Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) User Reviews

Ant-Man and the Wasp: On par sequel

[Platypuschow · 7/10 · 9 November 2018]

I love what Marvel have done in the creation of their "Universe" it's an overwhelming triumph and despite my fears they managed to slot Antman in there perfectly back in 2015.

A heavily comedic character is was heavy on charm, humour and elevated by a fantastic charm. Truth be told I found myself really hyped for the second movie, more than any other (Except GotG).

With every cast member both big and small returning a fantastic villian and the one and only Laurence Fishburne, the stars were aligning for another fantastic addition to the universe. And it is................kind of.

Regarding the previous films I've enjoyed them all with the exception of two. I didn't see the appeal in Dr Strange and thought that Black Panther was one of the most overrated movies in the history of the industry.

Antman 2 delivers, it does just not to the extent I hoped. Rudd, Lilly and Douglas are excellent once again and the story is fantastic though I think much of the impact of some of the story is highly lacking.

Our new villian delivered more than I'd ever expected, Pfeiffer was a great addition and Pena managed to annoy me less than usual!

The first movie got a solid 7/10 from me and this sequel is recieving the same. What that means is I consider it a good film, it's just not exactly groundbreaking stuff. I feel the movie played it a tad safe and didn't meet its potential.

Regardless it's funny, it's action packed and it's likeable and therefore it's another Marvel success in my book.

The Good:

Incredible cast

Genuine laughs

Fits into the universe well

The Bad:

I still don't like Pena

Some of the impact was lost

Bit generic

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Lilly is a very clever actress who picks her roles well

Someone still needs to explain to me how they do that age regression thing sfx

Walton Goggins has friends in high places

The size shifting has all kinds of bedroom possibilities

Truth serum IS a thing

Ant-Man returns

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 5 August 2018]

Having enjoyed a vast majority of Marvel's superhero output (more so than most) without worshipping them, 'Ant-Man' was a minor effort from them but there was still a good amount to like about it. Despite being positively received by critics, 'Ant-Man and the Wasp' as of now has received also heavy criticism from fans and some Marvel non-fans, so was conflicted in seeing it.

'Ant-Man' and its slightly superior follow-up 'Ant-Man and the Wasp' managed to be better than expected. 'Ant-Man and the Wasp' to me was not as great as critics are saying, but it is also nowhere near as bad as people here have said, while sharing a few of their criticisms. Do like the character of Ant-Man. He is not exactly a household name and is always tossed aside in favour of other superhero characters like Spiderman that have had longer longevity and perhaps have more compelling origins and stories, hence why they are adapted more. Also wasn't sure what to make of the trailer, which made the film out to be rather bland in story and too reliant on humour while being very well made, directed and acted with thrilling action and funny and clever moments.

Seeing it for myself, 'Ant-Man and the Wasp' could have been better and has its faults, ones that are somewhat the same as the first 'Ant-Man' and somewhat what was expected from watching the trailer. The script is mostly fine, but has patchy moments, namely the overly-wordy and sometimes over-complicated jargon and inconsistent humour. While the humour mostly works wonders, there are a few instances where it's not so funny and not very well placed.

Such as in emotional scenes that are actually quite poignant and heart-warming (more so generally than 'Ant-Man')and then interrupted by a joke that is not only forced and unfunny but also not belonging in the scene, though more sporadically thankfully than before. The family scenes are a mixed bag, sometimes they are sweet and touching, the chemistry is more believable here, while at other times they're a little flat and predictable, contributing towards a few rare dull stretches in a film that generally is appropriately lighter in tone and faster paced.

Like many people here, also found the villains underwhelming. Burch is especially pointless and forgettable and only really there because there seemingly needed to be an obligatory villain when actually there could have been just one. 'Thor Ragnarok' and 'Infinity War' only had one major one, and they, especially Thanos were the best villains in the Marvel canon. Ghost fares a little better and is an improvement over Corey Stoll's under-characterised villain in the first 'Ant-Man', her problem was that her back-story was very rushed and didn't feel developed enough. Michelle Pfeiffer is wasted in a very underwritten plot-device role.

On the other hand, 'Ant-Man and the Wasp' is a great looking film, it's beautifully shot, very atmospheric, is very slick and the special effects, are clever and of the usual high-quality Marvel standards. The music avoids being over-bearing, one-note, too quirky or too bombastic, fitting well tone, mood and pace-wise.

Direction is more than competent, keeping the story going at a solid pace and the telling of it interesting enough, though maybe a little more flavour may have been more welcome. While the action is not as much as most Marvel films, it is fun, thrilling, nicely choreographed and tautly shot and edited, especially towards the end. The stuff with sizes was clever visually and interested and entertained while the film is better than a lot of sequels in being consistent in the continuity.

