SMALL BUT PERFECTLY FORMED

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP 12A

EARLIER this summer, larger-than-life characters from the Marvel Comics galaxy united to combat the threat of mighty Thanos in the superhero showdown, Avengers: Infinity War. However, one miniature crimefighter – wisecracking cat burglar Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) – was notable by his absence from the pyrotechnic-laden combat. Peyton Reed’s crowd-pleasing sequel neatly explains Lang’s no-show against Thanos with a high-octane blast of rip-roaring entertainment, which dizzies and delights in equal measure. Adopting a more intimate style of storytelling, Ant-Man And The Wasp choreographs outrageous set-pieces without sacrificing the broad humour or tender emotion that made the original 2015 film a sizeable hit. Notably, this is Marvel’s first action-packed feature with a female superhero proudly name-checked in the title.

Evangeline Lilly’s airborne assassin dominates bruising fight sequences when she isn’t catalysing molten on-screen chemistry with Rudd’s reluctant saviour.

Ant-Man’s ability to shrink to the size of an insect at the touch of his power suit’s button, or expand to the hulking form of a skyscraper-toppling giant, is exploited to greater comedic effect in the second film with the aid of seamless digital effects.

A turbo-charged car chase along the undulating streets of San Francisco is particularly memorable when the technology malfunctions and Scott is unable to revert to his usual form and avoid drawing the attention of hordes of camera-wielding tourists.

Following the cataclysmic events of Captain America: Civil War, Scott is sentenced to two years under house arrest while Dr Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), inventor of the Ant-Man technology, and daughter Hope (Lilly) are in hiding, trying to find a way to rescue Hope’s mother Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer).

But when disaster strikes, Scott dons the Ant-Man suit and retrieves a stolen power source.

While the plot is flimsy and the quest to rescue Janet is unnecessarily protracted, the sequel doesn’t feel bloated at a buzz shy of two hours.