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Ant-Man and The Wasp review

After the cataclysmic events of Avengers: Infinity War, we revisit the more light-hearted world of Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and his cohorts. For the most part it’s business as usual with director Peyton Reed and the cast all working hard to deliver an enjoyable and undoubtedly entertaining ride. But a final act that slightly drags does affect the early momentum that was built up so meticulously. It’s a shame, but one that doesn’t shrink your overall enjoyment too much.

Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and his daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly) seek Scott’s help again – the only problem is he’s been restricted to house arrest after aiding Captain America in Civil War. Pym believes he can reach his long-lost wife (Michelle Pfeiffer) in the Quantum Realm but is distracted when his tech is stolen by the mysterious Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen).


The cast are what keeps this Marvel Cinematic Universe so close to our hearts and Ant-Man and The Wasp has a wonderful ensemble that all play their roles exceptionally well. The ageless Paul Rudd continues to charm your socks off and delivers the film’s funniest lines. Evangeline Lilly is simply bad-ass as The Wasp and it’s great to see her be the first female Marvel superhero to be mentioned in the title of a film. That’s a big deal – especially with Captain Marvel coming up next and hopefully a fan-demanded Black Widow film on the horizon too.

The supporting cast are all great with Michael Douglas genuinely looking like he’s having a blast playing around in this Marvel Universe. Taking of ageless, Michelle Pfeiffer is great as Janet Van Dyne – the original Wasp, who alongside her husband Hank (as Ant-Man) fought for good back in the day. Their tragic story is explored very well here, giving the Marvel Universe some good depth of field.

Ant-Man and The Wasp
Credit DisneyMarvel

Michael Peña, T.I, David Dastmalchian, Abby Ryder Fortson, Bobby Cannavale and Judy Greer all reprise their roles from the first Ant-Man movie, giving the film a nice balance and familiarity. You can watch Walton Goggins read a newspaper and he’d be magnetic, so Ant-Man and The Wasp utilises him well as the token bad guy Sonny Burch. Randall Park provides great comic relief as a Federal Agent with his eye on Scott under house-arrest, and Laurence Fishburne (John Wick: Chapter 2) makes sure he brings some gravitas to the role of Dr. Bill Foster, an old adversary of Hank’s. If there is a downside, it’s Hannah John-Kamen’s Ghost, who isn’t afforded enough time to make a lasting impression here.

Size is always a big deal, and Ant-Man and the Wasp is best enjoyed on as big a screen as you can find. Be sure to check it out in IMAX for the full effect – it looks stunning and really brings the film to vibrant life. The effects are really well handled too, with comedy playing a big role in how the shrinking is utilised in the narrative. A giant salt shaker bottle and a tiny car chase are just some of the action set-pieces that leave a mark.

Ant-Man and The Wasp
Credit DisneyMarvel

Lots of laughs, some great set-pieces and Michael Peña once again stealing the show, Ant-Man and The Wasp is a perfectly enjoyable ride. It was never going to live up to the seismic shift that Avengers: Infinity War ushered in, but thankfully Ant-Man retains its tone to deliver a fun movie all the same. You all know this by now but it’s a Marvel film which means you should stay glued to your seats for two extra scenes at the end. The mid-credit sting on Ant-Man and The Wasp is up there as one of the greatest Marvel end-credit scenes of all time – just amazing, and worth the admission price alone!

Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Walton Goggins, Hannah John-Kamen, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Peña, T.I, David Dastmalchian, Abby Ryder Fortson, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer Director: Peyton Reed Writers: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Paul Rudd, Andrew Barrer, Gabriel Ferrari Certificate: 12A Duration: 118 mins Released by: Disney/Marvel Release date: 2nd August 2018

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Jason Palmer
Jason is a film contributor for Entertainment Focus (EF) bringing you the latest news and reviews from the movie world.

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