There is some very smart and hugely entertaining scripting and dialogue here in 'Ant-Man and the Wasp' too. While it doesn't work completely seamlessly, 'Ant-Man and the Wasp's humour when it works is some of the funniest stuff of all Marvel films, and the film doesn't take itself too seriously or too much of a joke either, instead not being afraid to embrace the silliness and humour while ensuring still that the subject matter is treated with respect. The truth serum and the feminine side being brought out parts were hilarious.

The story is mostly diverting, it's and the first 'Ant-Man' film are narratively simpler than most Marvel outings and less risks here are taken than most Marvel films but it always makes sense, moments of dullness and jarring are few (while not being completely absent either), it's fun and it doesn't try to do too much or try to insert too many characters.

While not complex as such, the characters are mostly engaging, with the reservations being with the villain and Pfeiffer's character. Paul Rudd is a strong and hugely entertaining lead, while Michael Peña's hilarious in a role that could have been really annoying. The seasoned support of a distinguished Michael Douglas adds hugely too, and Evangeline Lilly and Abby Ryder Fortson give the film some much needed heart. Hannah John-Kamon does command the screen and Walton Goggins has an oily presence that is more than what the forgettable and useless character deserved.

Overall, not one of Marvel's best and has its flaws but a good sequel and film with many great things. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Transformica Exroidinaire...

[Xstal · 8/10 · 17 February 2023]

Scott Lang, is under curfew day and night, for joining with the Cap, in the Avengers Civil War fight, but he's had a weird dream, it's almost like somebody's beamed, a message in his head to shine a light. It results in reconnection with Hank Pym, and his daughter who's now Wasp, called Hope Van Dyne, they're pursued by glitching Ava, though Bill Foster want's to save her, while Sonny Burch leads to, and causes, much chagrin.

It's not the worst Marvel movie you've come across, as the race is on to recover Janet Van Dyne from the quantum realm, and prevent two competing parties from scuppering their plans. The usual humorous dialogue, scales up and down, and will keep you entertained.

Scale matters

[jon.h.ochiai · 9/10 · 9 July 2018]

In one of the sweetest scenes in "Ant-Man and the Wasp", Ant-Man's human persona Scott, played by kind resilient Paul Rudd, sits legs crossed on the bedroom floor with his 10 year-old daughter Cassie, played by cute innocent Hannah John-Kamen. Scott is so sorry for making a mess in his heroic circumstance. Cassie says, "It's not dumb to help people."

For Director Peyton Reed's sequel "Ant-Man and the Wasp" scale truly does matter. In the story by the mini-army of Writers Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Paul Rudd, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari, our Superheroes Ant-Man and Wasp, played by Evangeline Lilly, are not out to save the world, much less the Universe like other Marvel Movies.

The scale matters. "Ant-Man and Wasp" is smaller, less noisy. There's no threat of global Armageddon. There are spectacular chase scenes in San Francisco with "Goliath" Ant-Man, and cinematic kaleidoscope tunneling into the Quantum Realm.

Instead the captivating thread is Hope Van Dyne, played by beautiful strong Evangeline, risking her life to find her long lost Mother Janet, played by radiant wise Michelle Pfeiffer, in the Quantum Realm. Paul's Scott, who returned from the Quantum Realm in "Ant-Man" holds the key to that possible resurrection.

"Ant-Man and the Wasp" revels in its quirk, not so much in the ostentatious CGI expanding and shrinking effect. Although, the cool martial arts fight scenes with Wasp and new adversary, the phasing Ghost, played by tortured charismatic Hannah John-Kamen, is high impact awesome.

Scott unintentionally channels Janet, gifting clues about her location. Scott as Janet holds the hand of her Husband Hank Pym, creator of Ant-Man and Wasp, played by whimsical Michael Douglas. The look on Hank's face is hysterical. As Scott gently caresses Janet's daughter Hope's face, that's the Mother's love. Rudd, Lilly, and Douglas brilliantly play light-hearted, yet never forget that what matters is family. Michelle is sublime gravitas. Too bad the story didn't call for more screen time.

"Ant-Man and the Wasp" begins with Scott under house arrest after his heroics with The Avengers in "Captain America: Civil War". This also explains his disappearance in "Infinity War". He has nightmares of his stint in the ubiquitous Quantum Realm, while sharing custody of his daughter Cassie. Because of his Avengers debacle as Ant-Man, Scott's now estranged from Hank and his daughter Hope. That's until Hope discovers Scott's possible link to her Mother. Scott and Hope are in love with each other, but not always in phase. So to speak.

