Ant-Man and the Wasp 2018
I didn’t care for the first Ant-Man movie. The effects were bad and it was silly having a tiny man fighting full size people. This time around the effects are much better and instead of fighting while tiny, they use shrinking to avoid getting hit, which makes more sense. This device of shrinking or growing as needed (and sometimes not on purpose) works really well and sets up a lot of key action sequences. They have made this branch of the Marvel universe more for kids: the stakes are less, the humor is sillier, and everything stays light. Even though it is jokey, it still isn’t as funny as some of the better works like Guardians or Thor: Ragnarok, but it is fun to watch. I still have issues with the movie: the science is just complete junk. Also, I would like to see Michael Pena and some of the other side characters given some better comedy, but they do their best just being kind of goofballs, though when Pena is injected with something that works a lot like truth serum, it is pretty funny. Evangeline Lilly is also good in her role as Ant-Man’s partner and romantic interest. And Michael Douglas is reliable though not spectacular in his role, though it is a treat seeing him given a digital fountain of youth in some scenes. Paul Rudd has grown more into this character, but I still feel like he is’t living up to the potential he showed in movies like I Love You, Man. A substantial improvement from the original, I can give this one a low B+.
Written: 06 Jan 2019
Owned on: Blu-ray, Digital