ReelBob: ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ ★★★
By Bob Bloom
Size matters in Marvel’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” whether it’s gigantic, tiny or subatomic.
“Ant-Man and the Wasp” is a fun respite, especially after the harrowing events in “Avengers: Infinity War.”
“Ant-Man and the Wasp” is a movie you can simply sit back and enjoy. It’s tethered to Earth — no aliens nor supervillains within a light year of the film.
It’s more action-comedy than a superhero saga.
The movie opens with Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang under house arrest for his participation in the events in “Captain America: Civil War.” Lang is pondering his future as a superhero, businessman and, most importantly, a father to his daughter, Cassie.
Events, however, force Lang to jeopardize his freedom, don his Ant-Man suit and join Hope van Dyne’s Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) on a new quest.
Basically, their mission is to rescue Pym’s wife — and Hope’s mother, Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) — from the sub-molecular universe in which she has been trapped for about 30 years.
Their plans are threatened by a black-market tech dealer, played by the always-reliable Walton Goggins, as well as an obstacle that hits closer to home.
And while these adversaries don’t rise to the level of a Thanos, they do create enough mischief to keep the lighthearted story moving at an accelerated pace.
Part of the pleasure of the movie is the supporting cast — most notably, Michael Pena as Lang’s chatterbox pal and business associate, Luis.
Abby Ryder Forston as Cassie grounds the movie in the humanity and heart lacking in many films of this sort.
Hannah John-Kamen brings a sense of tragedy and desperation to her performance as Ghost, a young woman trapped between two worlds, frantically seeking a remedy to her dire situation.
The screen lights up when Pena appears and performs his hilarious schtick. He’s the perfect civilian, comic sidekick, hindering but then helping his friend and thus redeeming himself from earlier blunders.
The most enjoyable aspects of the movie are the special effects as people, cars, buildings — and even a Hello Kitty Pez dispenser — shrink or grow in size, as the plot dictates.
Miniature cars are kept in a Hot Wheels-like case to be enlarged and used as needed, while dog-sized ants scurry around Pym’s lab like worker bees or in Lang’s apartment like annoying roommates.
Sound effects are usually a taken-for-granted aspect of filmmaking, but “Ant-Man and the Wasp” smartly uses them for some wonderful comic purposes.
Events in the movie take place before those in “Avengers: Infinity War,” so the stakes are much lower, which makes for a more relaxing and enjoyable cinematic excursion.
The movie, which is credited to five screenwriters — a red flag, at best — does have its share of flaws, including a few too many sequences of villains — in typical James Bond-like fashion — sitting around and spewing unnecessary and repetitive expository dialogue.
“Ant-Man and the Wasp” is a pleasant summer diversion. It’s confident and steady, a pleasant mixture of thrills, laughs and CGI, with a likable cast — mainly Rudd — and a straightforward storyline to hold your interest — at least till next year’s “Captain Marvel” and “Avengers” sequel.
I am a member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP
3 stars out of 4
(PG-13), science-fiction action and violence