Making a huge impression

ANT-MAN and the Wasp is the superhero film that Marvel fans need right now.

The ending of the last Marvel film, Avengers: Infinity War, traumatised a whole generation of fans. So for those of you still curled up in the corner, rocking back and forth and weeping (and let’s face it, we are all a little damaged now), Marvel has given us something a little more lighthearted and fun to soothe the pain and cleanse the palate.

Set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man and the Wasp is the sequel to 2015’s Ant-Man and continues the story of Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), who is under house arrest and unable to use his Ant-Man suit after being convicted for his participation in the battle between Captain America and Iron-Man two years earlier.

Meanwhile, the suit’s creator, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), is busy trying to build a device to rescue his wife and original Wasp, Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), from the Quantum Realm, where she has been trapped for 30 years. Janet’s daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly) wears Wasp’s shrinking and flying suit now, but they also need Lang’s help.

And there are other competing groups who are also fighting to seize control of Pym’s lab for their own purposes, including the mysterious Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), who has the ability to walk through solid objects and vanish at will.

So this story is not the kind of straight-up “find and stop the villain” plot you might expect, since there is no single bad guy or “evil plan”. Rather it is a bit more like a game of football, with numerous competing groups all passing possession of Pym’s lab back and forth (quite literally, in fact) in a race to see who is holding the MacGuffin at the final siren.

While a refreshing change from the usual superhero plot structure, this does make it feel a bit scattered and directionless at times, but it is just so much fun that it really doesn’t matter, you can just enjoy the chase.

The first Ant-Man movie was brilliant precisely because of its unapologetic silliness. With a script co-written by geek and pop culture comedy icon Edgar Wright, it had a story that knew how silly its premise was and took every opportunity to laugh at itself.

Creative differences with the studio meant Wright handed over directorial duties to Peyton Reed, but Reed, with his extensive background in TV comedy and a handful of hit films such as Bring it On, held true to that vision of keeping it light and never taking things too seriously.

Peyton returns to direct Ant-Man and the Wasp, and maintains that snappy, silly tone. The movie doesn’t laugh so much at its own expense, not in the self-aware sense anyway. But the action sequences are in themselves almost a nod and wink to the audience. They are so ridiculous that they are just funny in their own right. It is immediately obvious you’re not meant to take it seriously.

There is not as much costumed action as I would have liked, but the comedy factor of the movie more than makes up for this. It is a good character piece, with some very well-written characters who are a joy to watch.

Rudd is great as Lang. We get a good idea of who he is just through his actions on screen, how he behaves with his daughter, how he interacts with his comrades, his own personal guilt offset by his tendency to just act impulsively. We see who he is, we don’t need to be told.

Similarly, we learn everything we need to know about Hope through watching her interactions with Lang and Pym, her calm demeanour under pressure, and one handy flashback. We don’t get told a great deal about her, but we see what sort of person she is, and she is great fun — she needs her own movie.

Ghost is a fascinating antagonist as well. In the great tradition of Marvel villains, she isn’t really all bad, just damaged and misunderstood. Her powers come at the cost of constant agony, and you would expect someone to be a bit desperate and twisted by that. You can genuinely sympathise with her.

The action sequences are surprisingly few but they are amazing to watch, especially the shrinking and growing fight sequences, which are beautifully choreographed, a good blend of live action and CGI that flows nicely. The car chases are outstanding, too, kinetic and constantly surprising and funny.

The size-changing premise doesn’t wear out its welcome either. I half expected it to be a one-trick pony that would exhaust its material pretty quickly, but it is always fun and always inventive — with a few giant ants thrown in just got fun.

Ant-Man and the Wasp is a joyously fun adventure, full of silly gags and lively action that almost lets you forget about the heartache of Infinity War. Almost.

Ant-Man and the Wasp (PG) is now showing at Village Cinemas and Cmax. Rating: