Ant-Man and the Wasp

Ant-Man and the Wasp is directed by Peyton Reed (Ant-Man) and stars Paul Rudd (I Love You, Man), Evengeline Lilly (Lost), and Walton Goggins (The Hateful Eight). It tells the continued adventures of Scott Lang, as this time he must fight with Hope Van Dyne, aka The Wasp, to figure out secrets from the past.

The best part about Ant-Man and the Wasp are the action set-pieces. While Marvel films may not get everything right, they sure do know how to stage action. The car chases especially were fascinating because of the growing and shrinking powers that the heroes possess. The other cool thing was the laboratory, which had a remote that allowed it to grow and shrink with the push of the button. This made for some interesting special effects as the building would simply appear out of almost nowhere.

But perhaps the biggest problem with the movie is the best thing about it is the special effects. On an actor’s side, Michelle Pfeiffer (Batman Returns) stood out, but she was not given nearly enough to do. Paul Rudd was also pretty good, albeit a little too smug at times. The rest of the actors I could take or leave. None of them did anything overly impressive but they also were not horribly offensive either.

Marvel’s villain problem continues, this time in the form of Ghost. Her motivations are unclear, and I never really understood what the actress was going for. The film almost does not even need the villain in the first place, as defeating her is not the drive of the protagonists. 

In an age of Black Panther and Infinity War, Ant-Man and the Wasp feels outdated. The stakes of the MCU feel too high at this point for side quests with characters who are not even considered Avengers. While nothing in the movie is overly offensive and you probably will enjoy your time at the theater, the film is ultimately forgettable and leaves you wondering when the more important stuff is going to return.

When should you see it?
Dollar Theater