In this needlessly convoluted narrative, Scott joins forces with Hank and Hope to retrieve Janet. Powerful assassin Eva, also called Ghost, arises threatening their mission. Eva suffers excruciating pain: Her molecules continual regenerate in her phasing curse. Her cure may also resolve in that Quantum Realm.

The imaginative movie action dazzles along with the visual effects. Really, it is the personal scale of "Ant-Man and the Wasp" that resonates. The young woman wants to find her beloved Mother. The husband wants to be with the love of his life. The young daughter believes in her Dad reminding him, "You can do anything." "Ant-Man and the Wasp" is fun exhilarating Summer fare that's also about family and those close. After all: It's not dumb to help people.

Fun Summer Movie

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 18 July 2018]

Ant-Man and Wasp was a fun movie. Whereas I didn't see it strongly bolstering the MCU, it didn't harm the MCU at all. I like that they gave Ant-Man a partner (I dare not say sidekick) with similar, yet better abilities.

Now, as for what I wish would've been different/better: the nemesis, Ghost. Ghost has some excellent skills and abilities which I think they (the production team) could've/should've explored more. I mean, the ability to phase in and out almost at will thereby giving the person the ability to pass through solid matter (kinda like Kitty Pride of the X-Men)--that makes for some spectacular fight scenes and other mischief. I'm imagining a fight similar to the opening scene of X-Men 2 when Nightcrawler infiltrated the White House. I know that phasing in and out is different than teleporting but in tight quarters they can be used similarly.

That was my only gripe, which was a small one. Besides wanting more from the bad guy I thought the movie was funny and creative.

Really solid movie

[Mathi-Juice · 8/10 · 19 July 2018]

Just an overal good movie. The story could have been a bit better and the villans were not Thanos-level but it just does the job. I wanted more actually, because the CGI was really good. Also this is one of the funniest mcu movies, so if you want a good laugh I recommend this.

I applaud Paul Rudd and Micheal Douglas, great performance!

If you're a marvel fan this will satisfy you 100% and even if you just want to relax and enjoy this movie with the family, that's cool too.

It's kind off not really tied to the rest of the mcu, just as the first one, only captain America civil war a bit. Make sure u stay for the first post credit scene!

A Sequel as Good as the Original

[Uriah43 · 7/10 · 21 February 2019]

Having run afoul of the law in his latest adventure as Ant-Man, "Scott Lang" (Paul Rudd) has been confined to house arrest and in order to prevent an even longer sentence from being imposed upon him must stay there while being electronically monitored at all times. However, when his previous mentor "Dr. Hank Pym" (Michael Douglas) requests his assistance to help rescue his wife "Janet Van Dyne" (Michelle Pfeiffer) from the quantum realm, Scott feels obligated to help. Also involved in the rescue operation is Dr. Pym's daughter "Hope Van Dyne" (Evangeline Lilly) who just happens to be a super-hero known as the Wasp. But as difficult as this assignment what none of them realize is that there are two other groups with different agendas who plan on stopping them-and both have various resources at their disposal to accomplish their goals. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was an enjoyable "Super-hero movie" which had decent amounts of humor and good special effects to compliment the action. I especially liked the character "Luis" (Michael Pena) who was absolutely hilarious. Be that as it may, while in most cases the sequel to a movie is generally not as good as the original, this one is an exception to the rule and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.

An enjoyable and entertaining sequel

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 8/10 · 7 July 2018]

I didn't have high expectations for an Ant-man sequel, but this one delivered some entertainment fit for the entire family. Decent humor, fun action and a good story made this film enjoyable. CGI was decent as was the action. It's an 8/10 from me.

A movie that ties up loose ends and not much else.

[Benjamin-M-Weilert · 5/10 · 8 March 2019]

I'll be the first to defend Ant-Man (2015) from its detractors. Once I realized it was supposed to be a comedy (mostly due to Edgar Wright's early involvement), I knew the superhero aspect would take a back seat to the laughs. That being said, I cannot defend the honor of its sequel. Sure, a lot of the elements that made Ant-Man entertaining are still present in Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), but it's really more of a standard superhero film that's meant to answer questions brought up in previous films.

While this film picks up well after the events of this first film and Captain America: Civil War (2016), not a lot has changed. The main characters are all there, but now Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) also has a shrinking suit. This is no surprise, considering the after-credits scene from the first movie, so it was nice to see her get into the action rather quickly. Similarly, due to the events of Ant-Man, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) realizes his wife is still alive and sets out to find her and rescue her from the quantum realm. Essentially, this sequel is wrapping up all the loose ends present in the first film.

