to wear the Ant-Man suit than Scott, and the sequel certainly pushes that notion even further...

The three year wait to see Lily step up to lead status was well worth it because Wasp is a badass. It was nice to see her steal the show without coming across as an in-your-face feminist. My only insignificant issue with her being such an awesome component of the film is that it often comes at the expense of Scott Lang looking like a total doofus. Granted, I guess that's kind of why Paul Rudd was cast to begin with, but still... I also appreciated that they didn't spin it as if she necessarily needed Lang's help to get things done. Instead, they went for the age-old message that teamwork makes the dream work. She's adept, skillful, and a cunning combatant, but even she can't do it all alone. 

On the flipside, Paul Rudd's winsome charm shines through once again as he provided some of the biggest laughs once more. His chemistry with Lily is even better this time around as the nature of their relationship has significantly evolved, and it continues to change over the course of the film. Through it all, Cassie remains a sweet centerpiece to the whole shebang. Her dynamic with her dad is absolutely adorable and I totally bought into it on the basis of Rudd and Abby Ryder Forston's performances. In terms of supporting characters, she totally stole every scene she was in.

Veteran actor Michael Douglas is also back as Dr. Hank Pym and gets ample opportunity to showcase his character's broken humanity in some of the more intense emotional moments. Opposite Douglas, Janet van Dyne is played by the excellent Michelle Pfeiffer who is essentially the major McGuffin everyone's after. I'd compare her role to Mark Hamill's in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but the major difference was that Pfeiffer at least had some dialogue. I wouldn't go as far to say Pfeiffer was wasted in this film, but she didn't have a lot to do and that may disappoint some. Another notable actor featured in the film was Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Bill Foster. Fishburne was in it a lot more than I had expected and had an interesting role in the grand scheme of things that I'd rather not spoil. I'll just say what everyone already knows... Fishburne is a highly qualified actor and it didn't feel like he phoned in his performance at all.

Filling out the supporting ensemble, Michael Peña, T.I., David Dastmalchian, Bobby Cannavale, and Judy Greer all do great work with what's provided to them. The trio of Peña, T.I., and Dastmalchian were particularly hilarious in notable sequences. You can tell that Reed and crew took note of people gravitating to Luis in the original though because Peña is in the sequel significantly more than he was last time around. It's not a bad thing because his eccentric character is such a delight, but simply an observation I made about how Reed likely reacted to the response towards the first film. 

Meanwhile, Ant-Man and the Wasp has a very interesting villain situation... There are multiple ANT-agonistic forces, but not really one specific, clear-cut villain so to speak. First up, Ghost turns out to be a compelling character with a sympathetic cause, but is more ANT-agonist than villain. Thanks to Hannah John-Kamen, Ghost has a powerful screen presence and her action scenes are pretty cool, but I ultimately wished she had factored more into the plot. Another character in the stable of ANT-agonists would be Sonny Burch played by Walton Goggins, and I was woefully disappointed by the disposable role he wound up in. Goggins is an immensely talented actor, but his character was honestly wasted here. The other ANT-agonistic force which isn't quite villainous would be the FBI. The head agent checking in on Lang is Jimmy Woo, portrayed by Randall Park, and he was a hilarious addition whenever onscreen.

With a stronger emotional core and bigger action, the tiny dynamic duo's first team-up takes off as a slightly superior sequel, but is unable to fully spread its wings on the basis of being light-hearted popcorn fluff. Marvel fans will surely find it worthwhile for the extra ANT-icipation it brings to Avengers 4, but the adventure may also prove too cartoonish to some. However, I thought it lived up to the buzz and I c-AN'T wait to be stung again. 

Film Assessment: B+

Recollection Reflection Review: 'Ant-Man'

In lieu of Ant-Man and the Wasp releasing this weekend, I felt now was the opportune time to size up the original. If you're unfamiliar to this format of review, I call it a Recollection Reflection Review (or Triple-R Review for short) and it essentially enables me to re-review a film. The idea behind it is that it's a unique format to demonstrates how I've grown as a writer and reviewer in the time since the original review. I begin with the "Recollection" which is just a link to my older review, then do a "Reflection" where I briefly talk about the circumstances surrounding my original opinion and whether that's changed or not, and top it off with an updated "Review."

As for upcoming content, I'll be sharing my updated ranking of the Marvel films once I've seen Ant-Man and the Wasp and will be recapping my favorite and least favorite films of the year so far in a separate post since we recently passed the midway point of 2018. However, there are still a few films I missed out on that I'd like to see before sharing that list. In regards to July reviews, look forward to Throwback Thursday Reviews of Mission: Impossible III, The Equalizer, and Mamma Mia!, Triple-R Reviews for Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, and reviews of new releases Ant-Man and the Wasp, Skyscraper, The Equalizer 2, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, and Teen Titans Go! To The Movies.

'Ant-Man' Review

Recollection- Ant-Man Review

Reflection- As is the case with nearly every Marvel movie these days, I can recall being quite excited to see Ant-Man when it was being released. My step-sister was working in a cinema at the time (something I wound up doing later on), so I got to watch the film one night earlier than the Thursday night premiere. I hadn't really attended many advance screenings at the time, so that was a really neat experience for me and I was appreciative of the opportunity. Anyways, I thoroughly enjoyed the film then and still do to they very day. It was a refreshing change of pace after another end-of-the-world scenario in Avengers: Age of Ultron and remains to be one of my favorite Marvel origin films.

