Ant-Man and the Wasp is the latest superhero film from Marvel Studios. The sequel to 2015's Ant-Man finds Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) a changed man after the events seen in Captain America: Civil War. Lang is now on home arrest and attempting to not only become a better father but shed his superhero alter ego altogether.
A wrench is thrown in Scott's plans when he receives a message from Janet Van Dyne/Wasp (Michelle Pfeiffer). The message inspires Scott to reach out to Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). The trio teams up once again to rescue Janet from the Quantum Realm. Along the way, they have to take on two new formable foes evil businessman Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins) and supervillain Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen).
The original Ant-Man was one of the biggest surprises of 2015 due to the film's ability to juggle action and comedy successfully. Director Peyton Reed, who helmed the previous Ant-Man film, returns for the sequel, with a script by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. The charm that made the original Ant-Man a success is present once again in the sequel. While watching the film, I had a smile throughout the majority of the film.
Michael Pena returns as Luis, and once again, he provides some of the film's best comedic moments. While Pena is a highlight, nearly everyone in the cast has a moment to shine. Paul Rudd is always fun to watch, and as our titular hero "Ant-Man" he's having the time of his life. I also enjoyed Evangeline Lilly as The Wasp, and some of the film's best action sequences show The Wasp in action.
When it comes to the villains, Walton Goggins is pretty much on autopilot as Sonny Burch and could do a role like this in his sleep. The real highlight of the villains was Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost. Not only can Ghost kick butt with her hand to hand combat skills, but she also has a tragic back story. Hannah John-Kamen may have a career as a villain after this role, as she has a natural evil essence.
While Ant-Man and the Wasp is a lot of fun, there are few issues with the film. Two of the returning characters Dave (Tip "TI" Harris) & Paxton (Bobby Cannavale), don't have much to do after having a strong presence in the first film. I also wanted to see more of Dr. Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne) since his character has a history with Hank Pym. I also found the second post-credit scene to be a bit of a letdown.
Outside of the two small issues, Ant-Man and the Wasp continue the Marvel Cinematic Universe's successful run. Twenty films into the franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn't appear to be losing steam anytime soon. Part of the reason for the film enjoyment is I walked into the movie with minimal expectations. With a more lighthearted tone than previous superhero films released this summer, Ant-Man and the Wasp is highly recommended for moviegoers.
Final Grade: B+
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