Ant-Man and the Wasp – Review
As the sequel to the first Ant-Man film which was released in 2015, Ant-Man and the Wasp continues the saga which proves that heroes and heroines come in all sizes. The events take place after the events of Captain America: Civil War, but before the events of Avengers: Infinity War.
Scott Lang (agian played by Paul Rudd) returns as somewhat demoted Ant-Man. As he fought along with Captain America, he became an outlaw. Instead of being locked away under the ocean, he was sentenced to house arrest followed by probation – likely due to the fact that he just doesn’t seem to be menacing and without the technology of the suit is likely pretty harmless.
However, the great Hank Pym (again played by Michael Douglas) and Hope van Dyne (again played by Evangeline Lily) have their lab and associated work confiscated by the government due to it’s involvement in the Civil War fiasco. Nevertheless, the events of the original Ant-Man film, where Scott Lang traveled to the Quantum Realm and was able to return safely, have triggered an idea in Hank Pym: what if his wife was still in the Quantum Realm and there was a way to help rescue her. While Pym and van Dyne are intially upset with Lang due to his actions, he is enlisted in their quest due to the possibility of Lang exhibiting signs of quantum entanglement with Pym’s wife Janet. This technology attracts unwanted attention from multiple other interested parties and the heroes must fight to ensure the safety of Janet van Dyne and prevent this technology from ending up in nefarious hands.
It is important to note that this is the 20th film within the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it is the first to have a female lead named in the title. Just as the title Ant-Man and the Wasp implies, the two titled characters exhibit a co-equal partnership and it really works out quite well. Ant-Man continues to be classic Paul Rudd with his dry humor and overall low-intensity state of being. Evangeline Lily as the wasp serves as the perfect complement as she is so much more intense, but they both are able to still exhibit moments of tenderness.
The story told in Ant-Man and the Wasp remains a personal one. Despite the potential of “powerful technology” falling into the “wrong hands,” there doesn’t really ever seem to be a point where you worry about some city being destroyed or the world ending, and that’s a good thing. There is enough of that in Infinity War, and this serves as a perfect distraction from the incredibly serious and dire situation that Thanos creates. It allows Marvel to continue to showcase a personal and fun adventure, even though the fate of the universe hangs in the balance until we see what happens in the next Avengers Movie.
2015’s Ant-Man was a quirky and fun adventure centered on Scott Lang. 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp brings Hope van Dyne and Hank Pym more to the forefront of what’s happening in a way which not only doesn’t diminish Ant-Man, but makes the whole experience better.