Part of the problem of this movie being less of a comedy (even with Michal Pena's awesome "narration bit" again making an appearance), is that it needs to be viewed as a superhero film. Unfortunately, while the new "villain" has a neat power, she wasn't that compelling. Even the mafia-type villains were mostly there for so-so comic relief. In the end, Ant-Man and the Wasp tried to do too much with three different storylines all competing for screen time. Sure, there was an emphasis of balancing personal life with superhero life (a la Spider-man: Homecoming (2017)), but it all felt flat in comparison to what eventually needed to happen based on the events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018).

A movie that ties up loose ends and not much else, I give Ant-Man and the Wasp 2.5 stars out of 5.

still kinda fun

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 12 October 2018]

Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has three more days of house arrest after the events of Civil War and is working with Luis (Michael Peña) in a struggling security start-up. His mind is connected to Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) since his excursion into the quantum realm. Hope (Evangeline Lilly) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) are hiding from the Feds and need Scott's mind to locate Janet. They get into conflicts with underworld dealer Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins) and the mysterious Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen). Hank reluctantly reaches out to former partner Dr. Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne).

First of all, I like these characters. That's half the battle in this type of movie. I care about them and therefore, I care about their adventures. The villains are fine although Ghost's story should be presented first instead of a nothing scene with young Pfeiffer. The villains are often the least developed in these MCU movies. As for Pfeiffer, she doesn't need to appear until the climax. This is generally fun with a comedic Rudd at the helm. It's a little below the first movie but it's still a joy.

Marvel's Back to The Future

[The_Man_XX7 · 7/10 · 26 July 2018]

After Avengers: Infinity War I was worried that anything that would come after for Marvel would be underwhelming but I was wrong because AntMan and the wasp used the same formula as the last Ant man movie which was that it was a small story and a family oriented story inside a superhero movie.

The Whole premise is Janet Van Dym Hank Pym's wife is trying to get saved from the Quantam while AntMan is underhouse arrest.The story was simple enough and built Aroundt which is why it was so good.

The first act was a tad slow but not boring is it set up where the characters are and had some fun action especially with the introduction of the Wasp.The second act was a kind of boring with the pace diping and nothing exciting happening.The third act picked up the pace and the chunk of the action was in the last 30 minutes so that was my favorite part.The villain or antagonist of the movie Ghost wasn't bad but not really that interesting she has a reason to be there but didn't add anything significant with the plot expect for fancy powers which made for good effects.Michael Douglas' performance amd Pual Rudd were the best characters in the movie as they were serious when needed to be and funny when needed to be.The Wasp as I said was cool with as a good enough performance from lilly.Michelle Pfeiffer did well in the role she was given and had good chemistry in the scenes she had with Michael Douglas.

Antman and the Wasp was funnier than the first one but of course its Marvel but It had some out of place humor that took away from the serious moments but of course again its Marvel.This had more action as well but mainly in the last 40 minutes or so because as I said the second act was mostly slow and kind of dragged on.

So what to take away from all of this is that Antman and the wasp is similar to Back to the Future its funny,has a story with a heart and just a plain fun blockbuster.

Very creative and fun

[veksdave · 8/10 · 28 September 2021]

The movie is a lot of entertaiment and it surprised me how most of the screentime is action scenes (Not violent lol) with very funny ideas like the "hotwheels" and laughable comedy, not as other generic marvel jokes, the villain is confusing but it has a tragic story after all, it has his flaws like the physics are nonsense and sometimes the vfx is weak but still a really entertainment film, if you haven´t seen go watch it.

It's okay

[nothimme · 5/10 · 7 July 2018]

If you love shallow movies.

There isn't any depth in this movie. The jokes, story, villains, subplots. It all falls flat. It all one-dimensional. We have a mysterious-looking antagonist named Ghost, but she doesn't have a layer, she can't be mysterious, and at one point she serves up a clot of over complicated exposition that gives the film little bit action. You don't care if she'll accomplish her goal or not. You don't even care which side is going to win. We have lots of jokes, but they're all stale. If you find this humour funny, I'm sorry, I just can't take the movie seriously. While some ''intense'' interrogation scene was going on someone's cell is ringing with a joke sound. And this call is in this movie just because to be there - just because to be ''funny''. It doesn't have any contribution to the story or the storytelling, it just there like that Russian family from Justice League. We have a story that concerns a rescue mission. But there isn't any complexity or twist that blows the audience away. Just flat. You could easily predict what's going to happen next. We have a subplot concerning a romantic relationship between Antman and the Wasp, but there isn't much, it just teases us around, and that's all. We have another subplot concerning a lovely relationship between a dad and his 10 years old daughter, which is not very well developed but still a little bit heartwarming because it's a relationship between a dad and his 10 years old daughter.

