Marvel has had a banner year that has seen two high profile releases elevate their brand. First, it was Black Panther which silenced all the naysayers who said a movie featuring a predominately African American cast couldn’t be a worldwide hit by grossing over a billion dollars worldwide. Not only did it defy expectations, but it became culturally relevant as it spoke to a wide range of moviegoers in a way that a mainstream tentpole hasn’t really done before.
Up next was Avengers: Infinity War which began an epic conclusion that has culminated over a slew of films leading up to this point. It has since become a barometer on how to handle a massive feat of taking what could’ve been a bloated mess, into something focused, lean and emotionally gratifying. Oh, and it just happened to gross $2 billion worldwide since opening in late April. No big deal.
In many ways, Ant-Man and the Wasp is like that little brother that has to live up to two older brothers who have already done their parents so proud. There is this pressure on the Marvel sequel to live up to expectations because the wheels really haven’t fallen off the brand in a long time. One might say they’re in their golden age and the fact that the next film after all of this features their B- character, has to be a bit daunting. When you go from Infinity War, is it possible to slide back the scale to focus on a smaller story?
The answer to that is a resounding, YES! Ant-Man and the Wasp succeeds because it never tries to be more than what it is. The film is intended to be light and fun and it wholeheartedly succeeds on that front. As I was watching the sequel I couldn’t help but think about the many attempts to bring the Fantastic 4 to the big screen. The issue from the three mainstream attempts we’ve gotten has been tone. The first film and it’s sequel was too light for some (even though its premise sort of lends itself to being less serious than its counterparts) and the last attempt to adapt the brand tried to play things a tad too serious and lost a great sense of fun that could’ve been utilized within its core ideas.
Ant-Man and the Wasp, and honestly this is also true of its predecessor, has figured out that balance and has shown it can work if done right. These films are a bit more family-friendly and aren’t dripping in superhero angst but there are also moments of humanity and light drama that doesn’t allow it to become a joke. The comedy is mostly derived from the personality of our unlikely hero and the over the top but visually amazing action sequences while the drama comes from familiar tropes that are instantly relatable. The relationship between Scott Lang and his precocious daughter is one while, in the case of this film, it’s the longing to be reunited with a family member that has long been lost. Ant-Man and the Wasp make you care while also putting a smile on your face.
The film, which transpires between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, opens with Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) under house arrest. After he has a nightmare in which he appears to interact with the elder Wasp, Janet Van Dyen (Michelle Pfeiffer), who is trapped in the quantum realm, he contacts his former mentor, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), and his former lover (and Janet and Hank’s daughter), Hope (Evangeline Lilly). They engineer a “jailbreak” so Scott can work on a machine they’re building to locate and free Janet but their efforts are impeded by two interlopers. The first is a fatuous black market tech dealer named Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins). The second is a young woman, Ava/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), whose phasing/disintegrating body needs an infusion of quantum energy to regenerate.
Despite the mostly universal acclaim, some of the more critical jabs I’ve seen against the film is that the science it presents is too hard to follow. As someone who normally hates being bogged down by invented movie science, I can say that this isn’t the case. The notion of the quantum realm is explained adequately and it’s never too much to understand unless you totally checked your brain at the door. There are a few sequences that take place in the realm and they’re wonderfully rendered and visually interesting. Perhaps that was one of the bigger surprises of the film for me. This is what we would call one of Marvel’s lower tier offerings but its scope is surprisingly big for a film featuring characters that can literally become so small. It has big shoes to fill and doesn’t seem intimidated by the task.
Speaking of visuals and action, director Peyton Reed once again does a great job giving us some truly visually enticing action sequences. The shrinking effects are even better than they were in the first film and the action set piece that occurs during the climax is suitably exciting (the car chase involving the van shrinking and re-growing in size actually had my packed theater cheering). The action essentially mimics the tone of the film. It’s never too gritty but it’s always fun and definitely does its job keeping the audience glued to the screen.
Humor has been a bit of a staple of the MCU and they continue to not disappoint. The Ant-Man films probably get to utilize humor the most with the possible exception of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Since the premise is lighter there is more room for laughs and this film uses that to its advantage. Scott Lang and Hope have light verbal sparring that is fun and engaging while the bulk of the comedy comes from some of the side characters, particularly Michael Pena’s Luis who steals most of the scenes he’s in. A scene involving and truth serum is a true laugh out loud sequence that is likely to go down as one of the best comedic moments from the MCU.
Paul Rudd continues to shine in the lead. He doesn’t seem like a likely superhero and that works in his favor here. He’s relatable, quick, witty and full of heart yet has flaws that endure him to the audience. His relationship with Hope and his daughter, played wonderfully by Abby Ryder Fortson, humanize him in a way that makes you want to root for him. Paul Rudd has the everyman quality and he has become a pro at utilizing it. Evangeline Lilly gets more to do as she fully transitions to the Wasp and gets to be involved in more of the action. She’s fully capable of standing up with the other strong female representations that have inhabited the MCU. Michael Douglas continues to bring a hint of class as Hank and Michelle Pfeiffer also serves that function despite being a bit underused. The villain element is where the film falters a tad but it’s no fault of the performers. The villains feel a bit shoehorned into a story that probably could’ve worked without them but they still make an impression. Hannah John-Kamen conveys the tragedy of the situation involving Ava/Ghost in a compelling fashion while Walton Goggins gets to play things a bit more silly as a lowlife thug who has his own reasons for getting his hands the technology in question.
As is the case with any Marvel film, there are some post-credit scenes but only one is worth sticking around for. The one worth seeing is the first which is important not only from a standpoint of extending the main storyline but for helping to place Ant-Man and the Wasp more firmly in the MCU’s overall context. If there is a moment in Ant-Man and the Wasp that makes your jaw drop in a shocked fashion, it’s this one.
Ant-Man and the Wasp continues a trend of the MCU defying expectations. Despite having two epic releases already this year, they prove that they can take one of “smaller” characters and make him appear just as sprawling and worthy as some of their larger offerings. Marvel has shown they can do just about anything and while those looking for a more serious effort might turn their nose up to film, it provides the necessary summer entertainment to satisfy the audience.
