Mini hero, major bite
Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michael Pena, Michelle Pfeiffer After starting out small, he’s the next big sting THE Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been the dominant force at the global box-office for a decade.
And yet, one factor crucial to that spectacular success goes relatively unremarked upon: a typical Marvel superhero franchise continues to improve across time, particularly when making the leap from the getting-toknow-you of episode one to the getting-down-to-business of episode two.
That traditional MCU uptrending works in favour of Ant-Man and the Wasp, a far more cohesive, exciting and entertaining commodity than its predecessor.
While the first Ant-Man was likeable enough, it was a little too light-on for must-see moments to lodge in the memory for too long.
That flaw has been fixed in Ant-Man and the Wasp, which boasts plenty of awesome set-piece action sequences designed with real imagination, along with jokes and japes executed with infectious, free-wheeling flair.
All it took was one minor plot twist to take things to the next level.
Ant-Man (another winning effort from under-rated Paul Rudd) is now saddled with a malfunctioning prototype suit, allowing the franchise’s trademark mayhem of sudden shrinking and super-sizing to scale (with Ant-Man, it’s all about scale) new heights.
Check out the scene where a 10m Ant-Man uses a tow truck as a scooter. You don’t see ideas this weird and amusing in a mainstream movie every day.
The plot of Ant-Man and the Wasp is not exactly heavygoing compared with usual Marvel fare. Hence the PG rating, which lets younger MCU devotees walk freely through the door for a change.
The story opens with AntMan’s alter ego Scott Lang under house arrest for misdemeanours during Captain America: Civil War.
However, just days short of freedom, our hero is busted loose to help inventor Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly) rescue long-lost wife and mother Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) from the dreaded Quantum Realm.
As flagged by the title, part of Ant-Man’s journey before completing this high-risk mission will be to join forces with The Wasp, another micro-insect crime-fighter who just happens to be Hope. (Not surprisingly, Lilly outshines Rudd on a physical combat-movement level.)
There will be an array of villains coming and going (of which Ready Player One’s Hannah John-Kamen is a standout as angst-ridden shape-shifter Ghost), a few shout-outs to other points in the MCU, and plenty of throwaway laughs.
Ant-Man and the Wasp amounts to a tidy, tight and consistently entertaining package. Unwrap and enjoy.