While a woman who is in constant physical and emotional pain is trying not to die, the movie is trying to be funny. Peyton Reed maybe should've gone for the head, not chest. But then again, he can't, Disney has the strings. It got to try to be colorful, amiable, ''funny'' with forced jokes and fake actings. I really wonder when Marvel and Disney are going to take some risks and make a groundbreaking superhero movie. I guess never. Critics fine with eating the same turd for 10 years.

There isn't any climax, or depth, or emotion. Just a filler movie with no heart and soul.

PS. Amazing FBI work right there. It was too realistic for this movie 10/10

Slow To Start But Still A Fun Adventure

[garethvk · 8/10 · 27 June 2018]

SPOILER: Following the unexpected and shocking moments from "Avengers: Infinity War", fans eagerly awaited the next Marvel Studios film for any type of clues as to what will happen next when the next Avengers film arrives next summer. "Ant-Man and the Wasp", is set before the events of "Avengers: Infinity War", and finds Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) under home confinement thanks to a plea deal he took for siding with Captain America in "Captain America: Civil War".

The years of being at home have driven Scott to find creative ways to entertain himself when his friend Luis (Michael Pena) and his daughter Cassie are not around. Scott is nearing the end of his isolation but knows F.B.I. Agent Woo (Randall Park), is waiting for him to slip up and with a possible twenty year prison term in the balance, he is not eager to make any mistakes. Scott is also on the outs with Hope (Evangeline Lilly) and her father Hank (Michael Douglas) as it is revealed he took the Ant-Man suit and took part in the Civil War without their permission.

Fate intervenes when a strange dream causes Scott to contact Hope who in turn takes a reluctant Scott along with her to get to the bottom of the dream. Scott is naturally reluctant as he is days away from freedom and being discovered out and about and consorting with his wanted former associates would not be good for his eventual freedom.

A shady tech dealer named Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins) and a dangerous new adversary named "Ghost" (Hannah John-Kamen) also complicate matters and force Scott, Hope, and Hank to contend with issues all around them as the race against time on an urgent mission while trying to stay away from Woo and his team.

The film is a bit slow getting started but it does have some great character moments as well as humor around the build-up to the action sequences. The action when it comes mixes some great visual FX with some humor as Hope and Scott jump between everyday items at various sizes to face the threats presented to them. The cast works very well with one another and there are some great moments that will likely become favorites for fans of the characters and Marvel.

The Ghost is a rather interesting choice as an adversary as we do not have an individual bent on conquest, revenge, mass destruction, or accumulating power and wealth. While it may seem odd to have a more down to earth and relatable villain in a Marvel film, it does continue a recent trend of showing of adversaries who are complex, harder to define, and sympathetic much like The Winter Soldier.

There are two scenes in the credits which are very important to the continuity of the Marvel Universe and with "Captain Marvel" due in March 2019, it will likely get fans whipped into overdrive thinking about the possibilities they present.

"Ant-Man and the Wasp" is not as epic in scale as some of the past Marvel films, but thanks to a likeable cast and some timely humor, it should keep fans happy until the next chapter in the series.

4 stars out of 5

SMILES EVERYONE SMILES...!

[masonfisk · 9/10 · 16 July 2018]

Another winner from the house of Marvel which is a side story to the recent Infinity War entry in the ongoing soap opera w/capes we've come to love. Paul Rudd is a co-writer on this entry which has many story arcs but most importantly introduces Michelle Pfeiffer to the fold as Janet Van Dyne, the original Wasp & I don't about you but I can't get enough of those de-aging scenes so seeing Douglas, Pfeiffer & even Fishburne like they used to look is a joy.

Matches up to & even surpasses its predecessor.

[Anurag-Shetty · 10/10 · 13 July 2018]

Ant-Man and the Wasp takes place after the events of Ant-Man(2015) & Captain America: Civil War(2016). Scott Lang/Ant-Man(Paul Rudd) teams up with Hope Van Dyne/Wasp(Evangeline Lilly). With the help of mentor Dr. Hank Pym(Michael Douglas), Scott & Hope have to work together to discover something crucial, that will unravel secrets from their past.

Ant-Man and the Wasp is an awe-inspiring film. Director Peyton Reed has maintained all the quirks, gags, one-liners & unique action, that made Ant-Man(2015) such a thoroughly enjoyable movie. The visual effects are magnificent. The 3D(especially in IMAX) puts you right in the middle of the action onscreen. The action set pieces are mind-blowing, with the stand out being the climactic one. The performances are the highlight of the film. Paul Rudd is spectacular as Scott Lang/Ant-Man. Rudd exudes his natural charisma & wit in his portrayal. Evangeline Lilly is outstanding as Hope Van Dyne/Wasp. Lilly's 'no-nonsense, always gets the job done' character perfectly complements Rudd's more goofy character. Paul Rudd & Evangeline Lilly share electrifying chemistry together. Michael Pena is hysterical as Luis. Walton Goggins is great as Sonny Burch. Bobby Cannavale & Judy Greer are good as Paxton & Maggie, respectively. Tip 'T.I.' Harris & David Dastmalchian are impressive as Dave & Kurt, respectively. Hannah John-Kamen is brilliant as Ava/Ghost. Abby Ryder Fortson is adorable as Cassie. Randall Park is superb as Jimmy Woo. Michelle Pfeiffer is amazing as Janet Van Dyne/Wasp. Laurence Fishburne is effective as Dr. Bill Foster. Michael Douglas is awesome as Dr. Hank Pym. Ant-Man and the Wasp is a must watch. Another flawless Marvel Cinematic Universe movie.

