Ant-Man and the Wasp
Director: Peyton Reed
Writer: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Paul Rudd, Andrew Barrer, Gabriel Ferrari
Based on: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby‘s comics
Sequel to: Ant-Man
Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Peña, Walton Goggins, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, T.I., David Dastmalchian, Hannah John-Kamen, Abby Ryder Fortson, Randall Park, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Douglas
Part of: Marvel movies
Seen on: 27.7.2018

Plot:
Scott (Paul Rudd) is under house arrest for going to Germany and helping out the Avengers. At least that gives him a lot of time to spend time with his daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson). Meanwhile Hope (Evangeline Lilly) and Hank (Michael Douglas) are trying hard to find a way into the quantum realm where they suspect Hank’s wife and Hope’s mother Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) to be. The only other person who ever made it there is Scott. When Hope and Hank manage to briefly create a tunnel there, Scott receives a message from Janet. That quickly, he finds himself back in the Ant-Man suit, skirting the last days of his house arrest and trying to help.

Ant-Man and the Wasp was a whole lot of fun and definitely worked better for me than the first Ant-Man film. It still feels like a sideplot in the entire MCU, but a very entertaining one.

Ant-Man and the Wasp has a difficult place in the MCU – in the last Marvel movie – Avengers: Infinity War – the entire word pretty much went to hell and it’s not really going to get better until the next Avengers movie comes along. It can’t. So Ant-Man has to take on much smaller stakes (no pun intended) and still make it feel important. And the film succeeds entirely in that regard: it’s lowscale, but not unimportant, it’s fun – and then the post-credit scene reminds you that actually, in the big picture, things aren’t good at all.

There is much to like about Ant-Man and the Wasp. In particular the characters are what really makes the film fly. Scott is great, but not as great as Luis (Michael Peña) – although they don’t manage to entirely re-create the particular brand of off-beat humor with his character that made him the best thing about the first film. Nor as great as Cassie who was another highlight (Fortson will hopefully have a great career as a comedic actress).

I also really appreciated that they got over the hang-ups of the first film that kept Hope from becoming the superheroine she deserved to be and finally gave her her due. That she and Scott are equal players in this one is not only to both of their advantage, but also to the film’s. No more harping on about Hope needing to be protected and not allowing her to make her own decisions.

I really had a good time watching the film. It is a bit of a pity that Ant-Man remains on the outside of the Avengers a little – but maybe that will change. Meanwhile Ant-Man and the Wasp gives us a perfectly satisfying, fun movie night.

Summarizing: very enjoyable.