Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) --- “An Ant And A Wasp Join Forces To Stop Bad Guys In This Fun Action-Comedy.”

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Plot Summary

Scott Lang is grappling with the consequences of his choices as both a superhero and a father. Approached by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym, Lang must once again don the Ant-Man suit and fight alongside the Wasp. The urgent mission soon leads to secret revelations from the past as the dynamic duo finds itself in an epic battle against a powerful new enemy. (1)

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Review

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Hello, Movie Buffs! 

     I enjoyed the first Ant-Man (2015) but the sequel is better in every way. Years ago audiences could watch a superhero film and know that no matter what happened the heroes always win and villains always lose. But if we have learned anything from watching Avengers: Infinity War (2018) then we know that those old rules no longer apply, thus making Marvel films – or superhero films in general – even less predictable and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) takes full advantage of that new perception. Ant-Man and the Wasp is a simple and light-hearted film that is just as important to Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as all the other films in the series.

     Infinity War left audiences with an overwhelming sense of heartache and gloom, but Ant-Man and the Wasp decides to lighten things up with much-needed comedy, character charm, and a simple plot that explains what happened to Ant-Man after Civil War (2016) and his noticeable absence from Infinity War (NOTE: You find out in the mid-credit scene). And if you thought watching this film after Infinity War was crazy, you have another thing coming for you because Marvel Studios has once again thrown us for a loop.

     The story makes a number of references to events that happened in Civil War, in particular, Ant-Man’s involvement in the battle between the Avengers. The only downside to the story is that it relies heavily on the notion that audiences have seen all the other MCU films, which is not the case for some – if not half – of the fans. For those who have not seen all the MCU films in order, it can prove to be a daunting task when you have to sit through 17 films just to truly understand and appreciate all the nuances in the 2 most recent MCU films. Of course, this is not an issue for movie buffs and Marvel fans but for the casual Marvel movie fans who would like to catch up with the “What’s what” and Who’s who” of the MCU should be prepared to spend a lot of hours binge-watching all four Phases.

      Now, even after watching Ant-Man and the Wasp some of you might still wonder why Ant-Man was absent in Infinity War (2018). Well, this films opens up two years after Civil War and shows that Ant-Man’s involvement in Civil War had a more negative effect on the lives of those close to him (his daughter, Hope, Hank, etc). So one can only assume that the events in this film are happening a little bit before the events in Infinity War, as the post credit scene lines up with the ending of Infinity War. In addition, I personally believe having Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) in one film would have been one comedian to many, especially with the film’s sense of doom and gloom on the horizon.

     With humor being a big part of the first film, there was no doubt that this time around the comedy would still hit its mark. Sometime when there is an overabundance of humor in a story it tends to dilute the story’s value but luckily that doesn’t happen here. Instead, the comedy is just as much a part of the story as the characters are. While the comedy in the Ant-Man series is iconic to Marvel films, it is different from the comedy in Guardians of the Galaxy series and that is the best part about the whole film.

     Aside from the comedy being a highlight of the film, two other highlights of the film are the special effects and the action. The specials effects are impressive, especially the quantum realm which is beautifully stunning and easily perplexing. The action sequences really embrace the use of the growing and shrinking powers by easily jumping between two abilities. The film also takes advantage of using the growth and shrinking abilities on other objects like buildings, cars, etc.

     The film’s cast gave stellar performances and delivered the humor in a way that was appropriate and effective. Paul Rudd returns as Scott Lang/Ant-Man the sort of fish out of water superhero that is just starting to evolve into an actual hero. Scott Lang fully acknowledges that he is a professional screw up and a number of times he actually has no idea what he’s doing.  Evangeline Lilly (The Hobbit) stole the show as Hope Van Dyne/The Wasp and the chemistry between her and Rudd is fun. Hannah John-Kamen (Killjoys) plays Ghost a fresh villain who takes things a new direction as she is one of the few villains that you can build an emotional connection with. What makes her different is that she is not helping bent on the destruction of the universe or even world domination but rather she is only trying to save herself and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. The rest of the cast – Michael Douglas (Behind the Candelabra), Michael Pena (12 Strong), Laurence Fishburne (John Wick 2), Walter Goggins (Maze Runner: Death Cure), T.I., David Dastmalchian, Randall Park, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Abby Ryder Fortson – are also great in their respective roles.

     Overall, Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) is another great addition to the Marvels Cinematic Universe. This film is pack full of action, effective humor, and revolves around a simple, yet complex story. The film not only explains Ant-Man’s absence from Infinity War but also demonstrates the consequences of Ant-Man’s involvement in Civil War. Although this film is fun and light-hearted I do not recommend that you watch this as a stand-alone and easy going film because it is anything but that. I highly recommend this film everyone and yet I believe you should watch or have seen the previous 18 MCU films (including Infinity War) before watching this one as you come to appreciate this film even more.

P.S – Stay tuned for a Mid-credit scene that is vital in connecting the ending of Infinity War with the ending of this film.

P.S.S – There is a second end credit scene that comes after all the credits.

"You can do it. You can do anything. You're the world's greatest grandma."

- Cassie [to Scott] 

*****I recommend watching the following Marvel movies in this order:

Captain America (2011)

Iron Man (2008)

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Incredible Hulk (2008)

Thor (2011)

Avengers (2012)

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014)

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017)

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Ant-Man (2015)

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Doctor Strange (2016)

Thor: Ragnork (2017)

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Captain Marvel (2019)

Final Vote

Worth Seeing:  9 of 10 star

Worth Buying:  9 of 10 stars

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Movies Similar 

Ant-Man (2015)
Avengers (2012)
Avengers 2: Age of Ultron (2015)
Avengers 3: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers 4: Untitled film (2019)
Black Panther (2018)
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Captain Marvel (2019)
Doctor Strange (2016)
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (TBA)
Hulk (2003)
Incredible Hulk (2008)
Iron Man (2008)
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 (2019)
Thor (2011)
Thor: Dark World (2013)
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)