Ant-Man and the Wasp Review

Ant-Man and the Wasp is the second entry in this Ant based series taking place many years later and following after the events of Civil War. Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is under house arrest and things are almost wrapped up until a mysterious dream sequence has him connect with the original Wasp. From there he meets up with old friends that are on the run and hate him for his actions during Civil War. This leads into one epic chase as multiple factions are going at it. We have the shrinking squad of Ant-Man with Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) going up against the mysterious Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and a third party just after the money.

It's a completely standalone entry that stills does provide an emotional connection to the current stakes, but keeps it out of the core story. This is also a smaller tale in terms of not being about the end of the world, it's just about families trying to connect. It's what I'd considering probably the first heartfelt release in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and a thrill throughout as it keeps the action going. There's a correct balance of comedy here that isn't completely off the rails and it makes those emotional points more impactful.

The acting is great here as Ant-Man and the Wasp bridges generations of heroes together. It's not just a film where characters battle a villain as everyone has a point of view you can get behind. The settings are fantastic and the use of ants is awesome. They've taken the fun ideas from the original and have taken them a step forward. It was also nice to see a variety of characters interact in what felt like a more grounded time.

It's heartfelt in that regard with many moments that lean into that element. There's good comedy and Paul Rudd really delivers there for some hilarious moments. The supporting group is also fun and it keeps that energy from the first one while heading in new directions with it. The CGI is all excellent here and it was great to see them really going wild with varying sizes as opposed to just being tiny. The addition of Wasp into the action as a more capable fighter was even better, there's some great chemistry there.

The Conclusion

Ant-Man and the Wasp is a great step forward for this hero with some great chemistry, comedy that doesn't over reach and heartfelt moments that haven't been seen in the MCU at this point. There's a plot that is small in scale and it's nice to see that the world isn't always at stake. It's just a group of families that are trying to make things better in their own ways.

It feels like a logical step forward for Ant-Man's story while also keeping the core cast together. It's definitely a standalone with only a minor tie-in that will greatly alter the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward. It was a blast seeing so many alterations to the sizing and a connection to an older group of heroes that did exist within this universe at one time. It's fantastic and one that is really great for any type of audience.

Ant-Man and the Wasp Review at Theater with 3D AVX Atmos Viewing
Screening Provided by Walt Disney Studios

Rating Overall: 8.8