Review- Ant-Man shrinks down alongside master cat burglar Scott Lang as he's released from prison. Down on his luck and hopeful to see his daughter again, Lang is recruited by Dr. Hank Pym and offered a chance at redemption. Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor plan and pull off a heist that will save the world. 

Ant-Man was infamously one of Marvel's most troubled productions behind the scenes. Visionary director Edgar Wright had put in years of work intricately planning things out in the pre-production phase before suddenly departing on the basis of creative differences with the studio in early 2014. While Wright's influence over the size-changing superhero can certainly be felt in the visual language of the action sequences and barebone plot structure, it ultimately all wound up under Peyton Reed's jurisdiction. Reed stepped in to steer the ship as an experienced comedy director while star Paul Rudd and comedy writer Adam McKay were enlisted to do some rewrites on the version of the script written by Wright and Joe Cornish. In the end, all four writers wound up being credited in varying capacities. 

Though it's a shame we'll never know what Wright's version of the film truly would have been, I'm glad it paved the way for Wright to make Baby Driver a few years later and am more than satisfied with this take on the tiny hero. Reed's sensibilities as a comedic director serve him well here, even if the film's not quite as stylized as it could be. Ultimately, it's difficult to fault Reed for that though as he was recruited very late in the game and had to shoot mere months later. 

In spite of a drab aesthetic, Ant-Man remains a fun, pulpy adventure thanks to its inventive action sequences which take full advantage of the shrinking gimmick. Reed really makes the most of the concept and wields it well as both a comedic device and a means to up the intensity of some largely low-stakes fights. The visual effects and miniatures used are actually quite extraordinary in regards to providing a believable sense of scale amidst all the action, as I wasn't ever taken out of the experience by any effects which traversed the uncanny valley. This was especially important for the film's use of computer generated de-aging that's shown up in many Marvel films since 2015. 

Speaking of the grander Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ant-Man effectively clings on by incorporating the trademark references and cameos viewers have come to expect. In particular, I quite enjoy the fight against Falcon and how that bridges the gap for Ant-Man to later appear in Captain America: Civil War. However, Ant-Man is also able to effectively carve out its own self-contained corner of the MCU. That plays into Ant-Man's favor though, because as the MCU grew, so did the stakes of each subsequent film. Therefore, it was remarkably refreshing for Ant-Man to scale things down again so the audience could see a superhero story where the fate of the world wasn't at stake.

Ant-Man is also unique in championing the heist genre as a sub-genre like many other Marvel franchises have done (ie. Captain America: The Winter Soldier = political thriller, Guardians of the Galaxy = space opera, etc). It's a tactic that Marvel's cleverly employed over the course of ten years so their varying franchises can each flourish in a marketplace that's becoming increasingly more crowded by other comic-book movie franchises. Christophe Beck implements that line of thinking into his score to create a theme that's pulpy and well-suited for any heist situation. While the score overall is kind-of uninspired in the sense that it mostly reiterates that same theme with generic music filling the gaps, I do really like the sound he discovered for the main Ant-Man theme itself. 

Anther way Ant-Man differentiates it from the other superhero-fare is by focusing on the father-daughter relationships between Scott and Cassie Lang and subsequently Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne. That focus on family is wildly different from anything else Marvel's made because hardly any other superheroes in their arsenal are also parents. Hawkeye's probably the only other example that comes to mind, but that was never a defining trait of who he was as a character in the way it's imperative to Lang's identity. The conflict of Scott grappling with doing what's best for his daughter and avoiding a life of crime is a compelling one, and it works because of the relationship between those characters. Then, conversely, Hank is doing what he can to protect Hope which only acts to push her away from him. 

The key component to all I just mentioned is undoubtedly the performances. Paul Rudd was well-cast as Lang because he's the first Marvel superhero who's an everyman, and Rudd encapsulates that perfectly. When you look at Rudd, superhero probably wouldn't be the first thing to come to mind and I feel like that's exactly the kind of quality you'd want to see in an Ant-Man. It also helps that Rudd's a funny guy with great comedic timing for all the Marvel quips he's expected to deliver. Rudd even brings an extra layer of humanity to the character in his connection with Cassie. Rudd and Abby Ryder Forston have a sweet rapport which in-turn makes for a convincing parent-child relationship.

Meanwhile, Hank and Hope have a cold, antagonistic relationship that mellows out over the course of the film as the characters come to terms with their situation. Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lily play that to a tee, so you're able to buy into both sides of their dynamic along the way. Additionally, Douglas plays mentor to Rudd while Lily's a love interest of sorts. Both actors handle those accompanying personality traits quite well and the film benefits as a result.

If there's one stand-out from the first Ant-Man though, it's undoubtedly Michael Peña as Luis. Peña has perfect comedic timing and listening to Luis recap events is an absolute delight that I hope to see carried over to the sequel. Filling out the remainder of the supporting cast, T.I., David Dastmalchian, Bobby Cannavale, and Judy Greer each serve their purpose and get a chance to flex their comedic side a bit even if they're are ultimately background players.

Last up, Corey Stoll as Darren Cross is the common corporate baddie we've come to expect. While Yellow Jacket occasionally can be framed as quite intimidating, the character himself is severely lacking. Stoll plays the part well, but is ultimately underserved by the script and falls to the wayside as another disposable antagonist from Marvel.

To size things up, three years have passed and Ant-Man remains one of Marvel's most under-appreciated efforts. The scale, stakes, and scope are all appropriately small, but Ant-Man doesn't let that get in the way of its big heart!

Film Assessment: B+