Ant-Man and The Wasp, the first MCU entry after Thanos’ wrath is finally here, and I have a few things to take note of. If you’re into the goofier MCU films like Ragnarok or The Guardians of the Galaxy, then this is definitely the movie for you. The size factor between Ant-Man and The Wasp is a big part of this film and doesn’t feel gimmicky at all, which is a major success for me. Performances by Evangeline Lilly and Michael Pena steal the show, also have to give a shoutout to Michael Douglas for his role as Hank Pym.
If you have read a few of my older reviews, then you would know that I am really high on villains. Ant-Man and The Wasp find themselves in the mix between three different antagonists in total who all have entirely separate goals. When it comes to the three ‘villains,’ I’ll start with my most favorite to my least. I loved Ghost, played by Hannah John-Kamen. I feel like the character itself had some pretty conscious intentions despite being the ‘bad guy.’ What is normally painted as a monster in superhero films, Ghost was more someone who was trying to save their own life when the time is of the essence, and they’ve run out of options. Hannah pulled off the character as well. I was convinced that Ghost was a damaged individual, the story led me to believe that Ghost didn’t have much social interaction with others, and Hannah’s performance convinced me in that aspect as well. Jimmy Woo, played by Randall Park, chimed in a few times throughout the film to provide some comedic relief. While the natural charm of Randall is going to woo most of America when they see this film, I felt that his presence took away from the more significant elements of the film. Such as Ant-Man’s duty as a father, which is really important because he’s one of ( perhaps the only ) fathers in the entire MCU. Lastly, there’s Sonny Burch ( played by Walton Goggins, who you might recognize from Sons of Anarchy ), while he delivered a great acting job, I feel he could’ve been completely erased from this film because of the lack of impact his character has on the main story. All in all, this is my one and only issue with the great movie that is Ant-Man and The Wasp. I just had to get that off of my chest. Were good Y’all.
photo credit: ©Marvel Studios 2018
Story-wise, the film is excellent. The reunion between The Wasp’ mother, Hank Pym’s wife is the primary goal of the movie as our favorite characters team up to find and rescue her from the quantum realm. We see a lot of efforts from Scott Lang to be a better father for his daughter, even though he’s on strict house arrest. Which was very heart-warming to see. Of course, Luis’ (Michael Pena ) company drama adds fun and hysterical components to the film that helps fill the space between the beginning and end. I really liked how he interacted with T.I’s character in particular, and of course Hank. Every role in this film has a goal in mind that all make sense even though they all tend to collide, which is pretty impressive to think about when it comes to the writing. Scott wants to be a better father, Hope wants to find her mother, Ghost wants to finally live a healthy life, Jimmy wants to bust Scott on his house arrest and maybe go out to dinner with him when it’s over. The narratives all intertwine seamlessly, and all reach a considerable amount of closure by the time the credits roll, which was also great.
Marvel Studios ANT-MAN AND THE WASP..Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen)..Photo: Ben Rothstein..©Marvel Studios 2018
Even after seeing a few of the fighting scenes in the trailers, revisiting them on the big screen was still awe-inspiring considering the newly found circumstances that I won’t spoil. Watching the Wasp run along the blade of the knife as it’s thrown at her is probably one of my favorite MCU moments of the year. The graphical effects used on Ghost made her fight scenes very interesting and fun to watch. Watching household objects become enlarged during a battle was what makes Ant-Man so recognizable and distinctive in a nearly crowded MCU. There was also a chase scene throughout San Francisco that makes for some memorable moments. So overall, the action was great, but there’s a lot more to Marvel films these days. Like the message, characters, and story, you know? Wouldn’t be a Marvel film without some butt-kicking though!
So there you have it guys. Ant-Man is a great film so be sure to grab your tickets now as the weekend begins. Ant-Man and The Wasp is a great viewing option for everyone as it explores some great family elements. There are memorable characters who introduce themselves as well as favorites who return. And of course, remember to stay after the credits as there are two after credit scenes.
Until Next Time
JJ King
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