'Ant-Man and the Wasp' review: Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly make for a winning team

Movie: Ant-Man and The Wasp

Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Hannah John-Kamen, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Walton Goggins, Michael Pena, and Laurence Fishburne

Director: Peyton Reed

Duration: 1 hour 58 minutes

Language: English (U/A)

Genre: Action-adventure

Story:

Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is under house arrest for his role in fighting against the Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War. Due to his decision to do so, Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) had to go off the grid. However, to rescue Hope’s mom and Hank’s wife Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) from the Quantum Realm, they need his help. They make contact with him three days before his sentence ends. Scott dons his Ant-Man suit and gets a partner in Hope, who is now the Wasp. But then, there’s the Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and tech broker Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins), who want to steal Pym’s lab.

Review:

The best thing about the Ant-Man series is the fact that this superhero has to bear the consequences of his actions, even if they have been out of good intentions. So, though he helped Captain America in Captain America: Civil War, his decision has led to his house arrest (that explains his absence from Avengers: Infinity War). It has also affected his relationship with Hank (creator of his superhero suit) and Hope. The fact that Scott goofs up every now and then makes him a relatable superhero. His hiatus has allowed him to spend more time with his daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson) and set up a business with his buddy Luis (Michael Peña) and other cronies. It’s obvious that this is set in relatively happier times where Thanos hasn’t snapped his fingers yet.

This time around, Hope, who gets her own suit which is better than Scott’s, partners with him. While Sonny is out to make money by stealing their tech, Ghost’s needs are of urgent nature just like those of Hope and Hank.

Marvel’s female superheroes are clearly having their moment. Hope takes centre stage as the Wasp. She is in the thick of the action, fighting with goons and showing off her skills behind the wheels, too. Evangeline owns every bit of the role with her style and swag. Paul, too, gets his time in the limelight whether it’s his comic timing, action scenes, interactions with daughter Cassie or equation with Hope and Hank. The actor has an easy charm, which lends itself to the superhero he plays and the dichotomy that he faces.

Hannah makes for a great villain. While her character is extremely intriguing, it does feel a bit one-dimensional at times. 

Walton as Sonny is probably the weakest link in the film. But his presence does lead to some great scenes. Michael’s comic timing is envy-worthy. Watch out for his voiceover scene. Abby hits all the right notes and matches Paul in every scene that they share. Randall Park, who plays the FBI agent Jimmy Woo, is efficient in the quirky comic scenes with the superhero.

What works for the film is the humour. While it’s not the kind the audience got to see in Thor: Ragnarok, it holds its ground. In fact, director Peyton Reed keeps the narrative smooth, which makes it a tighter and pacier watch than the first one in the series. That is a great feat by itself. The action is slick and you get to see people and objects change to small or massive size and back again in various creative ways. The car chase scene during which Hope keeps changing the size of the vehicle to that of a toy and back is well-crafted.

Bill Foster’s (Laurence Fishburne) entry makes one wonder what part will he have in the MCU in the future. There are not one, but two post-credit scenes, so stay back. In fact, the first scene is a fitting end to the movie. While it would be unfair to compare it to Avengers: Infinity War in terms of emotional involvement with the story and characters, it is definitely a worthy predecessor. The film comes as a great distraction before the audience leaps back into the Avengers series.

Verdict:

It’s an entertaining movie with great humour, action and performances. Don’t miss it.

Critic's Rating: 3.5/5