Just a tool to make money for Disney

[TheBigSick · 9 July 2018]

The plot is utterly predictable. The action sequences and visual effects are copied from its previous installment. The characters are flat and one-dimensional. Actually, you can never imagine a worse film than this one. If you missed this film for some reason, then congratulations! It is just one of the 30 Marvel films and one of the 80 movies that Disney will ship out in the next five years, and every of these films will be more or less the same.

Large and Small on screen, but just ends up middling.

[bob-the-movie-man · 6/10 · 9 August 2018]

In a prologue we see a young Dr Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and wife Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) torn apart as Janet miniturises herself into the "quantum realm" to save the world from nuclear disaster. But in the present day Hank thinks there might be a way to find and retrieve Janet with the help of their superhero daughter Hope ("The Wasp", played by Evangeline Lilly). ("What the f*** have you been thinking about instead for the last 30 years while I've been sat here avoiding neutrons", would be the imagined response from Janet, but we don't go there!).

But Scott Lang (aka "Ant Man", Paul Rudd), having also been to the quantum realm, holds a key part of the puzzle. To add to their problems, a strange ghost-like girl called Ava has her own reasons for retrieving the lost soul, but in ways that will tear Janet limb from limb. Can Hank, Hope and Scott succeed, while dodging both The Ghost, the FBI and other criminal forces intent on seizing Pym's technology?

I must admit that I'd somewhat forgotten how "Ant Man" ended three years ago, which together with the one film missing from my Marvel-watching canon being "Captain America: Civil War" left me somewhat confused by why we start the film with our hero Lang under two-year's house arrest. But much fun is had with Lang's curfew and the frustration of FBI agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) in trying to catch him breaking the rules.

For we are again at the comedic end of the Marvel universe. However the comedy is extremely uneven this time and doesn't sit particularly well with the dramatic and emotional elements of the film. It's certainly nowhere near the consistently funny content of the surprisingly good "Thor: Ragnarok". Some of Rudd's lines just smell of "trying too hard".

Adding comedic value is Michael Peña returning here as Scott's partner Luis. His motor-mouth routine after taking a truth drug ("not a truth drug"!) was hilarious, with the rest of the cast miming his words in flashback.

It has to be said though that there are some truly great sight-gags, to rival the Thomas the Tank Engine scenes in the first film. The expanding salt-cellar; the expanding / contracting car and building moments; and the "skateboard" scenes. But all - and I mean ALL - of these scenes were universally spoiled by the trailer, such that the reaction to them was "oh, that's that bit then". NEVER has there been a better case for a teaser trailer that basically said "Ant Man's back; here's ONE wow-factor visual". It's just criminal. Interestingly, re the trailer, there was also at least one scene (the "you go high, I'll go low" one, which I thought was very funny) that didn't make the cut I saw.

Acting wise you can't fault the cast with Lilly just great as "The Wasp". It's also great to see Michael Douglas and Laurence Fishburne going head-to-head in the acting stakes. Walton Goggins again crops up as a believable bad-guy, a performance I really enjoyed, but the star turn for me in the whole film was a career-making performance by Hannah John-Kamen as Ava/The Ghost: she's previously only had small supporting roles in "Tomb Raider" and "Ready Player One". Looking like a Star Wars sand-person in her outfit she removes her mask to reveal a stunningly piercing gaze and great screen presence. One to watch for the future.

Directed by original "Ant Man" director Peyton Reed, it's a perfectly entertaining watch for a summer night, but it is uneven in tone, perhaps the result of the team of five credited with the writing. Ask me in two months' time to tell you anything about it and I will probably struggle. It's a "meh" sort of film for me.

Flat.

[littlemankazoo · 3/10 · 9 July 2018]

So I think I can officially say it this time:

This is the first Marvel film I can undoubtedly say I thought was bad. VERY bad, as a matter of fact.

Let's start from the beginning; I enjoyed the first 'Ant-Man' film. It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. It reeks of re-writes and five different people working on its script. That said, it's imaginative and fun and I can at least roll with it and find it amusing at its worst lows and creative at its highest highs.

