Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Lawrence Fishburne, Michael Pena
Director: Peyton Reed
Small pleasures. That’s the gist of the Ant-Man movies. The stakes are not too high. Probably because the budget is not that much. But I digress cynically. What I mean is, sometimes, you don’t mind a smaller movie. A little more personal, if you have it. Unfortunately, it had to come in movies where the hero shrinks to the size of an ant.
After the events of Civil War, where Scott Lang aka Ant-Man (Rudd) joined forces with Captain America, he was able to negotiate a house arrest scenario instead of jail time. He could still meet with his daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson), have much-improved relations with his ex-wife Maggie (Judy Greer) and her husband Jim (Bobby Cannavale) and work with his partner Luis (Pena) in setting up a security consulting firm. Not bad for an ex-con.
What didn’t go so well was his relationship with his mentor Hank Pym (Douglas) and the latter’s daughter Hope (Lilly). They were upset he took the Ant-Man suit to Sukovia without checking with them. Yeah, pretty thin. However, things are about to change. And the three join forces to rescue Hope’s mother Janet (Pfeiffer) from the Quantum realm. There is also a case of a constantly phasing woman (Hannah John-Kamen), who has history with Pym, even though he doesn’t know it. Throw in some shady characters and a hopelessly inept FBI, you have an 80s formula action movie.
The actors have much more to do than in a regular Marvel movie. The humour does not come across as forced and a lot has to do with Paul Rudd’s innate likability and his chemistry with pretty much every actor he comes in contact with. Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer bring in the big names and form a good pair. Michael Pena continues with his motormouth, but that has lost its edge. Evangeline Lilly, though looking fab, still is a bit one-dimensional. Lawrence Fishburne is wasted.
The budget, though small, allows for some crazy visuals from within the quantum realm. After Thomas the Tank Engine in the last Ant-Man movie, Hello Kitty makes an appearance. San Francisco plays a character, especially during the fight scenes. The portable lab was a very interesting concept.
What works in Ant-Man and Wasp’s favour is probably its self-awareness. You never feel completely invested in the situations, but you don’t mind watching them. You do not feel bored. Maybe the ambition is small (pun fully intended), but the movie delivers on its time-pass promise. And that is definitely better, in my book, than lofty plans falling on its backside.
Stan Lee cameo: A joke to the 60s after his car gets shrunk.
Post-credits scene: The first one is probably the most important tying up to Endgame, but eh second one ruins the mood. What is with Marvel and silly end credit sequences that serve no purpose?
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