But this...this...this just felt like it was there to just be 'there'.

The characters: Paul Rudd is Paul Rudd. That may sound like a joke, but in all honesty, I have trouble finding a character in Scott Lang beyond "Paul Rudd". His character lacks any real depth, and I find it a struggle to truly care for him by the end of this film or even grasp onto a new development of his character that resulted in his film. He gives off the AIR of being likeable, and I DO like Paul Rudd's performance in this, but other than that...he's an actor playing himself. I don't see "Scott Lang". I see "Paul Rudd".

Michael Douglas? Again, I LOVE Michael Douglas as an actor, but...he spouts technobabble, we're left confused as to what it all means, and we end up just seeing Hank Pymm as a dispensary of science talk and lacking a character. This entire film is about him and his quest to find his wife...yet we never get anything intimate for his character beyond a scene or two (Which are played for laughs anyway, so who cares?).

Evangeline Lily and Michelle Pfeiffer, however, suffer the most here. Never have I seen such flat female characters in a superhero film since the mid-2000's of half-baked Marvel adaptation films. Hope Van Dyne is positioned as such a vital character in this film (Her character's name is IN THE TITLE), yet she feels completely jammed into a "Badass girl who kicks you" stereotype with little-to-no depth. For a character who we were "promised" would be vital to this film, I know very little about her beyond what I already knew from the first film.

Pfeiffer suffers just as much, as she too is treated as only the role of "Woman who must be rescued". We get no development of her character as they search for her, no characterization, no scene that at least gives us an idea of what she was like or what she did.

But what development we DO get is expressed through some truly awful sequences where the events of the first film are needlessly recapped, character backstories are flipped through and swatted-away just so the writers can say they included it, and take away any and all depth that could be explored with these characters.

Instead, everything is FLAT. And I think that word describes this film perfectly. "Flat".

"Flat" is what the characters are. "Flat" is the cinematography and lighting of the film that looks like any other cut-and-dry comedy film with no inventiveness or seeming effort to make this look creative.

And "Flat" is how the humor of this screenplay falls. For the thousands of swings this film takes at humor, it lands it about 20 times, and misses all the rest. The theater I was in was awkwardly quiet, simply because it was trying TOO HARD to be funny. The wit of the first film worked far better in that it didn't need to TRY to be funny.

Instead, we have Michael Pena and Paul Rudd's heist friends rambling in scenes that feel improved and landing no jokes whatsoever. Other than a few scenes that were indeed humorous and garnered a big laugh or two from the audience and myself...clearly, the audience wasn't feeling it.

And neither was I.

In addition, the editing for this film incited a rare reaction of mine where I felt total whiplash in a jump from one scene to another. Quite literally, one transition from a scene to another was the most jarring and disjointed thing I've ever seen, and it left myself and my girlfriend audibly asking ourselves in our theatre seats if we just missed an entire scene. Not good at all.

All that considered...I didn't absolutely hate every aspect of this film. The action scenes where they play with size are still mildly interesting, although even they can't save this film as they lack the ambition and creativeness that the first had. Paul Rudd is entertaining enough as...Paul Rudd, and even a few scenes involving Michael Pena and his friends elicit a chuckle or two.

That said...I can't help but feel this film is an utter mess. A mess of mediocrity, poor editing, poor character writing, 2-3 action scenes that are nothing beyond "Serviceable", and attempts at humor that throws the entire buffet at you...but in the end, you only end up with empty calories.

And that's how I feel about this film. Empty.

...+1 whole point for that Tim Heidecker cameo, though...

A MCU misfire

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 3 October 2018]

Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has been under house arrest for helping out Captain America in Berlin in Captain America 3. He has spent the time watching television, playing drums and learning close up magic. He also gets to spend some time with his daughter who visits him at weekends.

However Lang gets a weird vision and contacts Dr Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) who has been unhappy with him for rushing off to Berlin.

Pym and his daughter Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) were doing some experiments to get hold of Pym's wife, Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) the original Wasp. She was lost in the Quantum World for some three decades. The experiment Hank and Hope conducted was at the same time that Lang had his vision.

As they unite to free Janet from the Quantum World, some villains want to steal their technology and a new entity emerges called Ghost. The Ghost keeps phasing as its molecular structure is unstable and needs to absorb the energy from the Quantum World.

The film is a contrived mess as shown by the six credited writers. The stakes might be small scale in comparison to the other MCU movies. The tone more lighthearted and breezy. I did not expect the film to be so inconsequential and the action so repetitive. It really is a series of elongated set pieces to pad out the two hours running time as the script is so flimsy.

Thank You Paul Rudd

[evanston_dad · 7/10 · 26 March 2019]

I usually hate superhero movies, but I liked this one. I didn't see the first one, or any of the other Marvel movies that the character of Ant-Man may have been in, so it took some time for me to figure out what was going on. But let's face it, these movies aren't exactly the equivalent of brain surgery, and plot is such an afterthought in most superhero movies anyway (which is one of the things I hate about them), that I didn't have to expend a lot of effort on catching up.

"Ant-Man and the Wasp" is funny, it's short, and it has the huge advantage of starring Paul Rudd, who single-handedly makes the film worth watching. No, I take that back. Michael Pena deserves a lot of credit for that as well.

Grade: A-

Ends the Streak of Great MCU Films

[ThomasDrufke · 4/10 · 16 July 2018]

Marvel is coming off quite possibly their best streak of 3 films including Thor Ragnarok, Black Panther, and Infinity War; Ant-Man & the Wasp found itself in a unique situation. Some people thought all it had to do was be fun and present a different tone than what Infinity War did a few months back, others thought it had even more pressure to continue the streak of greatness. For me, I just wanted a good movie that would make me laugh. Because for the most part, that's what the first Ant-Man did.

Sadly, the sequel barely does anything to separate itself from other superhero films or really make a mark in a crowded field of movies. Let's begin with the humor (which is getting a lot of credit for some reason). There are a few characters in this film that are anything but actual humans. They are caricatures that are only there to spout jokes for ever second they are on screen. Randall Park and Michael Pena no longer feel like real people. Walton Goggins (albeit not there for humor) is a completely useless character that is solely there so that the secondary characters can have a brief action "chase" sequence. You never get a true sense of his purpose or motivations. He's just there.

The villain, Ghost, (played by Hannah John-Kamen) looked like an interesting addition in the trailers and has the ability to phase through anything. Her goal in this movie directly relates to a spoiler-ish mission that Ant-Man & the Wasp go on, but there was never once that she had an imposing presence on screen. In fact, there isn't a single character that even feels like an antagonist or a conflict, which is a good reason for why this movie fails.

Evangeline Lilly is incredible in this movie and is a complete 180 from her role in the first film. She actually gets a chance to do something and every second she's on screen is electric. Unfortunately, a lot of that comes at the expense of Paul Rudd as Ant-Man. He's no longer a nifty bada**, but rather a clumsy guy in a suit that's good for a few punches and one too many jokes.

As a whole, the film is easily the worst and most pointless entry into the MCU. There's no reason this film should get more praise simply because its a lighter movie that comes right after Infinity War. Years from now I think people are going to realize that there is just a lack of substance here.

4.0/10

Don't Judge By The Size, Judge By The Quality!

[MiroslavKyuranov · 7/10 · 27 June 2018]

Yes, the movie responds to some questions, we asked during "Infinity War" and yes, for people who do not watch all the movies, only some selective...all of the movies in the MCU are connected and this one is no exception.

I will not get into the details for the movie, but it got everything you need to remember it. The story is fun, the action is great, also connections to other movies. All these, are just some of the incredible things in this movie!

Personally for me, Evangeline Lilly in the role of Hope Van Dyne (Wasp) stole the show, because she's incredible, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man evolves himself as a hero, but do not think that the curious moments are less! Actors in supporting roles only make the movie even better. Stellar ensemble, also the humor is spot on. Get ready for a lot of surprises!

If you think that watching "Ant-Man and the Wasp" after "Infinity War" is crazy, believe me, Marvel own us once again. Just the thought, that after such a big event in the MCU, we are watching a lighter film, but at the same time extremely important for the culmination of all the events of ten years of stories is mind-boggling!

In conclusion "Ant-Man and the Wasp" is another solid entry in the MCU! The film is full of action, fun moments and character development. I will not disclose anything else, but stay to the very end of the movie...

One of the credit scenes is easily top notch!

do not take it serious

[trashgang · 8/10 · 8 January 2019]

Guess it's a new style of doing superhero flicks. Don't take it all too serious and be open-minded for jokes added into situations. This flick does great on that part when everything is little in teh normal world. I mean, we do have more situations were outfits have errors and the antman is too big or too small. It do gives some funny moments.

But not only that, effects are really stunning and the movie doesn't have any weak moments. People brag about it's the same as the firts one, of course it is, it's about Antman.

I enjoyed it and I am more into those superhero flicks with a joke here and there.

Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 5/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 1,5/5

Decent follow up

[welhof1 · 7/10 · 4 December 2021]

I loved the first one. This one was just lacking something I can't quite put my finger on. The villains were unimpressive, if you can even call them villains. That Ghost character wasn't really even necessary. I'm excited to see more of Ant Man though in future MCU movies.